How to create an optimum bedroom environment for consistent, uninterrupted sleep

There's growing evidence that points to sleep duration as a risk factor in chronic physical and psychological disorders. Whether we are asleep or awake naturally depends on our circadian rhythm -- a 24-hour pattern linked to biological clocks. Researchers have zeroed in on the "master clock" in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Environmental cues like health and nutrition influence the function of the SCN, but most important is the role played by natural light and darkness. CNA looks at ways to create an optimum bedroom environment for consistent, uninterrupted sleep.