So many Americans don’t get the recommended amount of sleep they need each night, and the results can be catastrophic. When you regularly don’t get enough sleep, it can profoundly affect your mental and physical health.
A big part of making quality sleep a priority in your life is a bedroom that’s designed with that in mind.
The following are some tips for choosing the best mattress and other design tips that will help you get a restful night’s sleep.
The Mattress
Your mattress is the foundation of comfort in your bedroom, so take the time to choose a good one. You likely want a king or California king, if it will fit in your bedroom and you can afford it.
You want a large mattress, so you’re comfortable, and both you and your partner can move around with ease.
You want a firm mattress that’s going to hit pressure points, but you also want one that’s going to keep you cool. The Tuft & Needle mattress does both according to verified reviews. For example, it takes the pressure off sensitive areas like the shoulders, neck, and hips.
If you’re a hot sleeper, you might find that you are most comfortable with a latex mattress because they tend to be more breathable than memory foam.
Room Color
Beyond the mattress, there are so many other ways you can design your bedroom to facilitate better sleep.
For example, choose a good wall color. Cool colors can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and help you get better sleep.
For example, gray, light blue, and silver are all good bedroom paint color options. Green is also a stress-relieving color, or you can do something like having your walls be white, and you can use accent colors that are considered soothing.
Don’t use colors like red or orange in your bedroom because they can make you feel stressed and anxious.
Install Blackout Curtains
Blackout curtains can be helpful not just if you don’t want the early morning sun pouring in, but also if you live somewhere there are street lights. Light of any kind is not going to be helpful as you try to get to sleep.
If blackout curtains aren’t an option for you, think about sleeping with an eye mask.
Use Layered Lighting
Layered lighting means that you have different types of lighting that you can use as you need, or as the situation calls for.
For example, in the evening, you’re not going to want to relax in your bedroom with harsh overhead lighting. Instead, you might want the softer light of bedside lamps or sconces.
Choose bulbs at a lower wattage or else select lampshades that diffuse the light.
If you have overhead lights, think about using a dimmer on them so you can get the lighting how you want it, depending on the time of day and what you’re doing.
Minimize Noise
Adding a rug to your bedroom can help reduce the noise, especially if you have hardwood floors. Choose plush, soft materials for a bedroom rug like shag or faux fur. This gives you a comfortable place to land when you get in and out of bed.
If you live in a noisy area, you might also think about an upholstered headboard that can muffle a lot of sounds.
Adding a ceiling fan can give you white noise, and it moves the air while you sleep to keep you cool and relaxed.
It’s important that your bedroom is cool while you try to sleep. The best temperature range for sleep is between 60 and 72 degrees.
A ceiling fan gives you that coolness, but it’s cheaper and more eco-friendly than blasting your air conditioning all night.
Eliminate Electronics
If you can have an electronic-free bedroom that’s ideal.
Electronics emit blue light that can interfere with melatonin and your sleep-wake cycles.
Leave your devices far from your reach when you’re in bed, and make your bedroom a place where sleep is the primary activity.
Choose Proper Bedding
Your mattress is extremely important to making sure you get the best sleep, but so is the bedding you use.
You should look for bedding materials that are natural and will wick moisture away, such as cotton, silk, bamboo, and linen.
You want bedding that feels good on your skin and is breathable. You can layer your bedding so that you can find your comfort zone on any given night.
Consider using mattress and pillow covers so that allergies don’t interfere with your sleep.
Keep Clutter Out
Finally, we don’t think about how much clutter can affect our mental health as well as our quality of sleep, but it can.
When your bedroom has too much “stuff” or feels disorganized, that’s how you’re mind’s going to feel, making it harder to fall asleep.
Take the time to regularly declutter your home and especially your bedroom.
Make sure your nightstand has only your essentials, and that you have clear, clean pathways to walk around your bedroom.
If it’s not something you use, take it out of your bedroom.
Design with Symmetry in Mind
When you’re trying to fall asleep, a sense of symmetry, as well as overall harmony in the design of the space, are important.
Your bed is your focal point, and you want to choose a size that’s right for the room. For example, you don’t want a very tall, grand bed in a small room with low ceilings. Instead, you might want a bed with a lower, sleeker profile.
Keep the rest of the space feeling like it all ties together and is organized.
Create symmetry with nightstands on both sides of the bed, and you can also create a place to relax, such as a reading nook, in your bedroom if you have space for it.
Overall, the best bedroom for sleeping is going to be one that you find appealing and comfortable. This is personal for everyone, so take the time to create a bedroom that feels like an oasis for you.