Is your room causing your insomnia? W/ a free printable to find out!

Image of a woman wearing a pink sleep mask hugging a big white pillow, text reads "is your room contributing to your insomnia? How to identify the top causes of your insonia... and avoid them! Free sleep Qs printable. Janetjay.com"

Using your five senses to figure out if your room is causing your sleeplessness

If you’re someone who beds down at night only to stare at the wall, have you ever considered whether your room could be contributing to your insomnia? Not being able to sleep sucks, and the combo of chronic pain and insomnia (or fibromyalgia and insomnia, or ADHD and insomnia…) is even worse. The pain cycle (see infographic!) is a hell of a companion to drag along: the more you hurt, the less you sleep, which makes you hurt more, which makes you sleep less. Rinse & repeat.

But you have options! I’ve written about trouble sleeping with chronic pain before, but in the quest for a good night’s sleep, we often overlook the most obvious culprit: our bedroom environment.

Believe it or not, the setup and condition of your room can significantly impact your sleep quality. If you find yourself tossing and turning night after night, it might be time to examine these factors more closely. Here are some critical things to consider about whether the room you sleep in could be contributing to your insomnia– and a free printable with important questions to ask about your sleep space.

Proven ways to make your room more sleep-friendly

infographic about your room contributing to your insomnia, text reads "Use your senses to sleep better by making your bedroom quiet, cool, dark, cxomfortable, smelling nice," each word in a cloud floating over someone asleep on their back in the bed, janetjay.com

First, try and examine your sleep space with a fresh perspective. Try engaging each of your senses in turn! The optimal sleep space would be…

Quiet. Use earplugs, headphones or a white noise machine to block out any noise that might disturb your sleep.
Cool. Set the temperature in your bedroom to a comfortable, cool temperature, as a cooler room temperature can promote sleep. You can also buy mattresses and blankets aimed at people who sleep hot.
Dark. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out any light that might interfere with your sleep. If you must have your phone in bed, make sure it switches away from a blue light after dark and that the screen brightness is low.
Comfortable. Invest in comfortable bedding, including pillows, sheets, and blankets, that make you feel relaxed and comfortable. Consider purchasing a weighted blanket: mine certainly helps far more than I expected.
Smelling nice. Certain scents, like lavender or chamomile, are known to promote relaxation and calm, so consider using essential oils or a diffuser to fill your room with a soothing scent.

Download the free printable below! It’ll help you use your senses to make your sleep space more conducive to shuteye.\

Your bed = just for sleep (& sex)

line image of a crescent mooon and ZZZs, text reads "there is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep, homer, janetjay.com" — That Homer… wise guy, huh? Check out my other best quotes about chronic pain, disability and mental health here!

If you’re worried about your room contributing to your insomnia, experts recommend that you try your best to keep your bed a space for sleep (and sex) only.

If your living space allows for it, try to avoid making your bed the all-day hangout spot. You want to create a situation where your body and your subconscious know that if you’re getting into bed at night, it’s time to sleep.

Of course, not everybody has a room they can devote to nothing but sleep and knockin’ boots! If you have to use your room as an office or a hangout space during the day, try to delineate a specific area you can dedicate to these activities. Don’t just sit up against the bed’s headboard on your phone watching TV all day. But I know that personally, I slept worse when I had my office in my bedroom, even though I had a separate desk and everything. But all you can do is all you can do!

An infographic highlighting the duo of fibromyalgia and insomnia and their potential effects, including irritability, headaches, weight gain and a weakened immune system, as presented on janetjay.com. — Full-sized version here

Room STILL causing your sleeplessness after all that?! Consider if:

You’ve consumed caffeine, other stimulants, or alcohol lately. They can all keep you up, even if you’ve had them hours before bed. It’s better to cut them out completely, but if you don’t want to do that, try to avoid them within 6 hours of bedtime. And remember, coffee isn’t the only substance with caffeine: soda, tea, chocolate, and OTC meds can also have enough to do damage to your bedtime. Not to mention side effects of whatever scripts you’re on!
You’re getting overwhelmed by clutter. A clean, clutter-free bedroom can help you feel more relaxed and calm, which can promote better sleep. How long has it been since you washed your sheets? (I’m not anyone to judge you on this, truuuuust me.)
Your gadgets’ lights play a role. Try to avoid using electronic devices in the hour before bedtime, and DEFINITELY avoid using them in bed. If you MUST, most screens have an option to switch to “night mode,” because exposure to the blue light emitted by screens can interfere with your sleep. But really, try not to.
Social media is stressing you out. Or whatever it is that gets you worked up. I may be passionate about something but because of that, I get wrapped up in caring and thinking about it. I’ve found that avoiding the news– and even depressing nonfiction books– in the hours before bed is a huge help to me sleeping. It gets me thinking, it gets me involved, but it definitely does not get me sleeping.

Is your body trying to tell you something?

Maybe you’re not hungry, but should you really eat anyway? When’s the last time you drank water? Have you been sitting or standing for too long in one position? Do you need to stretch? Are your muscles all clenched up from stress? If you find yourself in a similar spot, it’s worth learning about progressive muscle relaxation techniques or even going to biofeedback! Not only will it loosen you up, but it’ll keep your mind occupied.

An infographic highlighting the duo of fibromyalgia and insomnia and their potential effects, including irritability, impatience, frustration, headaches, achy joints, tight muscles, anxiety, weakened immune system and weight gain, on janetjay.com

Are your health conditions contributing to your insomnia?

It’s not all about sleep, either! For instance, I deal with the combo of fibromyalgia and insomnia. It can result in super-fun stuff like:

irritability, impatience and frustration
Headaches, achy joints and tight muscles
Weight gain, anxiety, and a weakened immune system

Ready to use your senses to figure out how to get some damn sleep?

Awesome, because I made a free two-page printable (or fill-out-online-able) that should help you figure out wtf in your room is contributing to your insomnia. Just toss your email below and I’ll send it on over. (I promise to email you sparingly– no spam.) Let me know if it helps you identify any of the culprits!