Let there be (less) light The first thing the sleep expert notes is that my near-transparent shades don’t block out the moonlight—let alone streetlights at night. "Melatonin, a hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle, is secreted at night in response to darkness," explains Samuel L. Krachman, DO, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. "Light interferes with its production, making it harder to fall into a deep, restful sleep." In fact, two new studies suggest that exposure to light at night could affect not only your snooze quality but also your blood pressure, glucose levels, ability to regulate body temperature—even cancer risk. He suggests adding blackout curtains, or any opaque shade, to darken the room.
Stop the log-sawing My main sleep complaint, though, is my husband’s snoring. Can Dr. Krachman help with that? His suggested fix: a sleep positioner—a belt with soft foam attachments that will keep my husband from sleeping on his back, which tends to bring on the snoring. For my part, I can wear earplugs and/or run a white-noise machine to dampen the sound.
The green expert’s take
Detox your pillow. Horrified. That’s the only word to describe the reaction of environmental-lifestyle expert Danny Seo when he spies my memory-foam pillow. He tells me that the petroleum-based synthetic foam my pillow is made of can emit volatile organic compounds
Shannon Greer
Go low-tech Seo is pleased that there’s no TV in the room. But he urges me to move the cordless phone base station, laptop, and electric alarm clock off my night table because of the radio frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) they emit. While the jury is out on the health impact of EMFs (some studies link them to a slightly higher risk of cancer; others have found no direct connection), why risk keeping these EMF sources next to my head all night long?
What the stress expert says
Rethink clutter Stress and trauma expert Barbara Rubel agrees that laptops and cell phones don’t belong in the bedroom—but for another reason: They’re potential stress-causers. So are the piles of material I need to read for work. My personal stress bugaboos are my husband’s dresser-mess—a jumble of change and receipts—and the clothes he leaves on the floor. Rubel’s first tip is to come up with an organizing solution that works for both of us. But she has a plan B: "If you can’t change the system, reframe your thinking. What is positive about seeing your husband’s jeans on the floor? It means he’s here and he’s healthy!" This idea hits home; my husband narrowly escaped the terrorist attacks on 9/11, so I do feel lucky to have him here—jeans on the floor and all.
