How to Design a Bedroom Conducive to Sleep
Everyone reacts differently to stress and unfortunately due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are experiencing an inordinate amount of it lately. Anyone who suffers with stress knows that sleep deprivation makes it even worse. Good quality sleep (and enough hours per night of it) makes your stress and anxiety levels much easier to manage. We’re sharing some actionable tips for creating a bedroom that is conducive to rest and regeneration. Everything from the color of your walls, to the bed you sleep on can be purposefully designed to combat anxiety and promote wellness.
Your mattress matters. If you find you’ve stopped sleeping through the night, you wake up in pain or just don’t feel well rested, it might be time to replace your mattress. The average mattress lifespan is 8-10 years depending on its construction and your sleep patterns. There are many types of mattresses available, from coil to memory foam to adjustable versions. Visit a mattress store and learn about the advantages and disadvantages of each. Test them out. You know your body and sleep habits best.
Cotton and threads count. Your body temperature changes as you fall asleep. Cotton is a pure, natural material. Woven, cotton fabrics are breathable which will keep you cool in the summer. During winter, cotton will absorb and retain your body heat keeping you warm and cozy. 100% Egyptian cotton is the best, followed by 100% Pima cotton and finally %100 cotton (American upland). Thread count is the number of threads per square inch of fabric. We tend to think the more threads, the more luxurious and soft the fabric. Well that’s not necessarily true. The thread itself is more important than the thread count. A 250 thread count, 100% Egyptian cotton is going to feel more sumptuous than 1000 thread count sheets in coarse upland cotton.
Clear the Clutter. A cluttered space exacerbates unrest, fatigue, anxiety and increases the stress hormone cortisol. Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli and contributes to the mental weight of knowing there is work to be done; the last thing we want in our bedroom whose purpose is to promote rest. Elevated levels of cortisol can also cause depression. Try to keep your bedroom tidy and void of an excess of furnishings, accessories or dirty laundry lying around.
A tranquil creamy white and gray color palette
Calm the color palette. Color has a bigger impact on our ability to rest and relax than most people even realize. Paint your walls cool shades of blues, grays or light greens or neutral tones such as brown, beige or tan to make your bedroom conducive to better rest. Whites are great as well, but to avoid a stark, clinical feel, stick to the creamier versions.
The subtle patterns in the fabrics and on the wall give this room a calming feel
Downplay patterns. Patterns create movement and movement prevents rest. If possible go with subtle patterns or solids in your space. If you really want to bring in some pattern then opt for light, organic patterns in lieu of bold graphics for your bedroom. Patterns that repeat vertically or diagonally can be overstimulating and even create a sense of agitation. Horizontal patterns on the other hand are passive and offer a sense of tranquility.
Incorporate living plants into your bedroom decor when possible
A Biophilic Boost. We may not even realize it, but plant-filled spaces are calming and restorative as the interaction with indoor greenery can reduce physiological and psychological stress. Biophilia (the love of nature) is the premise for biophilic design which is the process of creating happier and healthier living spaces by incorporating elements of nature into our interiors. Sleep amongst your peace lilies and spider plants!
Be screen free. Rooms serve purposes. Just as kitchens are meant for cooking and dining rooms are meant for eating, bedrooms are meant for rest and sleep. Televisions in the bedroom can keep us up later at night and some studies indicate that watching TV before bed can actually disrupt our sleep cycle. Poor sleep can take a toll on our health and make us more vulnerable to stress and illness.
Turn off overhead lights and make use of low level accent and task lighting as you wind down for the day.
Don’t let your light shine. Bedroom lighting design can be complicated because we perform a variety of tasks in this room so we need different levels of lighting. For the purposes of creating an atmosphere of rest, we’ll focus on low (accent) lighting. Try to avoid bright white LED or any fluorescent lights as they are heavy on blue light emissions which can be detrimental to sleep health. Instead, use incandescent bulbs which emit a warm light and put them on a dimmer so you can control the level of light as you relax and unwind. For total darkness, try to block all tiny spots of artificial light such as alarm clock lights or power buttons. Believe it or not, these little culprits can really mess with your sleep cycle.
Blackout curtains hung floor to ceiling can block light and reduce outside noise.
Experience a Blackout. Speaking of total darkness, hang some blackout curtains to block the artificial light from your neighbors porch, or the headlights from passing cars. Surprisingly, blackout curtains can also help reduce outside noise. They are an essential bedroom component for night shift workers who sleep during bright daylight hours.
If you are trying to make small changes to your home to help you and your loved ones adjust to this “new normal” our world is experiencing, then we hope you will find these practical tips to be useful with regards to the design of your bedroom. Of course we are always here to help with the aesthetics and style side of your design needs as well. Our E-design services are a perfect way to stay safe while getting professional design help with your home as you shelter-in-place. Be safe, stay healthy and sleep well.
