How to Create the Perfect Sleep Environment
Even when our eyes are closed, our body is aware of our environment, making the space we sleep in crucial to the quality of the sleep we receive. If you struggle to get a good night’s sleep, it is worth looking at your sleep environment, and using these tips to enhance your sleep space. You can make your bedroom your sanctuary from your busy day. These 5 top tips will help you in creating the ideal sleep space.
Create the Perfect Lighting for Sleeping
Selecting bedroom lighting wisely is our number one tip for creating the perfect sleep environment. This is because our sleep cycles are so sensitive to light, bright lights let your body know it’s time to be awake and active. Having a dimmer option is important so our bodies can start to get into sleep mode. The lower lighting signals your body that it’s time to rest, helping you fall asleep quicker. Blackout curtains are a great way to reduce light, or if your budget allows, you can look at something like blackout smart glass which can be set to automatically start to dim in the hours before you prepare for bed.
As well as the primary light sources, smaller light sources such as the LED light of your alarm clock or mobile phone, can disrupt your sleep. Putting your phone away for the night and making sure that no smaller light sources are on in the bedroom is also important.
Sleep Scents
While you sleep you breathe in deep the scents of your bedroom. To create a relaxing space, you should consider more than just the aesthetics, as the sleep environment must appeal to all our senses. You can choose popular sleep scents to fill your room with using fragranced candles or diffusers that you find soothing to make it a haven of relaxation. Lavender, vanilla and chamomile are all proven to be calming, but it’s important to find a scent you personally like! A top tip is using a different scent from the rest of your home. This creates an association with sleep and will alert your body that it is time to wind-down.
Introduce a Splash of Color
A recent survey by the hotel chain Travel Lodge found that the colour of our walls impacts the quality of sleep we get. They found that the colors grey, purple and brown were the least slumber inducing colours. The optimal colour for sleepers was soothing shades of blue, with 58% of participants finding this shade to be the most relaxing. Other good colors for sleep were yellow and green.
Create a Sleep Only Environment
For people who work from home or students, it can be tempting to create a multipurpose room for sleep and work. However while it is great to utilize your space, using your bedroom as a work area makes it harder to fall asleep at night. This is because it trains your body that this environment is not one of exclusive relaxation. When you use your bedroom exclusively as a relaxation area, you teach your body and mind to start to relax quickly in this space.
Go Natural
The bedding we wrap ourselves in and the mattress we sleep on plays a big role on the quality of our sleep. Many synthetic materials can feel uncomfortable on our skin and can trap in sweat and irritate skin or breathing disorders. Choosing a natural mattress and natural bedding is great for our health and can also improve the quality of our sleep.
