How to Sleep Better When You’re Dealing with External Distractions
Some of us have to battle an army of external forces just to fall asleep: street noise, roommates, external light. We call these people Sleep Warriors, and sometimes it seems like the world is conspiring against them on their simple quest for eight hours of decent sleep. While these warriors have no control over environmental elements, they can arm themselves with several items within their own bedrooms to help keep out the distractions. They also have an ally in Casper, whose ergonomic, stay-cool Wave mattress is engineered for victory in the war on sleepless nights—and AT readers can take $150 off theirs with the code APTHERAPYC! (Terms apply.)
Apartment Therapy readers get $150 off The Wave with the code APTHERAPYC. Terms apply.
Temperature is probably the biggest issue for most Warriors; even a few degrees can make all the difference over the course of a night. Memory foam mattresses offer great support but can feel stifling for anyone who’s a hot sleeper. Casper’s Wave Mattress keeps the support—hello, ergonomic sleep system— but takes heat out of the equation with five layers of breathable foam, cooling gel, and a humidity-fighting wool cover. It’s topped with a weightless, velvety foam that melts away for soft, luxurious sleep. Then, when you make your bed, linens that breathe and a pillow that always stays cool will help keep you even cooler. Casper sheets come in airy linen (for laid-back luxury), breathable cotton (for weightless comfort), and cool supima (for that crispy-clean feel). If you’re too cold at night, putting on a pair of socks will (weirdly, even though it’s just your feet) help you sleep warmer.
After temperature, light and sound are the next offenders for sensitive sleepers. Both are pretty easy to fix with blackout shades, a good sleep mask, earplugs, or a sound machine. But when it comes to light, we tend to forget that our skin — not just our eyes — is photosensitive. Daylight and most of the light that comes from the screens we use all day are considered “blue” and tend to hinder melatonin production. The Casper Glow is a bedside lamp that gives off “amber” light and syncs to your schedule to dim as you’re winding down and brighten to wake you up. It’s kind of like if the sun had an on-demand feature built for you.
The fact is, we have little control over whatever environmental factors are conspiring to keep us awake. But with a little thoughtfulness and some quality tech, we can mitigate these distractions and get the heck to sleep.
