Blue Zones checklist: your bedroom

Getting a good night's rest is very important. Here are some bedroom tips from Blue Zones to help you get seven to nine of hours of sleep a night.

Transcript

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I know when I don't get enough sleep, I'm super cranky and I end up drinking way too much caffeine.

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Now I know this isn't shocking to you, but getting a good night's rest is really important. In fact, studies have shown that if you don't get enough sleep,

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it can actually increase your risk for different health problems, like obesity, diabetes, high blood

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pressure, and heart disease, just to name a few. I know when I don't get enough sleep, I'm super cranky,

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it's hard for me to focus, and I end up drinking way too much caffeine. So make sure you get that recommended seven

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to nine hours of sleep a night. The first tip is to have a really comfortable mattress and pillows.

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Mine are very comfortable. And this is super important to me because I'm eight months pregnant, and I don't want to be waking up with weird aches and pains

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after what should be a restful night's sleep. Next, I recommend that you don't have a digital alarm clock.

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A digital alarm clock can put off a lot of blue light that can really disrupt your sleep. Instead, have a traditional clock that doesn't tick,

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so it doesn't wake me in the middle of the night. I also like to dim my lights 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime

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to set my body up for rest. Another tip to reduce your blue light exposure is to keep your television, computers,

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and phones out of the bedroom. I charge mine in the living room so they aren't buzzing in the middle of the night disrupting my sleep.

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I also love to use lavender oil. I put a little bit under my nose and on my wrists right

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before bed. The smell is really soothing and helps me set me up for a good night's sleep.

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You can use a lavender plant if you prefer that instead. We have double paned windows.

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This helps keep the noise out and the temperature of the room stable. The ideal temperature for sleep is between 60 to 67 degrees

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Fahrenheit. So I parked my thermostat right in the middle of that. If that feels a little bit too chilly for you,

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make sure to turn it up a bit, because if it's too cold, it can actually disrupt your REM sleep.

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I hope you found these tips helpful. For a full list of them, check out the Blue Zones Bedroom Checklist.