Level 2

Bedroom

Once your timing is steady, fix the room. Most of this is cheap or free. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what helped.

Room temperatureKeep the bedroom between about 18 and 25 °C (64–77 °F), and use bedding to fine-tune. Heat harms sleep more clearly than mild cool.
- Evidence: Some
- Low effort
- Low cost
- Works: tonight
HumidityAim for 40–60% relative humidity in the bedroom. Hot and humid is the combination that clearly hurts sleep; very dry air mostly affects your eyes, nose and throat.
- Evidence: Weak
- Low effort
- Low cost
- Works: tonight
Darkness and eye masksMake the bedroom as dark as you can, with blackout curtains or an eye mask. Experts recommend under 1 lux at the eye while you sleep.
- Evidence: Some
- Low effort
- Low cost
- Works: tonight
Noise and earplugsNight-time noise disturbs sleep even when you don't fully wake. Block it at the source or wear earplugs; the evidence for white noise is very weak.
- Evidence: Some
- Low effort
- Low cost
- Works: tonight
Mattress firmnessMedium-firm is the best-supported choice, especially if you have low back pain. The evidence is real but low quality, so your own comfort over a few weeks matters most.
- Evidence: Weak
- Medium effort
- High cost
- Works: about 4 weeks
PillowsPick pillow height to keep your neck level for the way you sleep. The research is thin; latex pillows have the most support for neck pain, and feather pillows the least.
- Evidence: Weak
- Low effort
- Low cost
- Works: 1–2 weeks
Bedding materialsCotton, linen, wool, silk, down and synthetics compared. Few good studies exist; choose by whether you sleep hot or cold, and don't expect mite-proof covers to fix allergies.
- Evidence: Weak
- Low effort
- Medium cost
- Works: tonight
Duvet weight and layeringMatch your duvet's warmth (tog) to the season, and use layers so you can adjust through the night. Weighted blankets have some evidence, but mainly in people with psychiatric conditions.
- Evidence: Weak
- Low effort
- Medium cost
- Works: tonight
Sharing a bedSharing a bed with a partner or pet has pluses and minuses, and the research is thin. Separate duvets, earplugs and a dog off the bed are easy fixes to try.
- Evidence: Weak
- Low effort
- Low cost
- Works: tonight