Introduction
Average humans spend nearly half their lives in bed – sleeping, trying to get to sleep, or doing other relaxing activities. This is more than twice as much time as we spend on the next activity on the list (work). Sleep is crucial not only to our mental health but also to our physical wellbeing, including immunity, weight regulation, and fertility.
The bottom line is you need to improve your sleep, and in doing so, you’ll improve your life in a host of other ways too. To achieve the perfect night’s sleep, the perfect bedroom is key. We have put together some tips to help you design the perfect sleep sanctuary in your bedroom.
Your Bed
To get the perfect night’s sleep, you need – first and foremost – the perfect bed. A lumpy, bumpy mattress leads to all-night tossing and turning, while a firm and comfy mattress can dramatically improve both the number of hours you sleep and the quality of your sleep. Here are some ideas to help you choose the perfect mattress.
Side sleepers are likely to enjoy medium-firm beds with contouring comfort layers to help keep the pressure off points of contact (hips, shoulders) while still supporting healthy spinal posture. Back sleepers often require even firmer mattresses to keep the spine straight and stop it from sinking down into the bed. Stomach sleepers will also benefit from firm mattresses, keeping the pressure off their backs.
If you’re one of those people who always gets too hot during sleep, there are mattresses with foam layers specially designed to promote airflow. They can even have layers of latex and cooling gels sandwiched in between, so if you’re a hot sleeper, don’t settle for any other mattress!
Your Color Scheme
Unfortunately for lovers of bright colors, the bedroom may not be the best place to display them. As a very personal space, the bedroom must definitely express your personality – but remember that your bedroom is your sanctuary when you are tired, and it needs to provide peace and quiet.
Neutral, natural colors are ideal for large surfaces like bed, curtains, and floors – because you are sure to need plenty of different-colored personal items around you, and colorful items clashing with bright patterns or shades are definitely not peaceful.
Your Lighting
The same thing applies to lighting: you want gentle, not harsh. Never mind that harsh lighting is too revealing and not romantic, you definitely don’t need neon sparkle in this room. For both overhead lights and bedside lamps, we recommend ‘warm white’ for your light bulbs: ‘cool white’ (like ‘blue light’ or ‘screen light’) can be more likely to disrupt your natural sleep cycle.
Your Furniture
While obviously, you must have all your stuff comfortably around you in your bedroom, taking simple steps to minimize clutter can go a long way towards keeping the room a haven. If you know you’re going to be throwing off some of your cushions or extra blankets at night, why not place a low bench or chest at the foot of the bed, where it’s quick and easy to store these items neatly?
Your Floor
Last but not least: the perfect bedroom floor. It’s hard to beat wall-to-wall carpet for luxurious softness, but wood, or even vinyl tiles, can be a great alternative for hot weather and heavy traffic. It should be noted that carpets and pets don’t mix very well. To enjoy the best of both worlds, why not choose an indulgent rug for under or beside the bed, while leaving other areas of the floor uncarpeted?
Final Thoughts
Obviously, it’s not a good thing to be extravagant all the time; everybody (except the very lucky few) needs to budget carefully and make sure to get good value for their money. But designing your bedroom – the one room you will spend way more time in than any other – is not the time for scrimping and saving. Choose carefully, and treat yourself to what you need to create your perfect sanctuary.
