How to Turn Your Bedroom into a Sleep Sanctuary

Sleep is the time that our bodies rest and rejuvenate and its importance is often under rated in terms of physical and mental wellbeing.  This is especially true around the busy festive season. 

The average healthy adult requires between 7 and 9 hours each night and whilst that may seem simple, sometimes achieving that can be a little more challenging.

Whilst there are many factors that contribute to sleep, both positively and negatively, we take a look at how the room in which you sleep can play a pivotal part in how successful you are at getting that good night’s sleep, and what you can do to create your very own sleep sanctuary.

Cool, Calm and Clutter Free

OK, so you’ve heard all about decluttering, but if you simply move it from downstairs into your bedroom you may be doing more harm than good. To truly relax, your bedroom should have as little clutter in it as possible; all you really need is your bed and associated bedroom furniture. Ideally, home offices, study desks, musical instruments and any other hobby related paraphernalia should be relegated to somewhere else in the house. And the temperature of your room has been proven to support sleep - too cold and you’ll not settle, but too hot and your sleep will be disturbed.

TV and technology

All sleep professionals will tell you that a TV in your bedroom is a definite no-no. Indeed, watching TV has been proven to upset your circadian rhythms and the quality of the sleep that you get. And, it’s not just TVs that affect this. Any device that omits blue lights such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops has been shown to decrease melatonin production, the hormone that you need to increase to fall asleep and which also affects REM sleep, the deep sleep that repairs tissue and helps to keep us healthy.

If you often find yourself thinking of things to do as you fall asleep, pop a notepad and pen on your bed side table so that you can jot them down, rather than send yourself an email, and then forget about it until morning. And, save the binge TV watching for earlier in the evening, switching off at least an hour before bed.

Mattress Maths

So, you’ve decluttered and ditched the phone but still struggle to get that quality sleep you dream of, or perhaps you are waking with aches and pains that take a while to shake off each morning. Maybe you should try and recall the last time you bought a new mattress. As time flies by in our fast-paced lives it’s easy to think that it was just a ‘few years ago’ when you last bought one, but in reality it may be much longer. And, if it’s over 10 years, your mattress has definitely gone past it’s ‘Best Before’ date! The financial outlay may seem significant - the average mattress costs around £1,000 but if you spend 8 hours a night in there and keep it for ten years that a staggering 29,200 hours you’ve spent in bed. Compare that with your sofa that you may sit on for two hours each week night and five hours each weekend day – that equates to only 10,400 hours and we wouldn’t mind betting that you’d spend £1,000 on a new, stylish sofa!

Clean and tidy

Keeping your bedroom fresh and clean has also been proven to help with sleep quality. Make sure the dust is kept at bay – damp dusting can help with this – and carpets should be hoovered at least once a week. Bedding should be changed each week, pillows replaced every 18 months to two years and duvets between five and ten years depending upon its quality. Try not to use strong smelling cleaning products or room fresheners too – these can also affect your sleep and can exacerbate the symptoms of allergy sufferers.

Dreamy Décor

Now that all the practicalities have been dealt with for creating a wonderful sleep sanctuary, we can turn our thoughts to the décor of your bedroom. In some ways it’s a case of anything goes with anything from vibrant brights to brilliant whites all seeming to work well. We think The Dulux Colour of the Year 2020, Tranquil Dawn, will be the perfect backdrop for bedrooms in the new decade and is a great platform for accessorising with a whole host of other colours.

As bedrooms are our personal spaces, it’s always nice to have some photos or little keepsakes dotted around; just make sure that they are easy to keep clean. Pile up the bed with cushions and throws for added comfort and cosiness and make sure there is plenty of subdued lighting for bedtime reading and relax!

Here’s to a great night’s sleep!