How to Design a Bedroom for Better Sleep

5 Tips for a Good Night’s Rest

The bedroom can serve as a multi-functional room--such as an office, library, or laundry room--but in the end, it is a sanctuary for sleep. This room should be the most luxurious and personal space in any home - a soothing oasis that is conducive to relaxation and comfort. Here are some tips on how you can design your bedroom for better sleep, which should be considered along with color options, styles, and furniture.

1. A good mattress is the key to a good night’s rest.

A good night's rest may be as simple as getting a new mattress. If your mattress is too lumpy, hard, or soft, it will keep you up all night trying to get comfortable. There are many different types of mattresses, such as pillow, foam, innerspring, adjustable, waterbeds, and airbeds; each type has manufacturers who guarantee comfort and better sleep.

When you shop for a mattress, follow these simple steps:

• Research extensively, because this is a very important and expensive purchase.
• Once you have a mattress in mind, test out your mattress. If your mattress has a 30 or 60 day guarantee or your money back, take advantage of it. Also, don't be afraid to try out a mattress in the store by lying down on it like you would at home.
• Figure out what size you need (King, Queen, or Full), because this may be the reason you cannot sleep; a small mattress may be your issue, especially if you share a bed.

To determine if you need a new a mattress, these simple guidelines from The Better Sleep Council can help you make that determination.

2. One of the most important conditions needed for sound sleep is darkness.

According to Brandon Peters, M.D., who is trained in clinical sleep medicine and neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis, explains how our mind and body's natural circadian rhythm lean towards following dark-light cycle.

Therefore, the amount of light in your bedroom will affect your sleep.

Our modern lifestyles can disrupt us from dark, calm environments that our bodies need for sleep. These modern devices are digital clocks, televisions, phones, and computers, which can light up your bedroom and interrupt your REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Some solutions you can use in your bedroom are armoires to hide televisions or computers, and vintage open-faced alarm clocks versus bright digital alarm clocks. Remove phones from your bedroom; if it's important to have a phone in your bedroom, hide it away in a side table drawer.

3. Air temperature can affect your sleep.

If the room is too cold or warm, it too can affect how you sleep at night, according to Ralph Downey III, PhD, Chief of Sleep Medicine at Loma Linda University. A simple solution, which can be tested if you believe this is your issue, is altering your thermostat. Other options you can incorporate in your bedroom to help with room temperature is a ceiling fan, portable heater, or heavy blinds and window treatments, which will help keep the room dark and prevent outside weather conditions from entering your bedroom.

4. Soothing colors and soothing sounds make for a good night's sleep.

Bright, vibrant colors can be fun, but sometimes it's best not to use them within a bedroom, especially if you have trouble sleeping. Instead, use calm, soothing colors like muted blues, greens, and pastels, which are more peaceful and calm. If you still would like to incorporate bright colors in your bedroom, use them as accents on your pillows or within artwork.

Besides color, soothing sounds can promote sleep too, such as a babbling brook, soft wind chimes, or crickets’ chirping. You can incorporate these sounds in your room with a CD player or any other electronic device hidden away; if you prefer the real thing, then place a small fountain in your bedroom or hang some wind chimes outside your window.

5. Too much clutter can cause anxiety and lack of sleep.

Too much clutter in your bedroom may cause your sleep deprivation.

This is a feng shui no-no and good advice to bear, since too much clutter can cause anxiety and uneasiness in any room. Try to keep your bedroom in order so you're not worried about tripping over stuff when you get up in the middle of the night or toss-and-turn about cleaning up before you go to sleep. There are several storage options you can use in your bedroom or closet that will tackle the clutter, which are appealing and affordable, too.

One or more of these design tips will help you maintain a sanctuary of sleep and rest in your bedroom. Next step to designing you bedroom is to determine your style, color scheme, and furniture.

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Blog courtesy of KIMBERLY SAYERS BARTOSCH, The Spruce