Most of us aren’t getting enough Zzzzz’s. Here’s how to make your bedroom a place where you will actually sleep.
BY SUSAN HOLLIS
No era has put as much thought into the science of sleep as the current one. Well-researched, evidence-based books, podcasts and scholarly articles champion the importance of a solid doze, and yet somehow a good number of folks in the western world are still struggling with this basic human need. The overwhelming evidence around short- and long-term health consequences of a chronic lack thereof have only made it more stressful, but making sleep happen isn’t an overly technical experience.
Physiologically, the sleep requirements for humans have not changed for thousands of years. We require darkness, relative quiet and a sense of security. Despite advances in technology like cooling mattresses, sleep trackers and spa-like sound machines, uncomplicated adjustments to one’s physical sleep environment can have a big impact on the rest we get.
Bedroom Basics
“Start with a simple declutter, eliminating treasures and trinkets from slumbering sightlines for a clear mind at bedtime,” says Victoria interior designer Victoria Huntley, of Victoria Huntley Design. “Objects smaller than a melon can be tucked in a drawer. Books can be gathered in a basket, and small items can be corralled into a tray. Then put every single bedroom light on a dimmer switch, which is approximately $15.”
Investing in a quality mattress and pillow that suit your body’s best sleep positions creates an excellent base for personalized sleep needs. A restless partner with different warmth preferences might warrant two separate duvets, which ticks the box for temperature differentials while protecting against disruptions from movement in a shared bed.
According to Aakriti Batra of Sweet Dreams Boutique, the type of bedding you choose can make or break a good night’s sleep.
“Prints and colours are a personal preference, but choosing the right fabric for your sleeping temperature matters the most,” she says, adding that polyester should be avoided at all costs because it doesn’t breathe or regulate body temperature. “A 200- to 500-thread-count cotton bedding or flax linen is ideal for most sleepers and it provides a luxurious experience while regulating your body heat. Alternatively, you can choose bamboo bedding if you like a cool-to-touch effect.”
As most followers of the famed neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman know, the catalyst of every good sleep cycle is light exposure. In North America we have to ensure that artificial lights do a good job of mimicking nature when the real thing doesn’t allow for proper sleep hormones to be triggered. Ensuring a bedroom is well insulated against the early morning and evening rays in summer (or for shift workers) is key to the process.
Advancements in technology and design mean that getting high-quality black-out window coverings is more affordable than ever. Lights should be calming, along with the rest of the environment, which designer Tracey Lamoureux of Spaciz Design Company says should be intentionally unfussy.
“I am not a fan of beds loaded up with accent pillows or throw blankets, but rather prefer a simpler Scandinavian style of design approach,” she says. “A bedroom should have a calm energy, neutral tones, simple lines, and be more of a minimalist environment.”
Calming Colours
Tracey Lamoureux of Spaciz Design Company loves the following Benjamin Moore paint colours for a calm bedroom setting.
Better Habits
In part, the modernization that gives us the tools of science to understand human sleep cycles is also a part of the problem. We are moving our bodies less throughout the day, and are dependent on screens for entertainment at all hours. Simply paring back some of these habits to move more and get outside can do a world of good for our sleep, especially as exposure to natural light throughout the day is significant to how we wind down.
“Smartphones aside, blue-bright, white-toned light bulbs are harsh and foster wakefulness, and these should be banished from homes in favour of warm tones — yellowish-red hues, measured in 2700 Kelvins or less — that are inviting and create a cozy atmosphere,” says Huntley. “Bed placement also comes to mind. If space permits, try to avoid one side of a bed being pushed up against the wall. A centred bed will generally feel more inviting.”
Across the board, experts in design of all kinds champion going back to basics when creating a functional sleep environment. The bedroom does not need to be a showcase filled with art and throw pillows, nor should it be a repository for unfolded laundry and half-finished projects. It should serve the body’s most basic needs and not much else.
“Bedrooms should be yin. Dark. Quiet. Because we want to wake up refreshed, which is yang,” says Marlyna Los, a classical feng shui consultant in Vancouver who spent 20 years in Victoria. “Yang energy is movement, yin energy is quiet — they work together, which means too many mirrors, too many pillows, too much light, isn’t good. When we have a bedroom that’s not too busy, that’s just for sleeping, we sleep better.”
5 Steps to Better Sleep
1 Install blackout window coverings. Blackout blinds are now reasonably affordable and come in a variety of colours to match the room’s palette. If light seepage around the edges is an issue, double up with curtains lined with blackout fabric for an extra layer of control.
2 Dampen noise by using curtains, fabric headboards and medium-pile throw rugs on hardwood to absorb acoustics.
3 Avoid bright overhead lights, especially at night before bed. Instead, rely on lamps with dimmable, warm-tinted bulbs kept as low-lit as possible. This also goes for bathrooms, where lighting tends to be bright and harsh. Keep the lights low and calm while brushing teeth and moving through nightly cleansing rituals.
4 Keep temperatures in the bedroom low — a cool 15.6°C to 19.4°C is the ideal zone for sleep.
5 Make your bed with sleep-friendly materials. Linen, cotton and bamboo sheets all help regular body temperature; so do mulberry silk pillowcases, which also reduce exposure to allergens, prevent hair frizz and breakage, and protect sensitive skin from irritation.
