Back-to-back meetings, heavy meals and high doses of caffeine during the day can make it more difficult for American adults to maintain a regular sleep routine. But if you’re not sleeping well at night, your sleep environment could be to blame. The irony, according to Better Sleep Council Executive Director Nancy Shark, is that, “unlike other sleep-robbing culprits, like stress or illness, sleep environment factors are controllable. This means that millions are needlessly sleep-deprived and suffering the consequences.”

Fatigue resulting from long work days, lack of sleep and irregular sleep routines not only impairs our ability to make sound decisions, but dulls our senses, makes us anxious and irritable, decreases productivity and increases the risk of mistakes and accidents. The Better Sleep Council offers these recommendations for creating a sleep environment conducive to sleep:

• Noise.
  If noise is a problem, earplugs or a "white noise" machine may help. Sudden, loud noises from outside or inside the bedroom can result in fragmented sleep.
• Light.
  If outside light makes your room too bright, try an eye mask or window coverings that darken the bedroom. Just as light cues our bodies to wake up, darkness cues us to sleep.
• Temperature.
  When a bedroom is too hot or too cold, both quality and quantity of sleep are compromised. The optimal temperature for sleep is between 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 16 to 18 degrees Celsius.
• The bed.
  If your mattress makes you toss and turn, it’s time to reevaluate your sleep set. A mattress that’s past its prime can cause sleepers to become restless, with their muscles working overtime to get comfortable and find the right support.

“Those who take control of the key factors of the sleep environment are doing themselves an enormous favor,” says Shark. “They sleep better at night and start the new day better rested.”