We here at the Seniors Discount Club are always on the lookout for new tips and tricks to help our members get a good night’s sleep. After all, getting enough rest is crucial for maintaining our overall health and well-being – not to mention avoiding those dreaded dark circles under our eyes!

We’ve already talked about things like disconnecting from electronic screens an hour before bedtime, keeping the temperature down in your bedroom, and avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon and evening. But there’s one other important thing you can do to promote better sleep, and that’s making sure your bedroom is as dark as possible.

You might not realise it, but exposure to even a small amount of ambient light during the night can be harmful to your health. That’s according to a recent study published in the scientific journal PNAS, which found that sleeping with ambient light can be harmful to cardiovascular health and increase insulin resistance the next morning.

The study found that excessive evening light exposure may negatively impact metabolic functions. In other words, exposure to light before bedtime can disrupt the healthy, natural pattern of sleep.

Reducing ambient light using blackout curtains or sleep masks may significantly improve sleep quality. Source: OpenAI​

‘Your eyes are your direct connection to the part of the brain that controls the circadian rhythm. [Light exposure] is interpreted by the brain to allow the chemical reactions to take place for healthy (or unhealthy) sleep cycles,’ says Dr Vyas, a sleep consultant at Sleepless in NOLA.

‘If there's a significant amount of light interference at a time when your body's trying to sleep, it can cause poor sleep or unhealthily programmed sleep cycles, which can lead to a significant number of other medical issues,’ he continued.

Our brains use the presence of light as a signal that it's time to be awake and alert, and darkness as a signal that it's time they should shut down for sleep mode. Light exposure activates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which increases our heart rate so we're up and ready for the day ahead.

At night though, when we should be winding down and ready for bed, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) should take control, promoting relaxation with decreased heart rate.

However if there's too much light around this process can’t happen effectively, potentially leading to too little or poor quality sleep being had throughout the night.

So, what can you do to make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible?

• First of all, if you live in a city or town, try to keep your curtains or blinds closed at night to block out any external light pollution. If you live in a rural area or somewhere with little light pollution, then you may not need to worry about this too much.
  
  
• You can also buy blackout curtains or blinds specifically designed to keep light out. These are usually made from a thicker, heavier fabric that does a better job of blocking out light.
  
  
• Another option is to use an eye mask. This is a piece of fabric that you wear over your eyes to block out all light. It’s a good option if you find it difficult to keep your eyes closed, or if you tend to wake up during the night and find it hard to get back to sleep. You can buy eye masks from most pharmacies or online. Look for one that’s made from a comfortable, breathable material like cotton. And make sure it’s not too tight so it doesn’t put pressure on your eyes or cause headaches.
  
  
• Try to limit your exposure to white or blue light. You can find ‘blue blocker’ glasses online for under $20 if you tend to stare at a screen in the evenings.

So there you have it - another simple but effective tip for getting a good night’s sleep. Next time you’re getting ready for bed, make sure to close the curtains, turn off any lights, and consider using an eye mask to ensure you get the best night’s sleep possible.

 

[Grumpypa]

Well I'm doomed, I go to bed check my emails and Facebook for last time for the day, play a couple of games before I go to sleep usually with the TV still going that remains on all night as well as a street light on my footpath.
It mainly comes from working IT from home which involved frequent afterhours work usually till 2 or 3 am. The being back at my desk by 9am when the stores opened. Doing that has given me a terrible daily routine that still involves 1 -2 am bedtime and often eating my main meal of the day after 8:30 pm. That job finished over 10 years ago. So I hope these White coats are not right but I have never woken up just because it is daylight and still don't and will sleep till 10 am if I am not woken by something.

 

[lozat54]

We here at the Seniors Discount Club are always on the lookout for new tips and tricks to help our members get a good night’s sleep. After all, getting enough rest is crucial for maintaining our overall health and well-being – not to mention avoiding those dreaded dark circles under our eyes!

We’ve already talked about things like disconnecting from electronic screens an hour before bedtime, keeping the temperature down in your bedroom, and avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon and evening. But there’s one other important thing you can do to promote better sleep, and that’s making sure your bedroom is as dark as possible.

You might not realise it, but exposure to even a small amount of ambient light during the night can be harmful to your health. That’s according to a recent study published in the scientific journal PNAS, which found that sleeping with ambient light can be harmful to cardiovascular health and increase insulin resistance the next morning.

The study found that excessive evening light exposure may negatively impact metabolic functions. In other words, exposure to light before bedtime can disrupt the healthy, natural pattern of sleep.

View attachment 6662
Reducing ambient light using blackout curtains or sleep masks may significantly improve sleep quality. Source: OpenAI​

‘Your eyes are your direct connection to the part of the brain that controls the circadian rhythm. [Light exposure] is interpreted by the brain to allow the chemical reactions to take place for healthy (or unhealthy) sleep cycles,’ says Dr Vyas, a sleep consultant at Sleepless in NOLA.

‘If there's a significant amount of light interference at a time when your body's trying to sleep, it can cause poor sleep or unhealthily programmed sleep cycles, which can lead to a significant number of other medical issues,’ he continued.

Our brains use the presence of light as a signal that it's time to be awake and alert, and darkness as a signal that it's time they should shut down for sleep mode. Light exposure activates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which increases our heart rate so we're up and ready for the day ahead.

At night though, when we should be winding down and ready for bed, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) should take control, promoting relaxation with decreased heart rate.

However if there's too much light around this process can’t happen effectively, potentially leading to too little or poor quality sleep being had throughout the night.

So, what can you do to make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible?

• First of all, if you live in a city or town, try to keep your curtains or blinds closed at night to block out any external light pollution. If you live in a rural area or somewhere with little light pollution, then you may not need to worry about this too much.
  
  
• You can also buy blackout curtains or blinds specifically designed to keep light out. These are usually made from a thicker, heavier fabric that does a better job of blocking out light.
  
  
• Another option is to use an eye mask. This is a piece of fabric that you wear over your eyes to block out all light. It’s a good option if you find it difficult to keep your eyes closed, or if you tend to wake up during the night and find it hard to get back to sleep. You can buy eye masks from most pharmacies or online. Look for one that’s made from a comfortable, breathable material like cotton. And make sure it’s not too tight so it doesn’t put pressure on your eyes or cause headaches.
  
  
• Try to limit your exposure to white or blue light. You can find ‘blue blocker’ glasses online for under $20 if you tend to stare at a screen in the evenings.

So there you have it - another simple but effective tip for getting a good night’s sleep. Next time you’re getting ready for bed, make sure to close the curtains, turn off any lights, and consider using an eye mask to ensure you get the best night’s sleep possible.

There has been recent research that shows that the blue light does not have the impact on sleep that it has been previously thought.

 

[Jonathan Leane]

@Grumpypa your routine sounds a lot like mine

I'm trying to learn to be a bit more of a 'morning person' though.

 

[Sloopy]

Oh dear! I have great difficulty getting to sleep in a completely dark room. No streetlights or any other man-made light sources outside here in the country, so no closing curtains etc, even heavily overcast skies or the very darkest phase of the moon can be an issue.