With more of us spending a significant time at home, and therefore mixing our work and personal lives all in one place, it can be hard to enter the land of nod at the end of the day. After all, the bedroom should be a haven to rest, unwind and de-stress.
With that in mind, let us explain how getting the décor of your bedroom just right can create a calming atmosphere and ultimately help you to get a better night’s sleep, allowing you to fully rejuvenate after the stresses of the day.
Choose the right bed
It may seem obvious, but a bad mattress or bed can cause disruptive sleep. When buying a bed, make sure you pick the right size for you and your space, so that you have plenty of room to be as comfortable as possible.
What is on top of the bed is also important, as fewer layers will ensure that you have the correct temperature for the best night’s sleep. A designer bedding set of Egyptian cotton, will not only be a stylish addition to your bedroom, but the chosen material can help you keep cool and dry whilst you’re trying to sleep. Ideally your bedroom should be kept at a temperature between 18°C and 24°C.
Once you have a beautiful duvet set in a breathable material, make the most of its aesthetic, as well as trying to make your bed every morning. As a focal point, this keeps the bedroom tidy, organised, and looking cleaner, and is pleasing to the eye as well as the mind.
Minimise distractions
The bedroom is the place for calm, so should be void of stress-inducing clutter. Try to streamline your storage, with a mix of an open and closed designs, so things that tend to look messy are behind closed doors. Maximise your space by using innovative storage solutions in unused spaces, such as specially designed shallow boxes for under the bed.
Surface areas such as bedside tables and dresses are a magnet for clutter. You could use a wall-mounted side lamp to free up the space for accessories that induce calm, such as plants, special photos, or your favourite books. To ease the mind and create the perfect space to sleep, try to clear these surface spaces every week to prevent the build-up of clutter such as magazines, mugs and other daily items.
Set the mood with lighting
There is, understandably, a strong association between the bedroom and sleep. Therefore, the room itself should be a relaxing environment. Light, noise and electronics can have a huge effect on the way we sleep, and weaken this association.
For lighting during the day, why not try including a feature mirror in the room, and hang it on the wall opposite the window. This will reflect the outside, and bring the positivity of nature into the room, as well as create the illusion of extra light and space.
However, during the evening, the lighting should be subdued to trigger the brain for relaxation. Used dimmed lighting, candles or even invest in blackout blinds or curtains to ensure there is reduced light to set the mood for sleep.
Keep electricals such as your laptop and smartphone, or anything with an LED display, in a different room. This stops the usage of blue light and any negatives effects before you sleep.
Relaxing shades and hues
The colour of a room has a profound effect on the mood and atmosphere it evokes, especially in the bedroom. Painting your walls in relaxing shades is a quick and easy way to inject some colour into the room. Hues of blues, greens and greys, and their association with nature, are consider particularly calming colours. They promote restfulness through their appealing beauty, but also the ability to physically slow your breathing and lower your blood pressure.
If paint isn’t your thing, neutral walls are just as effective and serene, and you can add pops of other relaxing colours through your furnishings, fabrics and bedding.
Create a cosy corner
Your bedroom should be a place to relax as well as sleep, and so can help create the right mood to nod off. If you have the space, create a de-stressing zone in your bedroom, with a cleverly placed armchair and soft lighting, where you can craft a pre-bedtime routine of relaxation, such as reading, control breathing or mindfulness meditation. You can find soothing sounds online that can also help you unwind and get ready for bed.
Add accents of calm through the accessories in your room, as you find sleep-friendly ways to switch off, such as essential oil diffusers or scented candles from Devon Wick. Fragrances like lavender can help you to sleep, and sage helps reduce anxiety and boost your mood. Through the use of scents and the ambiance created, you can use your bedroom as a place to recuperate and regenerate, and have the perfect space for a good night’s sleep.
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
