Work, Sleep Well in a Small Place
2024-08-13
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1From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
2Working from home in a small apartment is fine during the day.
3But when nighttime comes, it may be more difficult to turn off work and get a good night's sleep.
4This can be especially difficult in a studio apartment.
5In a studio apartment, the living room, kitchen and sleeping area are all in one room.
6These kinds of apartments are common in large cities with a high cost of living.
7With electronics, kitchen items, clothes and books all in one space, it can be hard to create a restful place for sleep.
8Kim Cook, a reporter for the Associated Press, asked sleep experts and interior design experts for advice on how to work productively and sleep well in a small one-room area.
9Everyone needs good sleep to stay healthy.
10"The primary rule, maybe the only rule of small space design, is people have to be honest about how they really live," says Olivia Hosken.
11She is deputy managing editor of House Beautiful.
12She adds that when you have limited space, you need furniture that works well in the room.
13She suggests spending money on a high-quality bed.
14Even better is a high-quality sleep sofa that can double as a bed and couch.
15She does not suggest big tables or chairs that you may not use.
16Andrea Morris is an interior designer with Lancaster Place Interiors in Wilmington, North Carolina.
17For studio apartments, she likes wall beds. These can be folded up next to a wall when not in use.
18They are better known as Murphy beds, named after William Murphy.
19He came up with this idea in 1900 while living in his own studio apartment in San Francisco, California.
20To separate your sleep area from the rest of the apartment, you can purchase a freestanding screen or room divider.
21And as much as you can, keep your sleep area strictly for sleeping, experts say.
22Jeff Kahn is co-founder of the Chicago-based sleep-research company Rise Science.
23His company developed a sleep-tracking app called Rise.
24His suggestion is to "avoid doing work or anything stressful from your bed."
25He said that this helps the brain connect your bed with only sleep rather than wakefulness and work.
26However, that is not always possible.
27If you use your bed during the daytime, you can do small things to keep daytime tasks and sleep separate.
28Lisa Strauss is a psychologist and expert in sleep disorders.
29She suggests using one side of the bed for reading and the other for sleeping.
30You can also bring out special blankets and pillows used only for sleeping.
31Kahn also suggests keeping a clean, peaceful environment. For starters, he says to make sure the air flow is good.
32"Make sure your space is well ventilated, and consider an air purifier," says Kahn.
33He adds that this is especially important if you cook and sleep in the same place.
34Another interior expert is Mia Ingui. She is editor at Spruce, a home design website.
35She suggests using calming smells like lavender or chamomile at bedtime, to "set the tone for restful sleep."
36Also, be sure that computer, TV, and other electronic screens are turned off.
37In a small room, these devices are probably a short distance from the bed.
38Their light at night can affect our internal clocks, or circadian rhythm.
39Do not forget about the sounds these devices make.
40If the buzz of nearby devices, appliances, or street sounds keep you awake, consider a noise machine.
41Ingui likes the Hatch Restore, a "sunrise lamp" that provides soothing sounds and lights up slowly in the morning.
42You can also buy noise cancelling curtains.
43These cut down on outside noises.
44Andrea Morris, the home designer, says one thing to avoid when it comes to studio living is leaving beds unmade.
45"It's amazing how much better you feel after a hard day entering a space with a made bed," she said.
46At night, she suggests putting away electronics.
47Side tables with plugs and ports for electronics help you store devices and keep things tidy - or organized and clean.
48This is another example of choosing furniture that has multiple uses.
49If it difficult to control your studio apartment's heating and cooling, Ingui recommends choosing materials for bedding that let the skin breathe.
50Such materials can keep you cool in warm weather and warm in cooler temperatures.
51She also suggests buying several pieces of bedding that are easy to store rather than big, bulky blankets.
52Studio apartments often do not have a lot of storage.
53With some thoughtful choices, your small space can have the feeling we all want from home life: calm, clean and good for both working and sleeping.
54And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.
55I'm Anna Matteo. And I'm Mario Ritter Jr.
