If you’re having trouble sleeping, you need to find the source of the problem as soon as possible. Sleep is not just important for your growing children, it’s also vital for parents to get the recommended eight hours per night. A proper night’s sleep is essential for your mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety. The healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels is directly aided by getting enough sleep. In fact, ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.

Getting enough quality sleep at the right times also helps you function well throughout the day. People who are sleep deficient are less productive as they go about their tasks at work and at home.

If you’ve found that you’re not waking up feeling refreshed and rested, take a look at your lifestyle habits. Drinking too much coffee or caffeine products makes it difficult for you to shut off your brain and get some sleep. Checking your emails, social media notifications, or playing games on electronic devices late at night often results in you staying up later than you intended. Also, using your bedroom as a second home office can make it nearly impossible to relax. Your bedroom should only be used for two things; sleep and intimacy.

However, if you’ve eliminated all the above possibilities, then the source of your unrest is probably your bedroom.

Too much light
Street lights, cars driving by, and bright signs in cities can filter through your bedroom window if you don’t have proper blackout curtains. All these lights are cues for your brain to stay awake and alert. To silence these messages, and to get a good night’s sleep, you need to install some good blackout curtains. Your rest will no longer be plagued by light pollution from outside, and they might even block out the worst of the morning sunlight if you want to lie in on the weekends. Additionally, really good blackout curtains will reduce your energy bills by keeping heat in and cold air out, and they will reduce the noise pollution from outside.

Too noisy
Sounds from outside are often a big problem if you live in the city or in a busy neighborhood. You have to deal with cars driving by at all hours, clocks chiming every fifteen minutes, and people just getting in from a late night out. These, as well as noisy neighbors, are enough to jerk you awake in the middle of the night and prevent you from falling asleep again. It can be especially troubling when earplugs have done nothing to solve your problems. There are diplomatic ways of dealing with your neighbors, and in the meantime you need to throw some textiles around your room. Thick rugs, plush cushions, fabric lampshades, and valances will absorb the sound waves and leave nothing but silence in your room.

Uncomfortable bed
If you’re tossing and turning at night more often than usual, it might be time to buy a new mattress. The lack of sleep caused by a bad mattress can lead to obesity, stress, or even a weak immune system. An older mattress also has a higher chance of being home to dust mites, which can irritate your throat and lungs, and aggravate allergies.

Once you have a new mattress, you should also use the elements of a well dressed bed to help you get a good night’s sleep. A lightweight duvet will keep you warm in winter, but cool during the summer. A thick, fluffy comforter will give additional warmth during the colder months, and save you money on heating bills. Decorative pillows can also be used for additional support while sitting up in bed to read and used behind the night-time pillow to ensure they don’t get dirty.

Too stuffy
Sleep experts agree that the optimal temperature for sleep is between 64 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 21 Celsius). If you’re waking up sweating or kicking off the covers too often, it could be a sign that your bedroom is too hot and stuffy for optimal sleep. Simply install a ceiling fan to keep your room at the perfect temperature. A ceiling fan is cheaper to operate than an air conditioner, so you won’t be sacrificing your energy bills for a good night’s sleep. If you are worried about dust being blown around, look for a model whose blades are coated with nanoparticles to prevent dust buildup.

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