The environment you create in your bedroom has a huge impact on your quality of sleep. After all, our brains and bodies are affected by more external stimuli than we might realize. Creating a calm and relaxing nook where you can unwind at the end of the day will contribute to quality sleep. On the other hand, a blinding, cluttered or noisy bedroom will result in several restless nights.
How do you create a relaxing bedroom for quality sleep?
In order to avoid spending all your nights tossing and turning, you need to keep the following factors in mind:
- Light
Our bodies operate on sleep-wake cycles that are controlled by the amount of light around us. During the day, when we’re out in the sun, our bodies produce cortisol, a hormone that helps us to stay awake and alert. At night, when the sun has gone down, our bodies respond by producing melatonin, a hormone that helps our bodies to wind down. When our bodies are in this relaxed state, it’s easier for us to fall asleep.
Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done. In this modern age, our homes are filled with devices that counteract our natural sleep-wake cycle. Bright lights, TVs, phones and other mobile devices all disrupt this cycle. After you’ve spent the evening binge watching your favorite TV show or scrolling mindlessly on Instagram, it’s harder to fall asleep because your body is on high-alert. You can blame this on the blue light from your TV or phone has triggered the production of cortisol.
We’re not suggesting that you turn all your lights off as soon as the sun goes down – this would be highly impractical, and no one wants to go back to the stone age. What experts suggest, instead, is that you start dimming the lights around you from 2 hours before it’s time to sleep. This also means that you shouldn’t be glued to your phone right before bedtime. Rather, take advantage of this time to unwind and unplug from the outside world. Read a book instead (remember to dim the lights!), have a nice bubble bath or take time to connect with the people you live with.
- Temperature
A lower body temperature contributes to better sleep because a lower body temperature makes you feel sleepy. In contrast, a high body temperature makes you feel more alert. For this reason, it’s important to avoid sleeping in a hot room. According to experts 16.5 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius) is the optimum temperature for a good night’s sleep.
While the temperature drops naturally at night, many people use thermostats to adjust the temperature to their liking. During hot seasons, you might also find it useful to get rid of heavy bedding which will only make you feel sweaty and restless.
You don’t want to be too cold either. After all, if you go to bed shivering, you won’t be getting any sleep. Your body needs to be relaxed so that you can drift into dreamland – the tension that you feel when you’re cold will do the exact opposite.
- Noise levels
It goes without saying that noise will only keep you awake. Do yourself a favor and make sure you’re not sleeping in an environment where you will be kept awake by jarring noises. Even the smallest amount of noise can disrupt your sleep. This is also true for those self-proclaimed heavy sleepers. If you slept all the way through the night but woke up feeling tired, your sleep might’ve been disrupted by noise.
Although research has shown that noise can disrupt your sleep, there are specific noises that are soothing and contribute to better sleep. People who struggle to fall asleep have found that white noise, ASMR and music at a low volume help them fall asleep faster.
- Colors
The colors that feature in your bedroom go beyond contributing to the décor. These colors will affect how you feel and the quality of your zzzzs. Experts of color psychology have discovered that bright colors like red, bright pinks and purples increase your heart rate and blood flow. We don’t have to tell you how this could negatively affect your sleep. On the other hand, subdued blues, greens, oranges and yellows help your mind relax and, therefore, contribute to better sleep. Among these, the most recommended colors are muted tones of blue and green.
- Mattresses and bedding
It goes without saying that the quality of your bedding determines how well you sleep. Have a scratchy bedsheet or a mattress that is a little too hard? These could both be contributing to you tossing and turning for hours each night. Having said that, the optimum bedding depends on your preferences as an individual, so there are no cut-and-dry rules for this. Some people prefer firmer mattresses while others want a springier mattress. Some people can’t sleep without the comforting feeling of memory foam hugging the contours of their body.
Whatever bedding you settle on, it’s important to make sure that it’s quality bedding. The sleep experts at Skylark+Owl understand the difference that well-crafted bedding can have on your sleep. They’ve leveraged decades of experience in the comfort game to develop a wide range of quality bedding to help you sleep easy. With their selection of bedding, you can turn your bedroom into a cozy nest where you can unwind at the end of the day.
At Skylark+Owl, you can shop from a wide selection of products designed to take sleeping on a cloud to a new level. Their website features duvet covers, sheet sets, pillowcases, pillows and blankets – all made of only the best natural fibers.
If you want to upgrade your sleep, check out the products that Skylark+Owl has to offer to turn your bed into a cozy nest.
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