1From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. 2Working from home in a small apartment is fine during the day. But when nighttime comes, it may be more difficult to turn off work and get a good night's sleep. 3This can be especially difficult in a studio apartment. In a studio apartment, the living room, kitchen and sleeping area are all in one room. These kinds of apartments are common in large cities with a high cost of living. 4With electronics, kitchen items, clothes and books all in one space, it can be hard to create a restful place for sleep. 5Kim Cook, a reporter for the Associated Press, asked sleep experts and interior design experts for advice on how to work productively and sleep well in a small one-room area. 6Be honest about how you live 7Everyone needs good sleep to stay healthy. 8"The primary rule, maybe the only rule of small space design, is people have to be honest about how they really live," says Olivia Hosken. She is deputy managing editor of House Beautiful. 9She adds that when you have limited space, you need furniture that works well in the room. 10A good bed is important for good sleep 11She suggests spending money on a high-quality bed. Even better is a high-quality sleep sofa that can double as a bed and couch. She does not suggest big tables or chairs that you may not use. 12Andrea Morris is an interior designer with Lancaster Place Interiors in Wilmington, North Carolina. For studio apartments, she likes wall beds. These can be folded up next to a wall when not in use. 13They are better known as Murphy beds, named after William Murphy. He came up with this idea in 1900 while living in his own studio apartment in San Francisco, California. 14Create a sleep area 15To separate your sleep area from the rest of the apartment, you can purchase a freestanding screen or room divider. And as much as you can, keep your sleep area strictly for sleeping, experts say. 16Jeff Kahn is co-founder of the Chicago-based sleep-research company Rise Science. His company developed a sleep-tracking app called Rise. His suggestion is to "avoid doing work or anything stressful from your bed." He said that this helps the brain connect your bed with only sleep rather than wakefulness and work. 17However, that is not always possible. If you use your bed during the daytime, you can do small things to keep daytime tasks and sleep separate. Lisa Strauss is a psychologist and expert in sleep disorders. She suggests using one side of the bed for reading and the other for sleeping. You can also bring out special blankets and pillows used only for sleeping. 18Freshen the air. Lower the lights. Cut the noise. 19Kahn also suggests keeping a clean, peaceful environment. For starters, he says to make sure the air flow is good. 20"Make sure your space is well ventilated, and consider an air purifier," says Kahn. He adds that this is especially important if you cook and sleep in the same place. 21Another interior expert is Mia Ingui. She is editor at Spruce, a home design website. She suggests using calming smells like lavender or chamomile at bedtime, to "set the tone for restful sleep." 22Also, be sure that computer, TV, and other electronic screens are turned off. In a small room, these devices are probably a short distance from the bed. Their light at night can affect our internal clocks, or circadian rhythm. 23Do not forget about the sounds these devices make. If the buzz of nearby devices, appliances, or street sounds keep you awake, consider a noise machine. Ingui likes the Hatch Restore, a "sunrise lamp" that provides soothing sounds and lights up slowly in the morning. You can also buy noise cancelling curtains. These cut down on outside noises. 24Keep things clean and organized 25Andrea Morris, the home designer, says one thing to avoid when it comes to studio living is leaving beds unmade. 26"It's amazing how much better you feel after a hard day entering a space with a made bed," she said. 27At night, she suggests putting away electronics. Side tables with plugs and ports for electronics help you store devices and keep things tidy - or organized and clean. This is another example of choosing furniture that has multiple uses. 28Choose multi-use, storable bedding 29If it difficult to control your studio apartment's heating and cooling, Ingui recommends choosing materials for bedding that let the skin breathe. Such materials can keep you cool in warm weather and warm in cooler temperatures. 30She also suggests buying several pieces of bedding that are easy to store rather than big, bulky blankets. Studio apartments often do not have a lot of storage. 31With some thoughtful choices, your small space can have the feeling we all want from home life: calm, clean and good for both working and sleeping. 32And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. 33I'm Anna Matteo. And I'm Mario Ritter Jr. 34Kim Cook reported this story for The Associated Press from New York City. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 35______________________________________________ 36Words in This Story 37studio apartment - n. a small apartment consisting typically of a main room, kitchenette, and bathroom 38interior design - n. the art of decorating and furnishing the interior of a building 39primary - adj. of first rank, importance, or value 40psychologist - n. a person who specializes in the study of mind and behavior or in the treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders 41ventilated - v. to expose to air and especially to a current of fresh air 42air purifier - n. a device that removes contaminating particles (such as dust and pollen) from the air 43tone - n. general character or quality 44circadian rhythm - n. the natural patterns that take place in your body over the course of each 24-hour cycle. 45bulky - adj. large in size or mass 46We want to hear from you. What your thoughts on this topic? 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