So, how to design your bedroom for better sleep?

Could your bedroom be the culprit for your lack of sleep? There is a myriad of factors contributing to insomnia or sleeplessness, especially for seniors. But, there is one consideration that gets unnoticed – your bedroom.

Your sleeping environment is a critical factor in getting a good night’s sleep. You’ll be surprised to know that fluffed pillows, bouncy mattresses, and clean bedrooms can solve some sleep disorders.

In the long run, organizing your sleeping quarters can induce relaxation and comfort. It will also relieve you of stress and anxiety, did you know? Even by just making your bed, you wake up feeling revitalized and ready to tackle the task of the day.

Organize your room

You know what they say – a cluttered room is a sign of a cluttered mind. If you have no clue on how to sort out your mess, you can heed our tips to cleaning your sleeping quarters. You might not be Marie Kondo, but at least you’re making big changes to your life – and sleep. To organize is to design your bedroom for better sleep.

Sort your piles into three boxes. When sorting your clothes, bags, kid’s toys, or books, organize them in three piles: keep, throw, and donate. Just like Marie Kondo, keep the ones that spark joy to you and throw (or donate) materials that you don’t need.

Every item must have a home. Your belongings should all have a place in your room. You may keep them in boxes, storage containers, or plastic sealing bags. For instance, you keep your jewelry on its hanging quarters and your shoes in a box. Other belongings like paper stacks and office supplies can be on your desk on its file folders or supply holders.

Determine your organizational system. Keep your clothes stacked and folded neatly in the closet. If you plan to hang dresses, bags, or jewelry, choose an easier organizational system such as color coding and item sizing.

Change your sleep environment

People often attribute their sleep loss to physical and psychological conditions, but often overlook their sleep environment. Physical changes in your room can impact your rest as auditory-visual and touch sensory influence your sleep quality.

Get the ideal room color. Design your bedroom with neutral shades like white and cool colors (blue, gray, and green) ideal for a bedroom set-up. Travelodge UK reported that 2,000 people who slept in blue-colored bedrooms rested for more than 7 hours a night.

Use curtains to blackout the light. Your circadian rhythm highly depends on light, and too much of it can cause sleep delay. Use blackout curtains of darker shades to help induce melatonin. This way, it can wind you to sleep at no time.

Keep your bedroom cool. You sleep well when your body temperature drops around 60 to 67 degrees. Putting your AC on can make you feel cool and comfortable. If an AC is not possible for you, you can use a fan or open the doors and windows at night.

Reduce the noise at night. Our brains still process sounds when we sleep. So, a baby crying or a honking car at night will jolt you awake. Reduce noise by making your bedroom sound-proof. You can do this by shutting your windows or using white noise-sound machines.

Use calming scents. Scents good for relaxing are lavender, chamomile, jasmine, and mint. Aromatherapy can help improve your mood while getting ready for bed. Also, some benefits of scents are:

• Lower blood pressure
• Reduced palpitations
• Lessens stress, anxiety, and depression

Unplug gadgets. Electronics emit blue light that suppresses melatonin. What’s more, it keeps you alert at night and increases the chance of getting insomnia. Shut down your gadgets at least 30 minutes before sleeping.

Make your bed

So, you get to clean your room, but, what about your bed? Where you lie down might be full of hidden discomforts that keep you awake. A good night’s sleep might be as simple as investing in sleep products and cleaning them.

Choose a mattress that’s best for you. There are different mattresses available in the market, and each comes with pros and cons.

• Innerspring coils. These types of mattresses have softer density and bring in cooler bedding. Due to their lightweight and hollow features, it has the tendency to break in easily. Remember to flip or aerate innerspring coils to prevent bed bugs, mildew, or dust mites from growing.
• Memory foams. These soft mattresses are known to alleviate pain and pressure points due to its conforming properties. However, they’re known to retain body heat. Many contemporary foams are infused with special cooling properties to relieve hot sleepers.
• Latex foams. They are all-natural and environmentally-made mattresses from the sap of the rubber tree. They’re a lot firmer and cooler – which is ideal for back and heavyweight sleepers.

Choose your pillows. Did you know the wrong pillows can give you allergies, acne outbreaks, or skin rashes? It can even exacerbate your head or neck pain! Besides, it’s a good room decor and serves to design your bedroom with its hues and palettes. Choosing a pillow will mostly rely on several factors:

• Sleeping position
• Prevailing conditions
• Fillings usage
• Density
• Features

Clean your bedding. Design your bedroom with clean linens, pillows, and mattresses. A key to a better bed sleep is having clean bedding. You don’t want to sleep where bed bugs and dust mites thrive at, do you? Change your linens every week and make sure to use warm water when washing it. Dry and air your mattress and pillows to reduce the growth of mildew and molds.