What Do We Mean by Sleep Hygiene?
“Sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices and habits that are necessary to have good nighttime sleep quality and full daytime alertness.” - National Sleep Foundation.
If your family struggles with getting a good night’s sleep in the summer months, you can experiment with different types of calming sounds. White noise and pink noise mask the sounds in and around your home that could be getting in the way of restful sleep.
What is White Noise?
White noise is an ambient sound that helps to mask or neutralize other sounds inside and outside your bedroom. Think of the sound you hear when switching a radio dial between stations, that is a type of white noise.
If your home is in a noisy neighborhood, a little bit of sound masking can go a long way to restore a quiet sleep environment. Vary the type and volume of white noise in your room to help neutralize the din of the world outside your window. Calm Radio also features the ability to mix white noise and other sound maskers with your chosen sleep music channel so you can create your own personal sleep environment.
What is Pink Noise?
Just like white noise, pink noise is a “color” of noise (there are others, including black, red, blue, and brown). Noise color refers to the frequency range of the sounds. The human ear detects white noise as “static,” but pink noise is more “even or flat.”
A Northwestern Medicine sleep study in 2017 showed that adults who were exposed to pink noise experienced deeper sleep and improved cognitive function than those in the control group. A smaller 2019 study also showed improved memory response.
Playing white noise or pink noise while you sleep can be an easy way to get a deeper, uninterrupted sleep without the use of medication.
Try Conditioning Your Sleep Environment Tonight
With a wide array of sleep sounds streaming on Calm Radio, you can try different channels to see what works best for you. If the sound of the gentle Light Fan channel doesn’t seem relaxing to you, try Beach Waves instead. If nature sounds aren’t your style, try the Pink Noise channel. Don’t forget to experiment with mixing a nature sound channel with any sleep music channel. Calm Radio has a wide range of sleep sounds and music for sleep. Creating your own sleep environment is a personal one. Experimenting will go a long way for your perfect night’s sleep.
Merely streaming calming sleep music may not be enough to send you off to dreamland. Perhaps your sleep routine needs a tuneup during the summer months. Try these tips to improve your sleep hygiene.
Consistency is key: Keep your bedtime and wake up time around the same every day, and that includes your little ones!
Darken your bedroom: If sunshine streaming through your bedroom window is waking you up at 5:30am, consider installing a blackout shade. Blackout shades are available online and from your local home improvement center starting at under $50. Bonus: Leaving a bedroom dark during the day also keeps it cooler!
Mask the light: An economical option is to buy or make your own sleep mask to shade your eyes from a bright room.
Stay cool: For many folks, the intense summer heat interferes with a restful night’s sleep.
- Enjoy a brief cold shower before bedtime to lower your body temperature
- Wrap an ice pack in a tea towel and apply to the back of your neck for a few moments before bed
- Wear light pajamas made of moisture-wicking fabric, or consider sleeping in the buff
- Run a fan in your bedroom, the air circulation can help you feel cooler
- Invest in a dehumidifier. They don’t lower air temperature, but they do reduce the relative humidity in a space, making it feel cooler.
Now picture yourself in a cool dark room, with your fan gently circulating the air. You’re streaming Calm Radio’s PINK NOISE channel or one of our many other sleep music channels. Your sleep environment is calm, quiet, peaceful. Take a few deep, cooling breaths and let your day drift away.
