Detox your sleep: How to create a clean environment in your bedroom for healthy rest

Leslie Sykes Image
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Here's how to create a healthy environment for a good night's sleep
What you keep in your bedroom could potentially expose you to certain toxins and disrupt your rest.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Getting enough sleep is part of a healthy lifestyle.

But what you keep in your bedroom could potentially expose you to certain toxins, and disrupt your rest.

Here are some ways 7 On Your Side shows you how to detox your sleep routine.

We recently spoke with a nontoxic-lifestyle expert.

She recommends if you only have one air filter in the house, use it in your bedroom. Ideally, that's where you spend seven to nine hours a day sleeping.

You're also breathing during that time, of course: If there's mold, dust, cleaning chemicals, pet dander or smoke in the air, you're inhaling those irritants, potentially disrupting your sleep.

Poor indoor air quality can also cause or contribute to infections or lung diseases like asthma, according to the American Lung Association.

To help clear the air, you can use a HEPA air filter in your bedroom. Also use a high-rated filter on your air conditioning.

The higher the rating, the more particles the filter will catch.

Our expert suggests avoiding fragrance sprays, as companies do not have to the list all the chemical ingredients in fragrances.

Certain house plants, such as spider plants and peace lilies, can also help filter the air.

And opening the windows during the day can help you breathe easier at night.

"Also be mindful of the blue light that is emitted from digital screens and try to avoid that at least one to two hours before your desired bedtime," said Sophia Ruan Gushee, a nontoxic-lifestyle expert. "Trying to establish these healthy sleep habits will make it so much easier to have higher quality sleep."

One way to help avoid that blue light is by creating a technology home base or charging station that's far from where you sleep.