10 TIPS FOR CREATING A RELAXING BEDROOM TO ENCOURAGE SLEEP AND REST

Do you feel waves of zen and serenity wash over your mind and body as you step into your bedroom?

No?

Well, this is the blog post for you.

I am going to give you 10 unique (and surprising) tips that have been proven to promote relaxation and calmness.

Here’s a bonus, they will also help improve the quality of your sleep!

Keep reading to find easy ways to transform your sleeping environment into a zen-like zone.

 

Create a black out with your blinds

You may not know that light is one of the most important external factors for sleep.

So, an investment into some black out blinds or curtains makes sense, right?

Light affects our internal clock, and we aren’t talking about swallowing your alarm. Our bodies are influenced by specialised light sensitive cells in our eyes, which is what programs our internal clocks to feel sleepy when it gets darker and awake during the day.

How cool are these blinds?

Colours are important!

Like, super important!

40% of the entire world picked blue as their favourite colour…

But is it relaxing? Yep!

‘Blue is the colour of the mind and is essentially soothing’ Colour Affects tells us. It conveys serenity, calmness, efficiency and trust.

Other relaxing colours we recommend putting on the walls include green, violet, pink and grey. To read more about why these colours are perfect for relaxation and some colour palette inspiration, take a look at our ‘How to decorate a guest bedroom’ post.

Ok, I’ll use those colours… but how?

Here are some expert tips we found for using colour in a bedroom:

1. When using a colour, repeat it 2 or 3 times throughout the room. For example, when using an accent colour on a wall, try finding a rug, cushions or décor to match it. This helps all the colours blend together in a relaxing, cohesive way.
2. Most people don’t want to just stick to solid colours, and we understand… it can get a little boring. When incorporating patterns try picking out specific colours in other aspects of the room for a smooth transition.

Here’s some inspiration to get your creative colour juices flowing:

Better Homes & Gardens is giving us bedroom envy with this cool blue sophisticated interior.

We love this serene green inspiration from Ideal Home.

Rock my style incorporates pink perfectly by adding little accents in the decor.

Décor: Keep it minimal…

We’ve all experienced it when designing a room. So many colours, furniture options, wallpapers, rugs, lighting… it is difficult to stick to one cohesive theme and not go overboard with décor.

An over furnished and over complicated room is not relaxing and can be too distracting.

It’s important to have a few personal touches but try to avoid clutter. Here’s what we mean:

This minimalist bedroom design uses Nordic inspiration for its impressive style.

 

Ditch the one switch…

Adjustable lighting is serenity’s best friend. Being able to dim your lights in the evening will do wonders for your sleep and prepare your brain for bed.

On the other hand, being able to have the lights on full beam during the day will train your mind into a suitable body clock.

Don’t have light dimmers? Opt for a bedside lamp to reduce the amount of light in the evening. Take a look at this lamp if you want to try something different:

We’re in awe of this creative bedside light DIY!

Don’t forget the art

Artwork can add a sense of calm to a bedroom – it can also add negativity and a gloomy feel.

It’s important you choose the right kind of art, but what is the right kind I hear you ask?

Cool tones have proven to be relaxing for the bedroom. Also try keep your choice simple, avoiding art that’s too busy and distracting.

Think about what makes you happy. Is it the ocean? Trees? A certain country or city? Find art that represents this to add positive vibes to your sleeping space.

When it comes to framing, go for a gallery frame of just stick to a canvas.

We think any of these would be a great addition:

The cool blue hues and ice cube design makes this a relaxing print to have in the bedroom.

These 4 prints work together beautifully and the unique ocean/marble effect is wonderfully unique.

Nature art is an easy way to add peaceful vibes to any room and we love this cactus print Kimberly has from Swoon Worthy.

The most important part of your bedroom…

The clues in the name… yes, your bed!

We spend around a third of our lives asleep. If you get the average 7 hours a night and live until you’re 75, that’s 25 years spent in bed!

So, it is totally worth investing in a high-quality mattress and bed sheets. Here’s some top tips for choosing a mattress:

1. Be smart to sales people claiming the mattress is ‘orthopaedic’ or ‘medically-approved’. No medical group has certified these claims, so we can’t be sure it is true.
2. ‘Guaranteed super soft’ is misleading. It may feel soft to a 6ft tall 15 stone adult, but to someone a lot lighter it may not feel soft at all.
3. Test! Lie on the mattress for at least 10-15 minutes to get a true feel for the comfort.

When it comes to duvets, we recommend an all seasons product which allows you to remove a layer during the hot summer months.

These microfibre pillows are soft, durable and won’t irritate any allergies to guarantee a peaceful night’s sleep:

Is there a better feeling than soft freshly washed bed sheets? Yes, when they are 100% cotton:

 

 

Bring your room to life with indoor plants

Why should you put plants in your bedroom? Here’s why:

• Improve the air quality
• Reduce sound (yes – some plants absorb noise!)
• Promote well-being
• Reduce stress
• Improve sleep

If you aren’t convinced yet, they can also be a beautiful decorative feature in a room. It doesn’t have to be an ordinary plant in a boring pot, here’s a creative hanging plant DIY:

Light a candle… or few

Candles are usually associated with festive occasions and celebrations or religious and spiritual ceremonies. This association subconsciously relaxes our brains and provides this calming effect.

Scented candles are an even better way to create a peaceful environment. If you’d like to find out the top 10 most relaxing scents, take a look at our ’15 ways to relax before bed’ post.

 

Banish work from the bedroom

This may be difficult for some if you like to study in your bedroom. But, this room is for sleep and this should be the main association with it.

If you have a desk in your room and regularly work in there, your brain will begin to make this association, which can be damaging for your sleep quality.

 

Mess has a huge affect on our sleep quality….

A study by St. Lawrence University showed that people with a messy bedroom had more disturbances in their sleep than those in a tidy room.

Jonathon Stevens explains that your brain naturally wants to clear away clutter, so anxiety can be caused when your surrounding environment is a mess.

Take advantage of clever storage solutions to keep clutter out of sight and put your mind at rest, like these stylish additions from Love Chic Living: