The bedroom is most often a multipurpose room at home. It is sometimes a movie theatre, a gym, a workspace and so on. It is the most comfortable room in your home and you can’t wait to enter it after a long day. It is your haven, your bubble of solace. It is the place you rest and a place you wake up to a new day. Losing out on good sleep is known to have an adverse effect on your mind and body. Your bedroom should be a place that encourages you to leave behind the pressures of the day before you enter.
Styling your bedroom has a two-fold purpose – to keep it functional as well as gorgeous. However, in all the embellishments, it is important to create an environment that fosters good sleep and deep relaxation.
Here are some ways you can make your bedroom sleep friendly:
1. Pick the most comfortable bed you can find: The main element of your bedroom is the bed. You can choose a comfortable bed that suits the theme you are going for. Be it minimalistic, a low Japanese style bed, a vintage style or a modern contemporary design, make sure the bed is relaxing and suits your sleeping style.
- Bed frames that define your style:There are different types of bed frames you can choose from. Starting from a basic convertible beds to a modern adjustable one or even the Santiago style old-world bed design, purchasing a bed frame that fits well in your room is vastly dependent on the space you have and the best use of the space.
- Quality mattress for quality sleep:A mattress can make all the difference in your sleeping habits. Most often people end up choosing mattresses that are too soft. These mattresses are extremely uncomfortable as they provide no lumbar support. Purchasing a mattress is a personal decision. A lot of factors influence your decision like body type, sleeping position, age, number of users and so on.
If you suffer from problems with your back, a mattress that is designed to provide orthopaedic support can be the relief you need. If you face problems with insomnia, a change in your mattress can be the answer. Brands are now making huge strides in quality by creating natural, organic, eco-friendly mattresses for healthier sleep. Fortunately, a lot of brands are also providing a trial period so you can take your time to make an informed decision before the final purchase. If your mattress is over eight years old, you might consider changing it immediately.
2. Accessorise your windows with stylish blackout curtains: There is no reason for blackout curtains to be bland. Blackout curtains are crafted from opaque fabric like PVC or Mylar and is very effective in blocking out the light. If the city lights keep you up at night, these curtains are a fantastic tool to create a dark, relaxing space in your bedroom. You may even prefer drapes for a more elegant design. However, remember drapers consists of more than one layer and cleaning it can be a task. Blackout curtains, unlike the name, even comes in white and an array of different colours and designs. They are an available option in blinds and shades as well.
3. Pillows to support your neck: We have all seen those movies where the artist jumps into bed and their head sinks into the pillow. Though this looks amazing on screen, there is no way these pillows are comfortable at night. The basic functionality of a pillow is to support your neck’s natural curve. If you wake up every morning feeling a tightness in your neck, chances are your pillow isn’t doing its job. Specialists recommend memory foam pillows to contour to your neck’s curvature and improve your sleep quality by providing all the support you need.
4. Keep the screens away: With fancy electronic gadgets, our lives might have gotten simpler but our sleep patterns have gotten confused. The lights from these gadgets keep the brain activity up and refuses to allow the mind to rest. Even though a television is a tempting option for the bedroom, this can prevent you from sleeping satisfactorily. To keep the lure of the screen away, banish the television, iPads and phones to the living room at night.
5. Create a cool little haven: The ideal temperature to sleep varies according to different people so it is up to you to find the temperature that works for you. For example, pregnant women or women going through menopause tend to suffer from heat flushes. Similarly, some people are generally more warm bodied than the others. So finding your ideal night-time temperature is another subjective matter.
6. Bedroom colours: This is another area where people tend to get carried away. Your bedroom should be painted in relaxing hues. Staying away from loud and dark colours is essential to sleep well at night. Darker hues tend to absorb heat and make the room hotter than it should be. Warm, vibrant colours like orange, yellow and red can increase your heart rate and elevate your blood pressure. Cool colours like blue and grey reduces the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Neutral colours like pastels will help your mind relax and provide a better environment to rest. The splash of colour that you desire can be added through décor or the choice of your bedding.
7. Keep the pets away: As hard as it is to hear, pets are a huge distraction at night. They constantly wake you up by changing their sleep position or by moving around. Dogs sometimes bark in their sleep and cats love to move around the bed, stepping on you all the way. Many pets do snore stirring their owners from deep sleep. Research shows pet co-sleepers tend to sleep later than their counterparts and wake up feeling tired. Those prone to allergies may also benefit immensely from keeping their pets away at night.
Better sleep starts with more cognizant, self-aware choices. You can walk into your bedroom right now and identify all those elements that disrupt your sleep. It may be that television set that you really wanted or the dark colours on the walls. It is important to realise why you need a space that helps you relax and fosters good sleep. It starts from discovering what losing out on uninterrupted sleep does to your mind and body.
