8 Ways to Make Your Bedroom an Oasis for Better Sleep
We spend about one-third of our lives in bed, so it’s important that we make our bedroom a safe and comfortable oasis. After a long day, your bedroom should welcome you to jump in and rest in tranquility so you can properly recharge for tomorrow.
Believe it or not, having a good night’s sleep (at least 7 hours!) is a one of the keys to better health, stress reduction, happiness, and even better relationships with our loved ones. While factors like nutrition and lifestyle play a huge role on our sleep quality, there are also small changes we can make to our bed and its surroundings to help us fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer.
Learn 8 ways that you can upgrade your bedroom into a calm and happy oasis:
1. Keep it dark.
While sunlight boosts our mood and energy during the day, the bedroom should be pitch dark at nighttime. Even a small amount of light, such as from an alarm clock or the TV, can inhibit the secretion of melatonin and interfere with our natural sleep cycle. If you have street lamps and cars passing by outside the window at night, try investing in blackout curtains to block out these lights.
2. Declutter the room and fill it with positivity
A room always feels more welcoming and comfortable when it’s clean of clutter and mess. You don’t need to vacuum everyday, but do make the bed and pick up clothes, papers, and gadgets that may be creating a distracting and hectic atmosphere.
Instead, decorate the room with things that uplift your mood, like photos of your loved ones, a nice rug, flowers, and soft colors, so it becomes a space for your happy, comforting thoughts.
3. Keep the temperature low.
The recommended bedroom temperature is between 65-72 degrees. Our body temperature steadily drops naturally while we are sleeping to promote deeper sleep, and keeping our body cool at night helps us stay in that deep sleep longer. If you feel cold, it’s better to layer up with extra warm blankets, rather than turning up the heat in the room.
4. Remove electronics and blue lights.
In such a busy connected world that we live in, many of us like to use the TV, laptop, tablet, and/or phone to de-stress in our bed. However, these electronics emit artificial blue-spectrum lights, known to interfere with our circadian rhythm by inhibiting the secretion of melatonin. Keep these gadgets outside of the bedroom, and instead, find other ways to unwind such as reading a good book, talking with your spouse or family member, or taking a few minutes to breathe and meditate.
5. Listen to calming music and sounds.
If you live in a busy, loud neighborhood, consider purchasing a sound machine or playing music to block out the noise. Even if you don’t live in a noisy area, this can be helpful if you have a difficulty sleeping in general. Listening to calming sounds and music have been scientifically proven to slow down the heartbeat and the breath to relax the brain and the body, so you can sleep deeper and longer.
6. Use scents to relax the mind.
Scent can be quite powerful and even impact our thoughts and actions. Our olfactory system is strongly linked to the brain, so a pleasant smells release relaxing and positive emotions and induce sleep. Lavender, vanilla, and jasmine are some of the most effective scents for relaxation. Use an essential oil diffuser or put a few drops on your pillow and wait for the feel-good chemical to kick in to set you up for a great night’s sleep.
7. Invest in quality bedding.
At Sefte, we know what a huge difference a high-quality bedding can make on sleep quality. Comfort is so important and necessary when it comes to your bed and sleep, and it’s truly an investment you won’t regret. We recommend you choose simple and earthy tones that help you feel calm and relaxed.
8. Use the bedroom only for sleep.
And, of course, sex. Remove all distractions in the bedroom so it can be a dedicated space for intimacy, relaxation, and playing and cuddling with your children. Creating a positive and calming atmosphere will transform the way you feel in the bedroom and trigger your brain to release happy, sleep-inducing hormones.