Cool Your Room Dr. Barr says sleeping in a cool room can improve your sleep quality. She recommends keeping your bedroom between 16 and 19 degrees Celsius (60 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit). “The brain has delicate chemistry and rhythms that it needs to go through, and it needs that cool temperature
Heavy blankets and cozy pajamas are fine—the body can regulate its temperature if the room is cool. This cool environment will help the brain fall asleep, allowing all necessary processes, including melatonin release, to work optimally. Perfect!
Just Sleep in Bed It's tempting to work on your laptop or play phone games in bed. Dr. Barr advises keeping your bed for sleep and a few other activities. Stimulus control reinforces the bed-rest connection by using the bed exclusively for sleep.
Dr. Barr advises "only use your bed for sleep, with a bit of light reading acceptable." "TVs, phones, arguments with your spouse—keep those things out of the bedroom or at least out of the bed." To counteract screen time and other stressors, this trains the brain to associate bed with rest and relaxation.
Maintain a Sleep-Wake Schedule To stay healthy, Dr. Barr recommends going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. "The brain is like a little retired person, and it really needs a predictable routine to thrive
A regular schedule tells the brain when to release melatonin for sleep or cortisol for wakefulness. Dr. Barr suggests making a "bedtime playbook" with day and night shift routines for irregular shift workers. This will help your body maintain a rhythm, providing familiar cues even if your schedules change.