Turn your bedroom into a relaxing haven with these tips and ideas…
Consider the colour scheme and décor – Calming neutrals and soft pastels are often the best options for decorating a bedroom. It is, after all, a place of rest and your décor should invoke relaxing thoughts. Take your cue from spa-type environments – they always favour subtle over bright and busy. An overload of bright colours can cause your brain to have trouble switching off, which is why white is especially conducive to sleep.
Get the lighting right – Managing your room’s lighting is important for not only ensuring an uninterrupted night’s sleep but also for setting the tone of the space. Even a small amount of light coming from a clock’s LED display, for instance, can keep you from sinking into a deep sleep. Cover it or turn it away from your bed. A beautiful light fixture (perhaps a chandelier) can add a hint of warmth and indulgence, while a standing lamp in a corner can offer more diluted light than perhaps bright spots shining down from the ceiling (these should be connected to a dimmer switch, if that’s the case, to allow you to control the amount of light at any one time).
Also pay attention to your window treatments – a decent set of block-out blinds or curtains is essential if you like your room to be pitch-black. The right kind of window dressing will also help maintain a comfortable temperature in your room (another essential for a good night’s rest).
Clear the clutter and keep it clean – Minimising your bedroom clutter will help to create a sense calm. An unmade bed covered in clothes from the day before counts as clutter, as do things on the floor (shoes, gym bags and such). Coming home to a bed that’s made, inside a clean room where everything is in its place, will definitely help you sleep better. Need storage? Add a bench at the foot of your bed if space allows. You’ll have a spot to sit and put on your running shoes as well as space inside to keep things out of sight.
Scent it – Keep a delicately scented candle on your nightstand. For a calm, relaxed mood, choose a scent inspired by the ocean or something with floral tones. Aromatherapy oils and burners are also wonderful for creating a soothing atmosphere. Try lavender, vanilla or sandalwood.
Hang some art – Create a gallery wall above your bed or on another feature wall in your room using a picture/s that soothe and calm you. Anything to do with nature usually works wonders in this department – think framed prints, canvasses or photographs. Just make sure that if you’re selecting a single piece of art to hang, it mustn’t be so small that it looks lost in the space around it or so big that it overwhelms the room entirely. Anything that fills about two-thirds of the space above the bed both vertically and horizontally is pretty much spot on.
No work allowed – Leave your work at the bedroom door and declare your room a tech-free zone (well, at least try to). Unplug anything that’s running next to, under or behind your bed – they’re not conducive to healthy sleep. Sleep experts say that you’ll sleep better if you keep phones, tablets, laptops and even TVs out of the bedroom entirely. If this sounds impossible for you, then at least turn them off an hour before you retire. A bedroom that looks more like an office is the total opposite of the sanctuary it should be. Your mind needs a place to switch off!
Get comfy – If you’re going to blow the budget on anything in your bedroom, make sure it’s the bed and everything on it. From the mattress to the linen to the pillows, high quality bedding is an investment that will not only last a long time, but will also be worth every cent as you sink into the comfort of it all. An upholstered headboard will add a comfortable layer of texture for sitting up in bed, while a cosy throw folded over the bottom of your bed will do the trick on chilly nights. If you have floors as opposed to carpeting in your bedroom, lay a rug underneath the bed so your feet land on something plush and warmer than a cold floor when you get up.
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