6 simple decoration tips for better sleep

You can improve your sleep hygiene by simple decoration tips. I've always been of the opinion that bedrooms are for rest and relaxation. And that is it. Nothing more, nothing less. Rest and relaxation. When we bought our new house, it was a perfect opportunity to renovate, furnish, and decorate with turning our quite an ordinary bedroom into a restful sanctuary. I thought it would be nice to share with you six tips and tricks we have used in in our quest for a good nights sleep, and share a few pictures from our new, freshly decorated bedroom.

Please note, this post is in collaboration with Sealy. 

1. We used calming colours for paint. Pale and muted blues and greens are said to be the best for helping you off to the land of nod, but any neutral colour would work. Very 'awake' colours, like bright and vibrant, and reds, purples and bright yellows are said to encourage wakefulness and attention.

2. We cleared the clutter. We have an in-built wardrobe which houses all of our clothes (ok, all of his, nearly all of mine). There is nothing unnecessary underneath the bed, on the bed, or next to the bed. Feng Shui by the way says you should have nothing underneath your bed, as it blocks energy flows. Whatever you think of the validity of that, it is still nice not to have anything gathering dust under there!

3. We dedicated the room for sleep and rest. We have no TVs, no computers, and no technology in the bedroom (other than our smart phones which act as our alarm clocks). This might not be possible if you live in a very small place and have nowhere else to work or to watch TV, but you could always try to hide them inside a wardrobe, a desk or tidy the computer and papers away each day.

4. We created a beautiful and functional lighting system. This was as simple as getting a dimmer switch, and sockets on both sides of the bed for table lamps! Additionally, when we were choosing the main ceiling lamp, we went for something that doesn't glare if you look at it from underneath - there are no bulbs in sight shining in your eyes. And as important is to keep the light out at night - invest in a good black-out blind or in a sleep mask. My absolute favourite is the silk mask by Silksleep - a bit pricey but far superior than flimsy cheap ones.

5. We bought good bedding. In terms of bed clothes we have banished the sweaty polyester in favour of natural materials, like cotton and linen. In terms of pillows we have gone for good quality thermo pillows that support you head well and mould to your body positions. They are so comfortable, we will never go back to normal pillows! For our next pillows I might get something that keeps cool in the nigh time even if you are a hot sleeper (like my husband is) - perhaps a Cooltech Gel Pillow from Sealy. Eventually we also want to buy a really good duvet that helps regulate our temperatures.

6. We will invest in a top quality mattress! Granted, this is something we have not been able to afford yet but it is on the list. You spend about a third of your life sleeping, so it makes sense to invest in a good quality mattress. There are so many different styles to choose from, and your own sleeping style will determine the perfect match. Personally I am very keen on mattresses with memory foam, like you can find from Sealy but if you like something more traditional Sealy do plenty of other styles too, like pocket springs and hybrid versions.

If you can't afford a mattress straight away, or your mattress is OK but not great, I've heard mattress toppers are a huge help. There are quite a few different styles available, ranging from super-firm to zonal to just classic ones.

So those are the tips and tricks we used to turn our bedroom into a dream room (quite literally!). There are still a few things to do and to buy, but we are nearly there. We are planning on getting bed side tables, and some table lamps, as the room decoration is still more utilitarian than completely cosy, and potentially having a chair next to the bay window. 

Do you have any other tips for how to decorate and furnish your bedrooms?

#homeetc

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