Chances are you already know that you shouldn’t drink energy drinks or use electronic devices before going to sleep. But even if you are a strict adherer to these rules, there are many other things that can keep you up overnight — including the way your bedroom is decorated.
If you are ready to make a change in decoration or lifestyle, the following article will give you some examples of problems we are facing, as well as some ideas, suggestions and neat little tricks. Your brain, which needs a deep and restful sleep to function perfectly, will definitely be thankful.
Your bedroom is messy
In order to get good sleep throughout the night, it’s important to avoid keeping unnecessary things in your bedroom, and keep it as clean as possible. Dr Emerson Wickwire, a psychiatry professor at the Medical School of the University of Maryland (USA), where he coordinates the insomnia program, claims that his patients find messy rooms to be the main cause for insomnia. But, as he explains, material disorder causes mental disorder, which activates the brain and has a negative impact on sleep.
The paint color of your walls is too strong
Even if you keep your bedroom clean and tidy, the colors you have on the walls could have a direct impact on the quality of your sleep. Wickwire says that some colors, such as bright pink, should be avoided in the bedroom, in favor of natural calming tones.
Your bedroom isn’t completely dark
This can be either from the lights outside or from your electronic devices. Research has shown numerous times that blue light from electronic devices can affect our sleep, so limiting the use of electronic equipment before sleep is very important, as is keeping the phone as far as possible from the bed.
Cynthia Spence, an interior designer from San Francisco, says that even when we switch our phones on “silent” mode, the light generated by the received notifications can still wake us up.
Fortunately, newer mobile phones have a night-time system that prevents any sounds or lights from notifications, but this is still not a reason to keep your phone near the bed. Even if you will not be woken up by the sounds or lights during the night, having your phone close to your bed will often lead you to use it the last thing before falling asleep, and the first right after waking up — which may have an unfavorable effect on sleep. Various studies have shown that light from various electronic devices prevents the body from producing melatonin, a hormone that prepares the body for sleep.
It’s time to replace your mattress
Mattresses can be expensive, and if you are 20 or 30 years old, you are probably still using an older one. A poor quality mattress can have a negative impact on sleep. If, after a 7-8 hour sleep, you wake up still feeling tired or suffer from back pain, one of the solutions may be changing the mattress. A good quality mattress will help you spend more time in a relaxed, deep sleeping state.
Your bed sheets are not comfortable enough
Liz Toombs, an interior designer, claims that it’s important to find out what material you like the most to be in direct contact with your skin – cotton, silk, polar – and choose using bed sheets made of this material. You will feel more comfortable and fall asleep easier. The same goes for pajamas.
The key thing to remember from all these tips is to create a environment that encourages a quiet, uninterrupted sleep, preferably for at least seven hours per night. We hope these ideas will inspire you to create the perfect bedroom and get great sleep!
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