Sleep well

From habitat plus - bedrooms

Tips for creating a restful room.

If your bedroom isn't set up to soothe, it can be harder to drift off. An ideal bedroom will provide an environment for rest, positivity and relaxation. While it might not be possible to turn yours into a personalised version of a luxe hotel suite, there are a number of ways you can refresh your space to reframe your perspective on comfort – and even small things can have a major impact.

We've all heard the advice about good sleep health – go device-free an hour before bedtime, don’t eat rich foods or drink coffee too close to bedtime and manage your stress levels.

But one of the best ways to get a good night’s sleep is to create a sleep-conducive environment.

That can include strategies like minimising external noise and light levels, choosing a good-quality bed and bedlinen and decorating your bedroom to create the right mood.

Reduce blue light exposure during the evening – which electronic devices like smartphones and computers emit in large amounts. There are apps that block blue light on devices. Avoid screen time in the couple of hours before bed.

Maintaining good sleep hygiene and sleeping routines will create better quality and more restful sleep. Experts advise avoiding caffeine too late in the day and also to be aware of your evening alcohol consumption. Eating or drinking large glasses of water or any other liquid late in the evening can also disrupt your slumber. Napping sleepwell during the day can interfere with your evening sleep patterns, it's best to try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day if possible.

The bedroom environment and its set-up are key factors in getting a good night’s sleep. These include temperature, humidity, noise, external lights and furniture arrangement. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, relaxing, clean and somewhere you like to be. Keep the bedroom temperature regulated – if a bedroom is too hot it can interrupt sleep. About 20 ℃ is best for most people so try cooling sheets like percale, bamboo or stonewashed linen if you tend to ‘run hot’ and something warmer like flannel if you often get chilled. Rather than focusing too much on thread count, it’s important to go for a set you find comfortable and soft, a preference which can vary from person to person.

Many of us have a pre-sleep routine that helps us relax with strategies that include reading, taking a bath or shower or listening to relaxing music.

Whether it’s from a beautiful incense holder or sleek diffuser, tranquil scents are great to bring into the bedroom for their stress and anxiety-relieving properties. Chamomile, lavender, jasmine, cedar and ylang ylang are particularly soothing scents.

If you have a green thumb or like fresh flower bouquets, arrange fragrant flowers on occasion to dress up your space. Display favourite flowers in vases painted in Resene paint colours that coordinate with your room.

Invest in a good comfortable mattress and pillow and choose the right weight of duvet or blankets for the season.

While it’s recommended to replace your mattress every seven to 10 years, it’s also important to listen to your body ahead of that. Do you have back aches or a general uncomfortable feeling when you’re in bed? Are you waking up not feeling rested? Do you get a better sleep when you travel, and not just because you’re on holiday? These are all tell-tale signs that something is up with the place you sleep.

Do your research, and when you’re ready to buy, choose one from a reputable company. In most cases, you’ll get what you pay for so it should be worth the investment. And, as much of a morning chore as it can be, a done-up bed is much more enticing to crawl into at the end of the day.

Want to get your own free copy of future issues of Habitat magazine?

• Retail customers and homeowners: All Resene ColorShop and DIY Cardholders are sent a copy of each issue of Habitat. Sign up for your free card here - Australian residents - New Zealand residents.
• Specifiers: Sign up for Habitat here.

If you have an idea, project or story that you think would suit Habitat plus, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us an email with your details and include photos if submitting a project.

Habitat plus are not mailed directly. They are available free from Resene ColorShops and resellers while stocks last and available for viewing online.