What makes a good night’s sleep? Sleep impacts every aspect of our lives. Here are some of the main points you might want to take into consideration in order to get a good night’s sleep.

Conclusion

       Good sleep is a topic that is often neglected, but it is a very important aspect of our everyday life. Sleep has been extensively studied and affects our quality of life in many ways — be it our efficiency at work, our endurance when it comes to daily tasks, or the prevention of diseases and maintenance of mental health, just to name a few.

      Given the increase in the prevalence of sleep problems in many countries, we have decided to dedicate an article to this topic that summarizes evidence-based advice that can help you to improve the quality of your sleep without having to get a doctor’s prescription.

The advice encompasses topics such as ventilation and temperature, noise, the level of darkness, food, pharmaceutical drugs, mind relaxation, exercise, and helpful bedtime routines. Curious? Read more to find out how to address sleep problems in a natural way.

Sleep is essential to our health

It strongly influences our capacity to recover both mentally and physically, allows us to store memories, influences our mood, and promotes "growing" in children. It basically impacts every aspect of our life by affecting the way we think, learn, behave, feel, and interact with others.

Poor sleep and sleep deprivation have been associated with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, impaired mental capacity, and poor motor coordination. Specialists have shown that “healthy sleep” might be the best way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and that there is a strong relationship between sleep and proper functioning of the immune system.

While sleep disorders and the impact of sleep on general health have been extensively studied, the conditions necessary for good sleep, often called “sleep hygiene,” is sometimes overlooked.

Many times we prefer to look directly at pathology and label our sleeping problems as a disease. We turn too quickly to medication and skip the simple yet critical changes we could easily make to get better sleep.

Here are the essential rules for good sleep:

Sleep in well-ventilated rooms and air out your home frequently

During respiration, we take up oxygen from the air and release carbon dioxide (CO₂). Sleeping in closed, small rooms or confined spaces leads to CO₂ buildup.

There are many devices on the market that monitor indoor air quality. These can be used to measure the amount of CO₂ in bedrooms, offices, cars, and public spaces (e.g., restaurants). A CO₂ level of over 2'000 ppm can lead to headaches, poor concentration, increased heart rate, and nausea. A level above 40'000 ppm can cause brain damage, comas, and even death (values established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health).

Pay attention to room temperature, air humidity, and pollution

The conditions for good sleep are met when the body doesn’t have to regulate its own temperature, reaching what is called the “thermoneutrality state.” You can achieve this without wearing pajamas at an environmental temperature of 86–90 ^o F (30–32 ^o C) or wearing pajamas and covering yourself with at least one sheet at 61–66 ^o F (16–19 ^o C).² Warm blankets may hinder your sleep during the summer, and having cold feet in the winter also makes falling asleep more difficult.

Sleeping in a warm and highly humid environment increases the frequency of wakefulness episodes while low humidity dries out and inflames the respiratory tract.³ Ideally, humidity in the bedroom should be between 40–60 %. To increase humidity, you can use a vaporizer or a humidifier, or simply place bowls of water near the heat sources. The common methods to decrease humidity include promoting airflow (ventilating) and using a dehumidifier or an air conditioner.

Air pollution (mostly associated with traffic) affects sleep by acting upon the central nervous system and the upper airways. This can lead to reduced oxygen levels in the blood, respiratory acidosis, and obstructive sleep apnea. Furthermore, air pollutants can also contain allergens that induce inflammation, which in turn affects sleep quality.⁴ Air pollution meters usually display the VOC value (volatile organic compounds).