Terri Ramsey Beavers Attic bedrooms sit right at the top of the house, meaning they pose a few unique issues that you don’t find in other bedrooms. Consequently, it’s not unheard of for people to struggle to sleep in the attic.
Why does this tend to happen?
When you look at an attic, there are immediately two major concerns that can impact someone’s ability to sleep:
- The room temperature
- The room size
We all know that uncomfortable sleeping conditions make it impossible to sleep through the night. In an attic, it can get really hot in the summer, and really cold in the winter. This means you’re either sweating buckets trying to sleep, or shivering while wrapped up in three or four blankets.
As for the room size, the natural slope of an attic bedroom can create a feeling of claustrophobia in some people. You feel like the ceiling is too close to you, and it can make you anxious, affecting your sleep quality.
Now, if you can address these concerns, you can make an attic bedroom easier to sleep in. Here are some ideas:
Install a heater
Installing a heater is an obvious way to combat the winter chill in an attic. If it’s too complicated to redo the plumbing to get a heating unit in there, you can buy an electric heater instead. Set it to a timer so it’s on for a bit before you get into bed, and you’ll fall asleep nice and warm. You can turn it off during the night, then have the timer turn back on for when you wake up.
Install radiant barrier insulation
Normally, insulation is associated with keeping things warm. Indeed, you should have some foam insulation in your attic to trap heat during the colder months. However, you will also benefit from radiant barrier insulation in the summer, as it basically does the opposite job. Heat is conducted by radiation, which is where a hot object radiates heat that gets absorbed by nearby objects. In an attic, radiant heat is very common as the roof gets hot from the sun, then radiates it throughout the attic space. With this type of insulation, you have a reflective material that reflects heat rather than absorbing it. The result is a cooler attic space in the summer months, meaning you’re never too hot to sleep.
Attic extension
There’s not a lot you can do about an attic that feels claustrophobic. The only option is to consider an attic extension if you can’t get used to the feeling. Here, you will extend the roof of your house upwards by as much as you see fit. This will create more space, meaning you no longer feel like the ceiling is going to fall on you. It should ease anxiety and make it easier for you to sleep.
Hopefully, your sleeping issues in the attic are caused by temperature woes more than claustrophobia. This is purely because it’s a lot easier and cheaper to handle the uncomfortable temperature in an attic! Either way, those are the reasons for poor sleep in attic bedrooms, and you’ve also seen the solutions.