You may not look at a set of smart blinds and immediately see them as a way to drastically improve sleep quality but underneath all the features, they can have a major positive effect on sleep hygiene when used correctly. 

What Is Sleep Hygiene And Why Does It Matter?

Sleep hygiene is what you invest in your sleep routine and the environment in which you sleep. Sleep hygiene dictates how likely or unlikely you are to get a good night’s rest. It’s doing things like having a consistent bedtime, having the bedroom comfortable for you, eliminating distractions, and having healthy habits during the day that are more likely to provide uninterrupted sleep.

Light exposure also has a role to play in sleep hygiene. If you’re exposed to light at night, it can hinder transitions between sleep cycles and negatively impact the quality of sleep. Repeated awakenings and reduced time spent in deep, restorative sleep are common among people who sleep where there’s an increased likelihood of exposure to light.

What Is Poor Sleep Hygiene?

Taking into account that sleep hygiene is all about habits and environment, someone with poor sleep hygiene will likely have trouble falling asleep, experience frequent sleep disturbances, and be sleepy in the daytime because of this inability to remain asleep. According to the National Institute of Health, as many as 40% of us fall asleep during the day without meaning to. For a majority percentage of those people, it’s tied to poor sleep hygiene. 

How Do I Improve My Sleep Quality?

If you’re looking to improve sleep quality, there are two basic questions we need to answer for you first.

• Is 6 hours of sleep enough? No, the daily recommended amount of sleep is 7-8 hours. Anything less and you’re likely to wake up tired or go into a sleep deficit which over time adds up. Sleep specialists will also tell you that less than 6 hours also puts you at an increased risk for heart disease, inflammation, and increased stress.
• Is there medication to improve poor sleep quality? While there is medication to help induce sleep, it’s not going to improve bad sleep per se. You run the risk of dependency and sleep medications can even go so far as to worsen sleep over time.

Bottom line: get enough sleep. For a more permanent fix, read ahead for how to improve sleep hygiene.

Optimize Your Bedroom

How you set up your bedroom is most important.

• A comfortable mattress and pillow, with high-quality bedding that feels nice on the skin, lets the body relax.
• The right bedroom temperature, for most people, is slightly cool so that you aren’t too warm.
• Block out any distractions, lights, or noises that could be bothering you.

A set of smart blackout blinds or roller blinds also changes a bedroom environment dramatically. You don’t even have to get up to set them, pull them up, or pull them down. They effectively block out sunlight, allowing you to get as much rest as you need no matter what your hours are. They are especially helpful when you need a little extra sleep on a day off or if you work irregular hours.

Regulate Your Sleep Schedule

• Set a wake-up time and stick to it. When you wake up at a consistent hour, it’s training the body to stick to a routine.
• Avoid napping during the day. As tempting as it can be to regain energy, naps can ruin your sleep at night.
• Do not mess up your sleep schedule by taking away from it for work, studying, or socializing. When you’re trying to regulate your sleep, it’s important to be consistent.

Follow A Nightly Routine 

• Give yourself 30 minutes to wind down and engage in pre-bed rituals. This can be anything from putting on pyjamas and brushing your teeth to soft music and reading.
• Dim your lights. Lower your smart blinds to avoid any bothersome light that could hinder you from falling asleep.
• Unplug and separate yourself from electronics for 30-60 minutes pre-bed. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops will only stimulate. At the end of the day, you want to be relaxing your thoughts.

Good Health Habits Are Essentials 

• Regular exercise can make it easier to sleep at night.
• Reducing alcohol consumption and not overeating at dinner can prevent sleep disruptions tied to discomfort.
• Try to limit caffeine after mid-day. Even a little caffeine can keep the body awake.
• Get daily exposure. Sunlight helps to drive the body’s circadian rhythms which will encourage quality sleep to take place at night and activity during the day.

Benefits Of Using Blackout Blinds To Improve Sleep 

• Blackout blinds mean blackout! No light gets in. Block out the daylight and give yourself a bedroom setting where you can freely fall asleep without being woken up before you’re ready.
• The thermal materials used in blackout blinds to block light also help with temperature control. Lock in temperature and stay warm during winter or prevent overheating from exposure to the daytime sun during summer.
• Set up automation with a timer so that you don’t even need to think about it. As you’re going through your pre-bed ritual or wake-up routine, your blackout blinds will do the work for you and behave as programmed.

What Is The Best Candidate For Blackout Blinds? 

To select the right blackout blinds, consider the style of the material, the color, and the size specifications.

Of the aforementioned factors, the act of measuring blackout shades may be the most important. Blinds or shades are designed with either an inside or outside mount. An inside mount is installed within a recess or framework. An outside mount hangs outside a recess, usually on the frame, slightly above, and slightly beyond. A benefit of an outside mount is that it makes your window appear larger or can even hide an unattractive window if needed.

Why inside mounts and outside mounts are important to know because for an inside mount, the fabric will not extend to fully block out light on all sides. There may be small thin gaps on the sides. While you can purchase extra light blockers to fill those in, it’s far easier to go with an outside mount.

With an outside mount blackout blinds design, you have maximum privacy and light control. It’s recommended to add 3” to 6” to your width measurement to be sure the fabric will extend to the expected area and block out all potential gaps for daylight to get in. Total privacy.

About Go Smart Blinds

Set yourself up for a good night’s sleep. Try to develop a better sleep routine. You can do so with motorized blackout blinds. You’ll feel better rested the next morning and it’ll only get better from there. With Go Smart Blinds, you can automate your motorized blinds so that they work on your schedule, effectively shutting out light and giving you the chance to get all the rest you deserve.