Keeping your bedroom dark will make it a lot easier to get to sleep and to stay asleep. Any light entering your bedroom can be registered by your eyes and that can signal your brain that it’s time to wake up.

One way to keep your bedroom as dark as possible is to use heavy drapes (like they use in hotels) that block out rays from the early morning sun. Even a full moon can cast enough light through your window to awaken you, as can the glare of street lights or car headlights if your bedroom faces the street.

Keeping your bedroom dark is also a challenge for anyone who is working shift-work and are trying to sleep during the day. You can try wearing an eye shade or sleep mask but it may take a while to get used to it before you get a good night’s sleep. I’ve used one and they work very well.

You may also want to remove any electronic devices from your bedroom that have power on lights. Some of these lights are small but they can cast a very bright light. When I have wondered into my living room at night I’m amazed at how bright it is in there. Light from the TV, computers, modems, routers and a gaming console are bright enough to make it easy to get around without turning on any overhead light. My son’s gaming console has a green power light that could illuminate Toledo.

Light can come from many sources like your alarm clock. I once had a clock radio that had green lights for its display. It was so bright the international space station could locate my room from where they were. I now have a clock that has a button I can use to dim the display light.

If you must sleep with a light on, use a soft, white bulb that’s 25 watts or less and keep the light indirect and be sure to keep it out of your eyes.

What do you do to keep your light out of your bedroom? Leave a comment below.