Did you know you spend a third of your life asleep? Making sure you get a good night's rest is one of the simplest ways you can improve your physical energy levels and mental well-being.
A few quick changes to your bedroom environment can really improve the quality and length of your sleep ensuring you wake feeling refreshed. In this blog post, we share 5 simple ways to make your bedroom better for sleep.
1) Upgrade your mattress
The days when choosing a mattress was a basic choice between soft or firm are long gone and there are now hundreds of options, catering to every preference. The key advice is to try before you buy, whether by visiting a showroom or buying a mattress online that offers an at-home trial period. Take notice of how you feel sleeping on your current mattress for a while and use this to inform your choices. If you're too hot at night, look for a new mattress that's breathable, like the Emma. Or, if you wake with aches and pains, prioritise a mattress with good support. And, if you can't agree with your partner, there are mattresses offering a different feel on each side!
2) Choose natural textiles
Feeling too hot or cold in bed will make you toss and turn. Choose bedding made from natural materials to help regulate your body temperature throughout the night and help you sleep soundly. For your duvet, choose feather or wool, covered in pure cotton or linen sheets. We love Bedfolk for great value natural bedlinen. Finally, add a pure merino lambswool blanket from The British Blanket Company. Aim for several layers so you can achieve your ideal temperature combination.
3) Sleep in complete darkness
Our brains produce melatonin when it's dark and this chemical regulates our sleep-wake cycle. It lowers blood pressure, glucose levels, and body temperature; key physiological responses responsible for restful sleep. Sleeping in a light room suppresses melatonin by up to 50%. Turn off all lights, close the blinds and refrain from using your tablet or smartphone in the hours before bedtime.
4) Clear the air
Cleaner air and balanced humidity levels in your bedroom can do wonders for your sleep quality. Introduce air-filtering plants like peace lilies and aloe vera, aiming for one plant per 10 square metres of space. Banish dust-gathering devices like TVs and computers and vacuum regularly. The easiest way to achieve beneficial humidity levels is by keeping a window open, allowing fresh air to circulate as much as possible.
5) Keep a living / bedroom divide
Use your bed for sleep and sex only! Bringing other activities, like work or watching TV, into your bedroom can weaken the psychological association between bed and sleep. If you can't sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired.
The British Blanket Company has a beautiful selection of wool throws which will instantly enhance your bedroom and help you stay the perfect temperature as you sleep. Click here to visit our online shop.
