Choice of window covering can promote undisturbed sleep for better health

Researchers at the University College London Medical School have determined that middle-aged adults who sleep six to eight hours each night will have better brain function, as well as better physical health.

"Sleep provides the body with its daily need for physiological restitution and recovery," said Jane Ferrie, a senior research fellow at the university's epidemiology and public health department.

Published in the May issue of Sleep, the study reviewed data on the sleep habits of 5,431 people, aged 35 to 55. They were surveyed at intervals during a 20-year period and tested on memory, reasoning, vocabulary, global cognitive status and verbal fluency.

Tests showed lower scores for those who sleep less than six hours or more than eight hours, except in the area of short-term verbal memory.

One sleep aid is the choice of window covering in a bedroom. Noise reduction shades or roller shades with blackout fabric can limit the intrusion of sounds or light that may disturb a person's sleep. Roller shades that fit a variety of decors come in blackout fabrics that provide the light control needed to create a darker room.