A Good Night's Sleep - The Importance of Blinds

Getting a Bad Night of Sleep

According to the NHS, an adult needs between 6 and 9 hours of sleep each night, some people will get by on a little bit less though, as many people over the age of 70 tend to sleep for less than 6.

The amount of sleep you get can be different for a whole host of factors though: what and when we have eaten, the amount of TV we have watched or the number of coffees we’ve drank at work.

A big factor though is light pollution. Either from natural light sources such as the sun, or from artificial sources such as streetlights. Intrusive lights such as these can stop the brain producing the essential sleep hormone Melatonin, making it more difficult to get to sleep, and then stay asleep.

Being in light and dark environments has different effects on the human body. When dark, your body receives a visual cue that it’s time to rest, which begins the production of melatonin. The darker you can keep your room throughout the night, the deeper and more satisfying sleep you’ll have, as your brain will have maximum time to produce lots of melatonin.

Light on the other hand, will supress production of melatonin, thus keeping you awake for longer. In the morning, bright natural light can help wake you up and get your day off to a good start, but you don’t want that in the evening when you’re trying to get to sleep. If your bedroom is plagued by artificial light, your brain will find it difficult to turn off, and so will you.

In fact, even light we’re exposed to before we get in bed can have a lasting effect on the quality of sleep. If your bedroom lights are too bright for instance, this will cause Melatonin production to be blocked even after you’ve switched off the lights and gotten into bed, so it’s a good idea to dim the lights before you plan to go to bed.

An easy way to get around this is to install blackout blinds. These are designed to completely block out both natural and artificial light from entering your room, giving you heightened control on when light can get into your room. Installing them in your bedroom can offer almost complete coverage from outside light sources, meaning you can get a good night’s sleep without fear of light waking you up, or keeping you awake.

For more information on our massive range of Blackout Blinds in a variety of types including Roller and Vertical, look at our range of Blackout Roller Blinds.



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