We’ve all suffered, at some point, from being scared to sleep in the dark, and what’s important to remember is that this can happen at any age. That fear of being in an unlit room, unaware of your surroundings can be overwhelming, but we’re here to show you that it’s less of a trick, and more of a treat.
A lot of us have tried to reduce our fears by using night lights, which can work when completely necessary. The light you get from warm colours, such as red, orange, or yellow can help you sleep, unlike blue light that you get from your phone, tablet, and TV. However, where possible, it is best to avoid any sort of light in your room during the night. When it’s dark, we release melatonin (the hormone that helps us sleep), which relaxes us and helps us to drift off for a good night’s sleep. Light reduces the amount of melatonin that is produced, making us less sleepy or easier to wake.
Think about how we struggle to sleep more during the day than we do at night, or how our sleep routines can be affected during the summer when we have brighter, longer evenings. This is because our body hasn’t produced the right amount of melatonin to help us sleep at our normal bedtime, so it isn’t a surprise that night lights can cause us to sleep worse and wake more often.
The use of white noise may be useful to you, as it blocks out background noise and can make dark environments seem less silent and worrying. It is important to pick the right kind of music or sounds for this, so we’d suggest checking out our Remixes to Relax blog with our top 5 playlists to help you sleep better.
We suggest keeping your room as dark as possible to get the best night’s sleep. If you can, invest in some good quality blinds or well-lined curtains, have an eye mask, and remove anything that may create excess light and you should get a great night’s rest. Find alternative methods to finding comfort in the dark and keep a night light as a last resort. If you’d like to read more about sleep and bedroom environment, check out the Sleep Charity blog on sleep environment.
