Insomnia Causes Part 3: Could Your Very Own Bedroom Be the Biggest Cause of Insomnia for You?

Your very own bedroom -- the place you spend one third of your life -- could be a major cause of insomnia. Here is a list of the common bedroom-environment sleep-busters.

Too much light or not enough light in the room?

Most people are not aware of the profound effect light--both natural and artificial--has on our circadian rhythms and the sleep/wake cycle.

If your bedroom doesn't block out enough light streaming in through the windows--either natural light from early morning or artificial light from outdoors--it could be one cause of insomnia that you can treat very simply with light-blocking drapes.

Noise?

Ah, yes, noise... possibly the number-one environmental cause of insomnia, and maybe even the most irritating and annoying one. Neighbors? Dogs? Helicopters? Parties down the block? Traffic? Early morning construction? Late-night band practice down the street?

If you are bothered by noise, and especially if you are sensitive to noise and about to split your seams and break a few windows over it... I'll discuss some of options for relief in the articles below.

Temperature fluctuations?

Is your bedroom too cold or too hot at night, or does the temperature swing from one extreme to another? This is common with centralized systems (especially old ones, like mine). Poor temperature control could be a contributing cause of insomnia that you can look into.

Portable heaters and air conditioners have become much better--and cheaper--lately. I have a very quiet and effective one in my own bedroom for those endless hot, sticky summer nights.

Poor mattress?

If your sagging, lumpy old mattress ranks high on your list of possible insomnia causes, you really can't afford NOT to buy a better mattress. Save money on something else, but please give yourself the comfort you need for peaceful sleep. (Find out if buying a mattress is something you need to seriously consider at this site.)

Wake-ups by children and pets?

If you're a brand new parent, forget about getting full sleep for a while. But if you also find it difficult to get back to sleep in between waking up to tend to your baby, as so many parents do... there is still help for the insomnia caused by your bundles of joy!

Bed-partner issues?

That person sharing your bed... hogging blankets, shaking the bed, snoring, watching TV when you're trying to sleep... might be the ideal mate and loving companion during the day, but at night, it's a whole different story.

Sharing a bed peacefully with someone may require patience, compromise, good humor and... separate beds? Some couples have found it a reasonable solution.

Allergens, dust, air quality problems?

Your bedroom is your sanctuary and comfort is a must for sleeping. So if allergies are a main cause of insomnia for you, it's worth every penny you spend to improve the air quality in your bedroom.

There are lots of effective and affordable air filters on the market now that can clean the air in an entire bedroom in a couple hours. You should not have to suffer from indoor air quality issues.

Using your bedroom as corporate headquarters?

I'm sure you've heard the old mantra: "Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex... " And you probably think, "Uh-huh, yeah, right." But it's a mantra because it's, well, true.

Some people use their bedrooms as the home office because they have no other place to do business. What should you do then? There are ways to keep your work activities separate from your sleeping. I'll be exploring this in depth very shortly.

I think we've covered each important bedroom cause of insomnia. If any of these resonate with you, check out the insomnia articles below.