HomeBalanceTips for RailroadersMake Your Bedroom Sleep-Friendly

Make Your Bedroom Sleep-Friendly

~ 3 min read

Tips to help you sleep better at home

Even if people who must sleep in the daytime do everything right—give themselves enough time in bed, create a totally dark room, soundproof the entire thing—they probably still won't sleep as well as they would if they slept at night because of alerting signals from their underlying biological clock. These tactics still are worth doing. They can help people who must sleep in the daytime maximize their opportunity for sleep.

- Lawrence J. Epstein, MD

Block out street light and daylight. People sleep better in a dark room. Put black vinyl on your bedroom window at home, or install black-out curtains or shades. Wear an eye mask, if necessary.

Cool, dark, quiet environments faciliate sleep. In order to create an environment that supports sleep, you may consider modifying your bedroom sleep environment. This can be done at very low cost by using earplugs and eye masks. A white noise app may also be helpful to provide an even background hum or recordings of ocean waves or rain. Fans and/or air conditioners can also create a similar background noise experience. Think about how you might optimize sleep. Alternatives can include sleeping in another room that is away from the typical daytime chatter, such as a basement or attic. As sleep deficiency is unfortunately a common consequence of the railroader lifestyle, some railroaders have taken steps to create an ideal sleep environment no matter the time of day. Bedroom windows and doors can be soundproofed with absorptive padding. Carpeting will aid in muffling sounds from elsewhere in the home. These steps can improve the sleep of not only the railroader, but also other family members in the home. In a hotel, tuning the radio to static at the end of the dial, or again using an app that delivers white noise can be helpful. Request quiet rooms whenever possible on the road.

Disable the ringer on the household telephone in your bedroom. Lower your cell phone’s volume, and assign a specific ringtone to the dispatcher, and other key contacts. Turn off notifications before you go to sleep.

Turn your bedside clock away from you, or consider tossing a towel over the clock to hide lighted numerals. If you need to get up at a specific time, set your alarm. If you awaken from sleep, don’t look at the clock. Tell yourself, if the alarm hasn’t gone off, “it’s time to sleep,” and allow yourself to return to sleep.

Use a nightlight in your bedroom and bathroom. Bright lights send a wake-up signal to the brain. Add a nightlight to your grip, so you’ll have it when you sleep away from home.

Keep pets out of your bedroom. Their movements likely will lighten your sleep.

Adjust room temperature to your liking. Most people sleep better in a cool room, with the thermostat set between 60o F and 68o F.

Is it time for a new mattress or pillow? You need to be comfortable.