SLEEP AND BEDROOM DECOR
Décor is something many of us pay attention to but perhaps not with the right goal in mind, at least in the bedroom. It’s possible that you think that since you mainly sleep in your room, it doesn’t matter too much what the room looks like as long as it allows you to get a decent night’s rest. Well, what if we told you that there were ways to not only have your room looking chic and stylish, but also geared towards helping you sleep better than ever? To tackle this rather important topic, we enlisted the help of interior decorator Sarah Sham of Essajees Atelier.
Bedroom Layout
The way you position your bed and arrange your room can have a greater impact on sleep than you think. “The first thing to keep in mind is to ensure your bedroom door does not directly open on to your bed, as in your bed should not be the first thing one sees. Though this isn’t easy in smaller spaces, make sure the foot of the bed is at least slightly parallel to the door,” suggests Sham. She adds, “To allow the most natural light to come in, position your bed with windows on either side. This will help regulate your circadian rhythm.”
Lighting
Light is incredibly important for everyday functioning and our brains are wired to take changes in lighting to mean certain things. For example, if your room is always very dark, you may tend to feel very lazy and sleepy as your brain may think it’s always time to sleep. Natural light is the best way to wake up in the morning so unless you have trouble sleeping, stay away from black-out curtains. That being said, everyone has their own preferences. Sham tells us, “there are so many kinds of window treatments available on the market you can create any kind of atmosphere that you’d like. If you want to be able to cut light out completely then opt for heavy curtains rather than blinds, which allow light to creep in.”
Colours
Although you aren’t really looking at the colour of your walls while you sleep, your bedroom should be a calming and soothing space, somewhere you find it easy to relax and fall asleep. To this end, “choose colours that are calming to you. This could mean bright red for one person and pastel blue for someone else, figure out what works for you and use that theme in your room.” Says Sham. She also suggests that you keep the colours in your bedroom as neutral as possible so that you aren’t stuck with any particular colour scheme.
http://www.satinafurniture.com/calming-colors-for-bedrooms/
The Mattress
This may seem incredibly obvious to some but for many of us, we forget that the mattress is the most important indicator of how well you sleep! Picking out the wrong mattress can lead to years of back pain and troubled sleep so invest wisely and choose a mattress that is right for you. “Nowadays there is such amazing technology out there. You can buy a mattress that is super firm on one side and soft as a feather on the other, which means that each partner can sleep well.” Says Sham. She adds, “making your bed a kind of sanctuary is a great way to enhance your sleep. Invest in a great mattress, luxurious bedding, high-quality sheets and a great pair of Dandelion pyjamas.”
