Marketers may want to promote better sleep environments for their hospital patients, if recent survey findings are any indication.
According to a recent survey of 1,000 adults by Bruskin/Goldring Research for the Better Sleep Council, at least 26 percent of the population report that their sleep is frequently sabotaged by one of the four environmental factors in the bedroom light, noise, temperature or an uncomfortable mattress.
"Unlike other sleep-robbing culprits, sleep environment factors are controllable," says Better Sleep Council Director Andrea Herman. "Millions of adults are needlessly sleep-deprived and suffering the consequences."
One-third of the respondents said that room temperature or noise level frequently disrupt their sleep. One-quarter attributed frequent sleep disruptions to the level of light in their room or the condition of their mattress.
Sleep experts and the Better Sleep Council offer these tips for creating a good sleep environment:
If you're too hot or too cold, simply adjust the thermostat. The optimal temperature for sleep is 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 16 to 18 degrees Celsius.
If noise is a problem, try earplugs or a white noise machine. Steady, low sounds like the whir of a fan help block out other noises. If light makes hospital rooms too bright, try an eye mask or window coverings that darken the bedroom.
If the mattress makes patients toss and turn, a new sleep set may provide missing comfort and support.
"Consumers who take control of the four factors of their sleep environment do themselves an enormous favor," says the Sleep Council's Herman. "They sleep better and greet the new day well rested."
The Better Sleep Council, a non-profit organization supported by the mattress industry, is devoted to educating the public about the importance of sleep to good health and quality of life. (To obtain a copy of the study call 202/466-7950.)