Preparing your bedroom for sleep
A big part of sleep hygiene is making sure that your bedroom is relaxing, cosy, and contains everything you need to get you through the night without a hitch. To prepare your bedroom for sleep, take a look around and ask if it ticks all these boxes:
- Tidy and uncluttered
- Good quality bedding
- Hiding places for your tech
- Relaxing decoration
- Soothing scents and textures
- Soft, sleep-inducing lighting
- Personal touches that make you feel at home
- A practical layout
- A mattress that’s comfortable and helps you have a great night.
If you’re missing anything, never fear! This is our guide to preparing for sleep by getting your bedroom in tip-top shape.
1. Keep it tidy and avoid clutter
We don’t mean to sound like your mother, but a messy and cluttered room is not a calming one. Anything unnecessary on show just adds to the disorder and gives your room the impression it’s dirty, even if it’s not. Pack anything work-related out of sight as this can easily make you stressed. Vintage-style crates, draws, wardrobes and well decorated storage boxes are great for ensuring that organising your space is effortless. Bookcases are ideal for keeping a large amount of items which, when paired with ornaments and feature shelves, can be decorative too.
A tidy bedroom means a calmer mind, and after all, a calm mind is better prepared for sleep!
2. Invest in good quality bedding
It’s not about getting out of the right side of the bed in the morning that counts, it’s actually the bed itself. In fact, there’s a lot that you can do which will transform your bedroom from the place you sleep and surf the net to somewhere calming and tranquil or more importantly somewhere you love spending time.
Invest in some good quality bed linen and comfy duvets to make your bedroom cosy and inviting. Nothing feels better than climbing into fresh, crisp sheets.
3. Create ways to hide the tech
Bad news - the healthiest sleep environments don’t include tech. In the modern world, technology has become second nature, but it can easily keep us up at night. Laptops, phones and televisions sometimes have their place in the bedroom, but you need to know how to escape them at the right time. Try storing these items away from view to ensure that standby lights and the temptation of the Facebook news feed do not distract you.
4. Don’t ignore the decoration
The way you decorate your room has a huge effect on your mood and ability to relax. The most relaxing bedrooms are painted in calm, neutral colours instead of bright, vivid ones. That doesn’t mean you can’t express your personality - blue is still on the table, for example, but go for a pastel shade rather than something vivid.
Plenty of DIY shops will help you mix the perfect shade, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. Better yet, go wild with those paint samples and colour cards (we know you want to).
5. Get sensual
Engage your senses! Creating a relaxing sleep environment isn’t just about colour and decoration; the smell and feel of your bedroom can help you relax too.
Natural aromas from candles, diffusers and essential oils will help ease your tension, and some scents can even help you feel sleepy. Check out our guide to bedroom aromatherapy for ideas.
Invitingly soft bed linen is a must for relaxation purposes, so choose something that feels great when you slide under the covers. It’s the little things that count.
6. Choose relaxing bedroom lighting
Lighting is incredibly important for ensuring your bedroom is cosy and easy to sleep in. During the day, you should let in as much natural light as possible (here’s why) whereas a warm ambient glow from a lamp fixture is ideal for after-dark use. It’s also important to keep your bedroom as dark as possible when you sleep, so be sure to use blackout curtains if you live near any streetlights.
Consider mood lighting and dimmer switches to create the right ambiance at different times of the day. Why not buy a couple of lamps or even fairy lights to give that cosy glow?
7.Keep it personal
This is your bedroom, and you should use it as a chance to express yourself. After all, it’s harder to feel relaxed if it doesn’t feel like your personal sanctuary. We’re not suggesting you plaster the walls with pictures from the family photo album, but some finishing touches will make your room a joy to be in. Whether it’s a souvenir from holiday or a painting by your favourite artist, your room should resonate with who you are.
8. Be practical
Your bedroom is only your safe haven if you are comfortable living in it, and you know where everything is. Part of this is ensuring that it fits around your needs and your routine.
Numerous bed designs and sizes, from single beds to king size beds, come equipped with storage solutions to maximise your bedroom space, effectively eliminating any potential distractions caused by clutter. The ideal bedroom arrangement gives you plenty of space to get dressed, store everything you need, and reach out for things in the night.
No bedroom is complete without a bedside table where you can keep that sleep-inducing book, a glass of water, earplugs, and your alarm clock. The next time you give it a spring clean, try thinking about your bedroom from a new perspective - what could you do to make it more practical? We reckon you’ll be happier in the long run.
9. The mattress makes the room
Of course, you don’t have the ideal sleep environment until you have the perfect mattress. Ditch your lumpy, uncomfortable mattress and try a modern memory foam and spring mattress hybrid instead. If you’re wondering whether your mattress needs replacing, we have a handy guide here. Choose the right size for you and your bedroom, a ¾ bed may be perfect for a university dorm room while a double bed can be ideal for couples.
At Simba we’ve created a five-layered mattress with a breathable hypoallergenic surface that controls temperature and provides the highest level of comfort. A unique 2,500 spring design paired with supportive foam layers contours to your body to ensure that you wake up feeling refreshed and prepared for the day ahead.
Do you have any relaxing bedroom ideas, or tips on how to prepare your room for sleep? Let us know on social!
