Originally published: April 23, 2021
Odds are, you or someone you know struggles with being able to get a good night’s rest. You’re not alone! More than 1/3 of American adults currently sleep less than seven hours per night, which can have major impacts on your physical and mental health. If you struggle with sleep you’ve probably heard common tips for sleep such as shutting off technology an hour before bed, not eating heavy foods late at night, and avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol before bed. Those are all great suggestions for how you can change your behavior to improve your sleep quality, but some relatively easy changes in your home can make your environment better suited for a great night’s sleep!
- Paint Colors: Changing the paint color in your bedroom can have a big impact on your sleep quality. Choosing a darker neutral tone, like dark gray, navy, or mauve, or a warmer light hue like a taupe or light gray can have a big impact on the quality of your sleep. Changing your walls from a standard white or off-white color can make your room more relaxing in the evenings, and help you slip into sleep easier.
- Reduce clutter: The more clutter in your space, the more stressed you’ll likely be in the long term – especially if that clutter reminds you of unfinished tasks or other stressors. Try to increase empty space, especially on your walls and flat surfaces, and remove unnecessary items from your bedroom. Unable to move stuff from your bedroom due to kids or pets? Establish one designated area in your bedroom out of your direct line of sight from your bed to help decrease stressors in the evening.
- Try using some relaxing scents: You don’t need to run to Whole Foods or Amazon and buy any essential oil with the word “relax” on the label. In fact, some essential oils can have really intense smells that actually make it harder to relax. However, there are some scents that have been proven to help with sleep and relaxation, including jasmine, rose, lavender, and ylang-ylang. Invest in a diffuser or some candles (but please don’t leave candles burning while you sleep) to make your room smell more relaxing and help you drift off.
- Don’t forget your mattress: Having the right environment to sleep is important, but not worth all of the effort if the thing that you’re sleeping on isn’t working for you. Mattresses are supposed to be replaced every 8-10 years, so if you’ve been sleeping in the same bed for over a decade (or if you can’t remember when you bought your mattress), it’s probably time to replace it. Even more important is to regularly rotate your mattress (both rotating it 180° and flipping it over). You’re supposed to do that every 3-6 months, so that’s another thing to consider – if you don’t remember when you last rotated your mattress, it’s time to do so. And if it’s time for you to get a new mattress, look into buying one from a company that offers an in-home trial period so you can make sure that your new mattress is right for you.
Creating a peaceful space to relax, rest, and recharge is important, so hopefully some of these tips can make a difference for you! Interested in expanding these relaxation tips into the test of your home? Check out our blog on Easing into Comfort.
