How you decorate your bedroom could potentially influence your sleep quality. Certain decor choices can create a more soothing environment that might help you to feel more relaxed, triggering the production of melatonin (the sleep hormone). Here are a few examples of decor choices that could help you sleep better.
Choose pastels or deep cool colours
Start by considering the colour scheme. Overly vibrant hues could have the unwanted effect of making you feel more alert, so be careful of using these tones in your bedroom. Pastel colours are more muted, so they tend to have a more relaxing effect (there’s a reason they’re often used in baby nurseries). Deep cool colours such as dark blue and purple can also be soothing by creating a night-time sky feel. You can paint the wall of your room these colours or use rugs and bedding to introduce these tones to your room.
Block out light with blackout curtains
Choosing the right window coverings can also make a difference. Too much outside light can tell our brain that it’s time to wake up. This is why you should avoid curtains made from thin fabrics in your bedroom, as these can let in light from cars and street lamps, as well as letting in the early morning sun. Blackout curtains will block out all outside light, and could result in a deeper and longer sleep. You can also buy blackout roller blinds or install shutters.
Use warm layered lighting
When getting ready for bed or getting up in the night, you ideally don’t want to be relying on harsh overhead lighting to navigate the room, as this lighting can make you feel more awake. Instead, you want to use secondary lights such as bedside lamps or sconce lights that can provide a calm dusk-like glow. When choosing bulbs, opt for warm lighting over cool lighting.
Incorporate plants and natural materials
Houseplants help many people to feel more relaxed. There are even studies that they can reduce stress by improving air quality, releasing calming scents and reminding us of the great outdoors. Natural materials like timber and wool can also have a calming reaction and could also be worth incorporating into your bedroom – think wooden headboards and hand-knitted blankets.
Keep nightstands and cabinets clutter-free
Too much clutter can make a room feel disorganized and less cosy. By decluttering, you can bring a sense of harmony to the room. Try to avoid covering bedside cabinets or nightstands with objects, and get rid of piles of clothes. Minimizing clutter could require you to introduce new storage solutions to your bedroom – this could include chests of drawers, cube storage or even beds with storage compartments beneath.
Conclusion
If you’ve been struggling to get a good night’s sleep, consider whether a bedroom makeover using the above decor tips could be the solution. Obviously, there are many other things that can influence sleep quality, so make sure you explore these factors too – redecorating your bedroom isn’t guaranteed to cure your insomnia.
Feature image by Tan Danh on pexels.com.
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