Our bedrooms are some of the most important spaces in our homes because we sleep in them – which takes up around a third of our lives – and rest and relax, get dressed, and do various other activities there.
If your bedroom isn’t designed effectively for your needs, this can impact many areas of your life, including productivity, but sleep is also one of the main ones.
If you’re struggling to get the proper slumber you want lately, consider whether your bedroom design may have something to do with it. Here are some factors that could be causing you issues.
1. Mattress that’s Too Old or Uncomfortable
One of the most significant elements that affect how well we sleep each night is the state of our mattress. If you’re constantly tossing and turning because you’re trying to get comfortable or are dealing with pain from a less-than-ideal product, your rest will be negatively impacted. As such, if you have had the same mattress for a long time or have one that never really suited you, it’s wise to upgrade to a new, affordable mattress that will make it easier for you to get to and stay asleep.
Pick a product that suits the level of firmness you like (and perhaps require for your back or other potential body aches and pains) and your sleeping style. For instance, people who sleep on their side usually need a softer, plusher mattress than those that sleep on their backs. You may also need to select a hypoallergenic mattress if you suffer from hayfever, asthma, and other allergies.
2. The Wrong Pillow
You’ll find it harder to wake up feeling refreshed if you’re always trying to sleep on a pillow that isn’t working for you. Pillows lose their fluff and shape over time, so you need to upgrade them every year or two. You also need to select the right pillow for your specific needs. It should be the right height for your body, suit the way you sleep, and give you more or less support as required if you have neck, shoulder, or back issues.
3. Bedding that Doesn’t Suit
We want to feel comfortable and snuggly when we go to bed and have sheets and other bedding on us that feel nice on our skin. Is your linen old, threadbare, and scratchy, though? If so, you should find that investing in new products, especially those made from luxuriously soft and suitable-for-all-seasons bamboo blends, organic cotton, or other more natural and sustainable choices, makes a difference to your sleep.
Plus, utilize appropriate bedding for the seasons. It’s wise to have different sheets for different times of the year (many people like flannelette when it’s cold) as well as lightweight blankets or comforters for in-between seasons and heavier blankets and quilts for winter. If you have insomnia or other sleep troubles, you may find that utilizing a weighted blanket helps you get the slumber you need.
4. No Way to Adjust the Temperature
While the bedding we use affects our temperature and, therefore, comfort and depth of sleep, so does the general temperature in our bedrooms. If your primary suite or other rest areas aren’t set up in a way that enables you to adjust the temperature, you won’t get the level of sleep soundness you otherwise could. Ensure you have working windows that you can open in summer and beyond to let a cooling breeze in, and install fans. Ceiling fans are best for the overall movement of hot air in the room, but the more affordable floor-standing fans are also handy.
If you live somewhere that gets very hot or cold, you may want to install HVAC systems so you can set specific temperatures for the bedrooms in your home. Or, you may want to add in a fireplace, a gas heater, or another heating solution, depending on what’s appropriate for the room and your budget.
Other bedroom design factors to consider include the placement of your bed and whether you have enough storage space or find that clutter keeps distracting and stressing you when you’re trying to relax. If you don’t have a calming color palette in the room, this can be an issue, as can too much distracting and blue-light-emitting technology, such as a TV in the space.
Be wary of not having blackout curtains or other ways to block the light, along with properly closing and double-glazed windows, so you don’t have to put up with excess noise.
Multiple factors might negatively impact your ability to rest, so consider as many different ones as possible and address areas that are causing a problem ASAP.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
