Designing Your Room for Better Sleep & Relaxation
Our personal spaces are sacred. It provides an environment that can really set a tone and effect our energy and mood. When our spaces are clustered and messy, it can leave us feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, and unclear. When our spaces are clean and organized, it can generate a sense of calm, rejuvenation, and ease.
Most of us appreciate places like the spa or an upscale hotel because these places take the time to prioritize the experience a person feels in the space. Likewise, our bedroom is one of our most intimate places that should provide a supportive place for relaxation, restoration, and rest. It is the place you come to for space, solace, and comfort. It is the place you begin and end your day.
Personalizing or designing your bedroom in a way that promotes and enhances these effects is one of the best ways to trigger better sleep and relaxation, which in turn promotes more energy throughout each day. The beautiful thing is that it is easy and fun to do!
The first step to creating more peace in your bedroom is to designate the space for only restful, calming activities. Bringing work, problems, finances, and creative projects into your bedroom can activate your mind to start thinking and working when you walk in. So it’s important to be deliberate about the activities in your room.
Step two, think about self-care activities that you enjoy doing and make space for that in your bedroom. If it’s yoga and meditation, make sure you have intentional space for your yoga mat or meditation pillow. If you like doing face care or a foot spa, you might have a designated area for a vanity or comfortable seat. Regardless what you prefer, the space should be functional and intentionally designed to promote doing these activities with ease.
Next, take the time to heighten your senses and think about what elements encourage you to relax and feel more calm. Sometimes it helps to recreate a space you’re familiar with being relaxed in, like the spa; Use water features, candles and essential oils, lots of plants, soft music, and maybe even some decorations that enhance the authenticity of the experience. Try to trigger all five of your senses with sights, sounds, textures, smells, and even flavors, like bringing in a nice cup of tea.
The fourth step is to consider lighting. If your lights are bright and fluorescent, it’s hard for your mind to settle down in that space. Take note of light pollution as well, excess light that can creep in through door cracks or unshaded windows, or even lights that emit from LED screens or charging points. The ability to control the warmth, brightness, and amount of light in your room can set the mood when you’re ready to relax or fall asleep, and it can also help you stay asleep to remove any excess light.
The next thing you want to do is to be extremely intentional about the quality and comfort of your furniture. The design of the room is focused not only on making it look visually appealing, it should be a comforting and relaxing experience as well. Intentionally include items in your room that help support that and keep in mind spacing, prioritizing the most important furniture first and omitting what doesn’t fit well.
Another important thing to include is a side table or accessible unit that can store self care and relaxation tools. It’s convenient and helpful to be able to reach these items from the comfort of your bed, whether it be an eye mask, diffuser, or book. Keep them close to maintain your night time routine and help you get more relaxing sleep, or help soothe you to sleep.
Lastly, along with relaxation tools, keep beside you important necessities like a water bottle, a night light, some ear plugs, or nasal spray. Whatever you find yourself consistently addressing in the middle of the night, with the exception of using the restroom, find ways to keep yourself from having to get up out of bed.
Taking all these steps will help cultivate a more peaceful, energy-promoting environment along with boosting your quality of sleep. But another essential step to go along with designing your room is to make sure you establish a good sleep routine. Utilize the space to help train your mind and body to restore.. the benefits are life changing!