Why You Should Only Use Your Bed for Sleep and Sex
Turning your bed into a safe place for relaxing, dreaming, and a little bit of fun is the best way to ensure that you develop a trigger that makes your mind ready for sleep once you get into the bed. If you have work in there or even your smartphone, it will get in the way of the trigger that winds you down each night, and you won’t sleep as well.
Do not use your bed for:
• Watching TV – Unless you are ill, lying in bed to watch TV every night cuts down on the amount of sleep you get. Unfortunately, some people get into the habit of falling asleep to the sights and sounds of their TV and think this is helping, but it’s not helping you and will interfere with your sleeping rhythm if done long term.
• Eating – It’s not good to eat at night anyway. In fact, you should seek to have your last meal two to three hours before bedtime to avoid any digestive issues that can interfere with your sleep. There are many scientific reasons to avoid food before sleeping but understand that if you bring food into your bedroom, your room will now be dirty, smell funny, and attract bugs, none of which is conducive to sleep.
• Working – Yes, sometimes you’re indeed going to have deadlines that get in the way of your sleep, but you’re going to be far more productive having a separate workspace instead of working in your bed. Your work deserves full focus and attention, and your mind deserves a break to sleep at night.
• Doom Scrolling – The habit of taking the phone to bed is one of the worst things to happen to a good night’s sleep in decades. Instead of scrolling on your phone, checking your email, looking at social media, and getting worked up by what’s happening. Set a time each night that is the last time you will check your email or scroll through social media, and then do not bring that smartphone to your bedroom at all.
Instead, make your bedroom as comfortable as possible and be fully ready for sleep when you shut down the lights and get in the bed. If you have a partner, of course, having sex at night is an excellent way to get to sleep, but you must get to bed earlier so that the sex doesn’t cut down on how much sleep you’re going to get that night. If you find you can’t sleep, it’s better to get up than lay there too long fighting.
By only using your bed for sleep and sex, you reinforce healthy sleep habits. This practice is part of our comprehensive guide on 10 Proven Tips to Avoid Insomnia and Sleep Better Every Night. For more tips on improving your sleep, continue reading about Going to Bed Only When Sleepy.
