Is a good night’s sleep your holy grail?

Is sleep so elusive that you are consumed by searching for it? Or worse yet, have you completely given up on getting those 7-9 hours of sweet dreamtime every night? If you are one of the 70 million sleep-deprived souls in our country your bedside table might be stacked with articles and books on sleep. Perhaps your cocktail conversations include experiences of sleepwalking, sleep-eating or, worse yet, sleep-driving as a result of taking sleeping pills. Maybe you even have a newfangled sleep device that reports on what you accomplished overnight. You might think that you’ve heard or tried it all by know, but maybe not.

Let’s take a look at bedroom toxins that can disrupt your sleep and your health.

Creating a dedicated sleep sanctuary is the task at hand. This starts with leaving your worries, and your day, outside the bedroom… but this can be a challenge. Matters such as work, chores, family, pets, friends and social media seem to have priority. Who can sleep when there are so many things to think about and do? All these factors can become toxic to a good night’s sleep when they turn into items on the stressful, never finished, “to-do” list. The first step to better sleep is to leave this list outside of the bedroom, physically and mentally. Create a little ritual to put the list “to-bed” every night. Say goodnight to it and tuck it in. Assure it that it will be attended to in the morning. It will not runaway, of that you can be sure.

Next, let’s look at a few environmental toxins that can be hidden in your room. This is not a comprehensive list but I’ve included items that can be changed easily. That is, it won’t take long or cost too much but it will involve habit changes and does require mindfulness.

Air fresheners, candles and laundry detergents can all harbor toxic fragrances. How can something that smells so good be harmful? Phthalates are a common ingredient in fragrance mixes. These chemicals are linked to hormone disruption, cancer, allergies, and disrupted brain function. For healthier aromatherapy get a cold diffuser and use only essential oils such as lavender or chamomile for relaxation. Use unscented soaps and open the windows instead of polluting your air with chemical air fresheners.

Dry cleaning is smelly. The smell is from halogenated organic solvents used in the cleaning process. Research has shown that they are correlated to cancer and nervous system problems. If you must clean clothes this way leave them outside to off-gas or at least out of the bedroom.

Electronics and Wi-Fi may be the source of your problems. Unplug at night. Turn off your Wi-Fi completely and don’t take your electronics into your bedroom. The blue light that they emit is known to suppress melatonin, your sleep hormone. Read an actual book, not an e-book, in bed. If you use a mobile device for an alarm, put it in airplane mode.

Air and dust can harbor allergens that cause inflammatory reactions. These can stuff you up and impede your breathing resulting in restless sleep. Allergens can include animal dander, mold, dust mites and down feathers. Dusting with a microfiber cloth and vacuuming with a good HEPA filter vacuum can help. Another option is to get a high quality HEPA air filtration unit for the bedroom. This will take care of several of the toxins.

Many other factors might be involved in sleep disruption - a snoring spouse, declining hormone levels, getting up for frequent urination, sleep apnea or poor blood sugar regulation. And, I would be remiss not to mention caffeinated beverages as a possible problem. Be sure to discuss your sleep concerns with your health care provider. Don’t just accept a prescription as the answer and end up as one of the 12 million Americans on sleeping pills. A sleep study might be warranted and maybe even some lab tests but in the meantime eliminating these environmental toxins from the bedroom can get you started toward consistently better sleep. Sweet dreams.

Deborah L. Oleynik, ND is a naturopathic doctor. She can be reached at nbhc2005@gmail.com. Her website is DebOleynik.com.