So, you’ve invested in a new mattress that is perfect for your body and your sleeping style. Congratulations in making the first step to a better sleep routine! Now it’s time to re-assess your sleeping environment to ensure that everything in your bedroom is optimised to give you the best possible chance of a great night’s sleep.
Here we have a few simple recommendations to help improve the quality and quantity of sleep you get, night after night.
Get Rid of Your Bedroom Clutter
Even when it isn’t time for a Spring clean, giving your bedroom a good once-over is never a bad idea.
Check your shelving, dressing table, bedside tables and cabinets to ensure that they are not too over-cluttered. Clear out any rubbish and paperwork and keep ornaments to a minimum. Your bedroom should be a place of calm and serenity, so minimising the clutter will reduce potential distractions and make you feel more relaxed in the space. If you have piles of clothing on the floor or an overflowing laundry basket to attend to, then now’s the time to sort them out too. You will discover you feel a lot more relaxed and will also notice that your space feels bigger and airier.
Check Your Colour Scheme
Colour has been proven to have a powerful effect on our mood and can also influence our sleep quality too. For example, the colour white is very calming for many people whereas red and orange often evoke emotions of anger and hostility.
Therefore, take a look at the colour scheme in your bedroom. Everything from the colour of the walls to your bedsheets and pyjamas could be affecting the way you relax and sleep.
Blue is often associated with relaxation and calm too, and in one study, research showed that people who had bedrooms in shades of blue got the most sleep. The colour was shown to reduce blood pressure and relax the mind. On the other hand, the same study showed that purple was the worst colour for a bedroom – causing too much stimulation for the mind and making it hard to switch off at the end of the day.
Examine Your Bedroom’s Feng Shui
According to the Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui, having your bedroom designed in a certain way can help to build your room’s chi (life force energy).
The most important feature is your bed, and you want to ensure that it is situated in the ‘command position’, meaning it is placed in a position where you can see the entry door. In Feng Shui, headboards are also a very important part of your bed as they provide a feeling of support. Also try to go for one in fabric and with soft edges rather than heavy metallic types as these will give a more relaxing and comfortable feel.
Pairs and symmetry are also favoured in Feng Shui. That means two symmetrical bedside tables, two pillows, two similar lamps or lights and two even wardrobes.
Create a Relaxing Bedroom Scent
Our sense of smell influences the way we feel by associating it with emotions and memories from our past. One way to train your mind to be calm and relaxed in your bedroom is to associate it with a particular scent that you can recognise.
Essential oils such as lavender, Ylang Ylang and chamomile are best known for their sleep-inducing effects and can be diffused in an aromatherapy diffuser or vaporiser to disperse out into your bedroom space. Trial a few different scents to see which you can connect with the most. If you share your bedroom with another person, you need to find a scent that you both like and can relax to.
