You want your bed/bedroom to trigger cues for sleep. The best way to accomplish this is to use the bedroom for nothing except sleeping and sexual activity. But many young adults have limited living space and so use their bedroom for other things as well including work, reading, watching TV, and eating.
Ideally do these things somewhere else than your bed like a desk. If you must use your bed, then do them sitting up at the foot of your bed, on top of your bedding.
Minimize clutter in your bedroom and bed. If you have to keep things on or around your bed, consider taking some time here and there to straighten them up. Make sure nothing impacts your ability to get comfortable when you are trying to sleep, or gets in your way if you need to get out of bed. Make sure you have a comfortable pillow and mattress. You can also use a pad if the mattress is not comfortable.
You want your body to understand that when it is in bed, it is time to sleep.
Source: External Factors that Influence Sleep. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/how/external-factors
Pain
Unmanaged pain (including back pain, headaches, jaw/facial pain, and musculoskeletal pain) makes it tough to fall and stay asleep. In particular, pain can cause “microarousals” (a change in sleep from a deeper phase to a lighter phase) and increase night awakenings.
Better sleep hygiene in all the other areas we have discussed today can mitigate the impact of pain. It this does not solve the problem, consult your primary care physician for treatment recommendations and evaluation.
Source: External Factors that Influence Sleep. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/how/external-factors
