10 Surprising Reasons You're Not Getting a Good Night's Sleep

Counting sheep into the wee hours? You’re not alone. According to a Statistics Canada report, a third of Canadian adults are not getting enough sleep. The findings reveal 43 per cent of men and 55 per cent of women aged 18 to 64 reported trouble going to sleep or staying asleep. Here are some reasons you might be losing yours.

Published March 29, 2019, Updated December 27, 2020

A bed with a white duvet cover in a very minimalist bedroom

Endy

1 / 10

Your Duvet Doesn’t Suit the Season

Cozy coverage makes all the difference to sleep quality. A flimsy blanket lacks warmth and a too-hot duvet can be sweltering. Endy offers a solution: snaps on all four corners attach to loops on the Endy duvet to keep it in place – no more annoying sheet shifting. Plus, the material is breathable and lightweight (it was actually developed by NASA engineers!) to help wick away moisture and regulate the body’s temperature.

Neatly-organized bedroom with bright blue blanket and flowers on the night stand

Getty Images

2 / 10

Your Bedroom is Too Busy

Serenity now! That’s what we crave at the end of the day. Books toppling over on the night stand? Clothes in a pile at the foot of the bed? That’s the antithesis to relaxation. Tidy up and keep surfaces around your bed free of stuff. Leave a lamp, fresh flowers, and maybe a glass of water and that’s it. Om…

Getty Images

3 / 10

Your Room Has Blinking Lights

We can all use a digital holiday, especially in the nocturnal hours. A frenetic, panicky display of blinking lights (is that a cop car entering my consciousness?!) is a deterrent to sleep. Use black electrical tape to safely cover the lights, turn the unit around or place a piece of MDF or any light-blocking board in front of it.

Bedroom in neutral tones with wood table at the end of the bed

Getty Images

4 / 10

Your Feng Shui is Bad

Maybe bed positioning is a bunch of hullabaloo, or maybe it’s not. Why not do an experiment to find out if you sleep better by moving your bed? Apparently, a strong supporting wall behind your bed is key to good feng shui. According to The Spruce, “This creates strong, protective energy around your bed, gives it more power and ability to create (and hold) good energy.”

Lauren Miller

5 / 10

Your Mattress is Uncomfortable

If your mattress is too hard or too soft it could be the reason for your endless tossing and turning. A cushy mattress is hiding underneath this soothing bedroom (and points for that sweet wallpaper that totally transforms the room!).

Dyson

6 / 10

Your Air Quality is Poor

Indoor winter air is rough on the throat, especially if it’s blasting from a hot furnace. Finding yourself thirsty in the middle of the night or just generally uncomfortable? Bring soothing relief to your bedroom with a personal purifier fan, like this new one from Dyson. The unit removes 99.97 per cent of air pollutants, gases and allergens.

Tracey Ayton

7 / 10

Your Room Isn’t Dark Enough

Investing in blackout blinds is smart. It’s amazing how many people think they’ll instantly fall into a deep slumber next to a bright window. This signals to your body that “Hey, it’s daylight. Let’s stay awake for another two hours!” No thanks, brain. We’re tricking you with some serious room-darkening shades, like these lovely neutrals.

A neutral paneled master bedroom with books on the night stand

Behr

8 / 10

Your Colours Are Too Dark

Pundits have debated the effects of paint colour on rest, and insist you can increase your chance of shut-eye by using soft colours. “Cool colours bring you into yourself, while warm colours are more suited for social rooms where you want to stimulate communication and creativity,” says Louisiana-based interior designer and owner of Full Spectrum Paints, Ellen Kennon, in this Real Simple article. We love this cottage-y bedroom that showcase’s Behr’s Sand Dance paint – so gorgeous and springy!

a classic bedroom with neutral-coloured decor

Hudson Valley Lighting

9 / 10

Your Lighting is Poor

Using a solitary overhead fixture as your main source of light? That’s no way to gently ease your body into sleep, if you like to read before bed or tool around on your phone. Those bright lights could be messing with your melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to sleep that you can read about here. Instead, opt for a range of lighting, including soft bedside lamps. We like these classic pieces by Hudson Valley Lighting.

Master bedroom with small gallery wall above the bed

Behr

10 / 10

Your Room is Noisy

Not everyone is lucky enough to live in a quiet home, which doesn’t bode well for the sleep-deprived. Street noises can be majorly disruptive at night, pulling us out of the deeper stages of sleep. A white-noise machine or a fan can be the reason.