"To sleep, perchance to dream." Wouldn't that be lovely?

Unfortunately, about half of people — 55% of women and 46% of men — say they’re light sleepers. In fact, light sleeping problems, such as waking up many times a night, may be precisely that: sleep disturbances caused by excess light in your bedroom.

If you're one of the 70% of people who have trouble sleeping and are desperate to find a solution, research published in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) may be able to shine light on a solution. You need a darker bedroom at night.

Nighttime light disturbs your circadian rhythm, increases your heart rate, reduces REM and slow-wave sleep (needed for processing learning and motor skills and memory consolidation), and boosts insulin resistance. That throws your immune system, gut biome, and metabolic processes out of whack — which is never good for restful sleep.

But a dark-enough bedroom can be a challenge if you live in an urban area where nighttime light is relentless, sleep with a night light, or fall asleep with a bedside light or TV on, as 40% of people do.

Here are some smart steps for better sleep:

• If there is light in the room from a night light, clock, etc., it should only emit red light (no white or blue light).

• Have the room dark enough so that it isn't easy to see objects distinctly.

• Use an eye mask and blackout shades on windows if it's difficult to block out light.