The right sleep requires the right setup. If your bedroom is full of gadgets, noise, and light, it could be to blame for your sleep woes. Check out how an optimal sleep environment should look, feel, smell, and sound.
Look
Your bedroom isn’t a home office, gym, or movie theater. Save it for sleep. Open space will help put your mind at ease come bedtime, so clear the clutter and ditch distractions. And since bright colors can stimulate the brain, try a tranquil color scheme. A recent study by Travelodge found that blue, yellow, and green help you get the most rest, while gray, brown, and purple leave you craving more.
Our bodies are trained to respond to changes in light. Opt for low-wattage, incandescent bulbs over fluorescents and LEDs. Light also creeps in through your bedroom windows. Consider installing heavy curtains or blackout drapes to keep it out. You should avoid screens up to three hours before bed too. They emit blue light, which promotes alertness and blocks the production of sleep-inducing hormones.
Feel
Your body temperature drops about two degrees at night, and you’ll spend more time tossing and turning if your room is too warm or too cold. Everyone’s different, but the National Sleep Foundation recommends setting your thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. If quality sleep isn’t enough of a reason, consider new research from the National Institutes of Health, which found that sleeping in a cool room could help you burn calories.
A comfortable, supportive mattress, duocore pillows, and all-season bedding will help you keep cool. You should be able to bundle up without getting sweaty in your sleep. Natural, breathable fibers like cotton, linen, down, silk, and wool work best. Avoid synthetic fabrics like polyester, which trap heat and moisture.
Smell
Smell is one of our most potent senses. It can trigger memories, moods, and emotions. Certain scents, like lavender, chamomile, cedarwood oil, and bergamot relax the body. Releasing these smells in the air with an essential oil diffuser, sachet, or fragrant candle can help you achieve deeper sleep. You can also rub essential oils on your body’s natural pulse points (your neck, wrists, and soles of the feet) using carrier oil.
Keeping your bedding clean helps too. 78% of Americans reported feeling more relaxed when their bedroom has a fresh, pleasant scent in an international poll.
Sound
For evolutionary reasons, our brains continue to register and process sound as we sleep. Even small noises can wake you up and alter your heart rate. It’s often so acute that you won’t remember it the next day, but it suspends your body in the light stages of sleep.
Unfortunately, the animals and traffic outside your window won’t quiet down because you will them to. Some turn to earplugs, but masking disruptive noises with a soft, monotonous one can be just as soothing. Running a fan, white noise generator, or calming sounds app will help prevent unexpected noise from jostling you awake.
Improve
No matter how ideal your sleep oasis seems, there’s always room to improve. Keeping track of your sleep performance will help you adjust and personalize your environment. Our Sleeptracker® Monitor analyzes sleep cycles, breathing rate, and nighttime movement then sends personalized suggestions straight to your phone. Think of it as your personal sleep coach. No appointment necessary.