How The Design Of Your Room Can Affect Your Sleep

Sleep is an important aspect of our lives. Having poor quality sleep can have a wide range of negative mental and physical effects that can impair our performance throughout the day.

Excessive screen time, caffeine, and stress are considered the usual culprits when it comes to erratic sleeping habits.

But what you may be unaware of is that your bedroom decor and design can also affect your sleep. It turns out that the environment we sleep in plays a significant role in the overall quality and duration of our sleep.

It is, therefore, essential to design your bedroom as a relaxing sleeping area to help you sleep more soundly at night.

In this article, we’ll talk about how the design of your room can affect your sleep and a few tips to consider when designing your bedroom for better sleep. So, let’s get started!

Uncomfortable bedding

If you often find it difficult to be comfortable in bed and wake up with a sore back or stiff neck, it might be a sign that your mattress is getting old and needs to be replaced.

Mattresses often have hidden wear and tear under the coverings, which is difficult to notice at a glance. But a quick inspection for bumps, broken springs, dents, or sagging can give you a better idea about the actual condition underneath.

Sometimes, your bedding might be in perfect condition but the wrong type for you. For example, patients with sleep apnea get the best sleep with their heads elevated, which can be achieved using adjustable beds. A CPAP device is another useful intervention for sound sleep in sleep apnea.

If your bedding is really in bad shape, you should know that most experts recommend changing your mattress every 7 to 10 years. If yours is older, then it’s definitely time to go out shopping for a new one.

The most important thing to consider when choosing a new mattress is how comfortable you find it to be for your body. Make sure to look for mattresses that are tailored to your height and weight.

Heavy and taller people should consider getting one that is at least 25 cm deep to ensure that your body gets proper support. Smaller and lighter individuals can get enough support on leaner mattresses.

Artificial lighting

We are diurnal beings, which means we are inclined by nature to be awake and active during the day and to sleep and rest when it’s dark.

This is the reason why having excessive light in your room can disrupt your sleep-wake cycles. Any form of outside light — street lights, sunlight, or car headlights — shining through your windows into your bedroom can interrupt your rest.

Therefore, having good window treatments are very important for a good night’s sleep. Investing in a decent pair of light-blocking curtains or blackout blinds can prevent outside light from entering your room.

You should also make sure to limit the number of light sources inside your bedroom. This means restricting the use of laptops, TV, lamps, and your phone inside your bedroom when you’re trying to catch some Zs.

Bedroom clutter

A disorganized, cluttered, and chaotic room makes it significantly harder for us to relax and doze off. This is why if you’ve got cluttered bedside tables and haven’t seen the floor in a while, it might be time to clean up.

Always designate a specific place for every item in your bedroom and keep most of your belongings inside drawers or inside your wardrobe to keep the room tidy and clean.

If you’re in a relatively smaller room and space is a luxury, then find ways to make the most out of the storage space you have.

You can make use of the space under your bed, use drawers to store shoes, and stow away seasonal clothes in boxes and place them on top of wardrobes to save space and declutter your room.

Once you’ve decluttered thoroughly and are satisfied with the outcome, be strict with yourself and try keeping the room this way.

Stop thinking of your bedroom as a kind of storage area and abstain from shoving items belonging to other parts of your home inside your bedroom.

Also, consider spending a few minutes every day tidying up your bedroom to prevent clutter from piling up. Just a few minutes of cleaning each day is all it will take to transform your bedroom into a relaxing sleep sanctuary.

Bedroom temperature

According to experts, the ideal temperature for good sleep is around 66-70°F. But everyone’s body, needs, and preferences are different, so this temperature range can be adjusted according to your preference.

The most important thing is to find a temperature range that works the best for you and then stick to it. This is because regulating your bedroom’s temperature during both summers and winters is essential for a good night’s rest.

It can be hard to keep your bedroom cool during summers, but turning on the AC and using breathable and lightweight beddings can help bring the temperature down.

Likewise, for winters, you should swap out your bedding to thicker, insulative winter-styled ones and keep the thermostat at the right temperature to achieve your optimal sleeping temperature and sleep like a baby!