Your House Might Be Making You Tired
A lack of sleep may not necessarily be the only factor making you feel tired all day. It is possible your house is responsible for that wobbly feeling. If you’ve been eating the right things, doing the right exercises, getting adequate sleep and generally taking good care of yourself, yet find yourself drained out and droopy eyed, you need to take a good look inside your home.
The odds are that your lifestyle choices, household appliances and even home decor could be having an effect on your sleep patterns and, ultimately, your energy levels.
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Television set
The TV isn’t called an idiot box for nothing. It can be harmful to you for more reasons than one. It emits artificial light that can decrease your amount of melatonin — which is released by your brain and is responsible for making you sleepy. It can also lead to deferred and lowered REM sleep, which has adverse effects on your sleeping behavior. This will leave you feeling tired and unfocused the next day.
Think only your TV screen can do this to you? Think again, because your mobile phone and tablet screens are equally guilty!
Coffee maker
Your coffee maker becomes your biggest blessing every morning, but the coffee that comes out of it can make you feel like you’re dragging by afternoon and evening.
While coffee works as a stimulant and does give you the much-needed kick each morning, you should know that its effect is temporary and will wear off during the course of the day. Not only that, it can leave you feeling worse after that. It has also been found that coffee can have the opposite of the intended effect in some people. That is, it may just make you sleepy and tired.
Wi-Fi connection
Never had trouble sleeping and think you never will? You could be wrong, especially if you use Wi-Fi at home. Did you know it contributes to the development of insomnia? Some people argue there are adverse effects of Wi-Fi, with a lot of them casting doubts over its safety. They think that exposure to electromagnetic fields that emanate from cell phones, computers, cell towers, Wi-Fi and all wireless devices is one factor that could be keeping you up at night.
Further, it is suggested that living in a home with Wi-Fi or in a building with many Wi-Fi signals can create chronic sleep problems and interfere with normal sleep patterns. Sleep deprivation can lead to several other health issues, with tiredness and exhaustion being the most prominent ones.
Air conditioner
How many times have you spent an entire day in an air conditioned room or office and felt more tired than you should or even suffered a headache thereafter? For many, these symptoms tend to disappear soon after they leave such air conditioned areas.
Many a time, such a phenomenon is termed “sick building syndrome,” with the air conditioning being the primary cause behind the malaise. According to a study published in 2004 in the International Journal of Epidemiology, people working in centrally air conditioned office buildings showed added symptoms of illness than those who worked in offices without air conditioning.
Cell phones
Apart from their harmful radiation emission, cell phones can be dangerous in other ways as well. For one, they can get highly addictive, thanks to the constant communication they facilitate.
In fact, a 2011 poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 20 percent of people between ages 19 and 29 are awakened by a call, text or email at least a few nights a week. Interrupted sleep can mean one thing: a bleary day after.
Thermostat settings
If you’re unable to sleep at night, chances are that the temperature in your bedroom isn’t right. It’s recommended to set your thermostat between 65 and 72 degrees F. Any lower than that will make your room too chilly to sleep in. The idea is to keep yourself comfortable enough so as to fall asleep without much trouble. A good night’s sleep will keep you feeling invigorated the next day.
Clutter
A cluttered home can leave you feeling uneasy, helpless and overwhelmed, causing you to feel fatigued. As per psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter, “Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli (visual, olfactory and tactile), causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren’t necessary or important.” This can only mean impending weariness.
So get hold of that stack of clothes lying on your couch, hang them on wooden hangers and put them away in your closet. Clearing up the mess will put your mind to rest.
Wall color
The colors you are surrounded by can have a huge impact on every aspect of your life. This includes the color of your walls. Blue walls tend to have a calming effect on your mind. They help slow down your heart rate, reduce blood pressure and encourage sleepiness.
While this color would work wonders on the walls of your bedroom, having it in other areas could be making you feel tired.
Sometimes, the things we suspect the least turn out to be the biggest hidden culprits that silently affect our health in innumerable ways. The above pointers can help you take the necessary action and ensure that you’re always full of energy.
A version of this story was published January 2016.
Before you go, check out our favorite products that might actually help you sleep:
Launch Gallery: 24 Under-$50 Self-Care Gifts You'll Want to Keep for Yourself
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