Sleep can be a difficult goal for many of us, as modern life is super busy and there’s plenty of stress to fill up our brains, so trying out some easy bedroom ideas that support more restful nights can help us be more productive and happier in every other area of life.
When it comes to reaching sleep goals, it’s a good idea to focus on the causes of your sleep issues and figure out how to improve them. Whether ongoing stress and anxiety is causing you to lose valuable shut eye or you’re sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress, there may be a number of easy bedroom ideas and sleep strategies you can try.
The following 10 easy bedroom ideas and sleep strategies can help your sleep to be more comfortable, your sleeping patterns to become more consistent, and your bedroom to become more inviting for restful nights.
Invest in new bedding.
Imagine climbing into soft, fresh, and comfortable bedding when it’s time to settle down to sleep for the evening. It’s easy to achieve this at a fancy hotel, and it’s not that hard to achieve at home. It just takes investing in high-quality bedding.
Whether you prefer a luxurious silk duvet cover or a soft blended cotton bedsheet, there are so many different types of new bedding for you to try out for yourself. Yes, it’s one of the easy bedroom ideas for better sleep and it costs more to buy fancy bedding, but it also costs more to replace cheap bedding every few years.
Consider a new mattress for an easy bedroom idea.
Your mattress can have a huge impact on how you sleep and the quality of your sleep. If you wake up with aching shoulders or a sore back, it’s likely that you’re sleeping on a mattress that doesn’t currently support your needs.
A Tempur-Pedic mattress can often be the ideal choice for someone looking for scientifically tested, body-conforming support. There are pillow-topped versions and others that are firm. Having the best night’s sleep is possible with a mattress that’s right for your body.
Limit your caffeine intake.
We love coffee, but we usually only drink it in the morning and we mostly drink decaf. Drinking caffeine after 5pm is a recipe for less sleep that night. Caffeine can wreak havoc with sleep, as it takes about 5 hours for half of the caffeine’s effects to end.
By ending caffeine intake early in the day, your body has a chance to recover from the caffeine boost and allows your levels to return to normal again before you get ready for bed. It’s not just coffee, too. Other foods and drinks such as chocolate and fizzy drinks can contain a significant amount of caffeine, too. Water and other non-caffeinated drinks are best the closer you get to bedtime so you can enjoy a peaceful night of rest.
Exercise daily.
Moving your body and getting an adequate amount of exercise each day is so important when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. Not only does exercise promote a healthy heart, but it can also help your body slip into a peaceful slumber. After you have enjoyed some form of exercise during the day, it’s easier to relax. Plus, exercise will help you to stay in shape and maintain positive mental health, which is also a huge factor when it comes to sleeping well at night.
We try to get a healthy dose of exercise every day. Whether it’s running, yoga, or doing PT, we make moving a priority. And our son Jack is now an elite race walker, ranking in the top 15 for the 3,000 meters among all U.S. men and boys.
Think very carefully about nutrition.
The food and drink you put into your body has a direct impact on sleep. For example, if you tend to fill yourself with sugary, salty, or fatty foods throughout the day, your body won’t thank you with quality sleep. You are more likely to wake up during the night and not feel refreshed in the morning, leading to another day of sugar and caffeine to get through the day’s obligations.
NutriBullet Review: 8 things you don’t know it doesIt’s a viscous cycle that can usually only be broken with a period of sugar detox. While uncomfortable at first, eliminating sugar usually only is rough for a few days. And the health that’s achieved after is well worth the effort.
Put your devices away.
Screens are a sleep enemy. It’s so easy to stay awake later and longer when there’s a screen entertaining us with its blue light and endless content. Electronic devices are great at promoting poor sleep habits.
About an hour before you go to bed, consider putting your screens away and turning off your television so that you’re not tempted by another episode.
Create an enjoyable and easy bedtime routine.
As mentioned above, it’s a good idea to create a bedtime routine that promotes good sleep. The key is that you also need to enjoy this bedtime routine as you’re going to be doing it every evening.
Whether you unwind in a warm bath, sip a peppermint tea, or read a book under a cozy blanket with your cat or dog, there are so many ways in which you can settle down for bed. Once you get into the habit of doing these calming and relaxing things, you will start to reset your system into a high quality sleep pattern.
Dress comfortably and set the temperature correctly.
When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, another one of the easy bedroom ideas is setting your room temperature for sleep. Although this may take some trial and error, it’s usually good to keep your bedroom lower than the daytime temperature. We usually set ours to 64 to 66 degrees at night.
Dressing in loose cotton or silky clothes that allow your skin to breathe can also help. Having breathable nightwear will help you to remain at a consistent temperature as you sleep throughout the evening.
Get blackout curtains and remove excess lighting.
It’s very common to use blackout curtains when settling babies and toddlers to sleep, but why don’t we continue them into adult life, too? Blackout curtains or blinds are another top pick for easy bedroom ideas that’s incredibly useful and they can help you fall asleep more easily, especially during the lighter summer months or for those who nap during the day. They can block out bright street lamps or car headlights, if you live on a busy road.
You may also want to consider covering any small lights in your room with a piece of tape, such as standby lights on your television or other charging lights.
Reduce stress and anxiety.
Stress and anxiety can be one of the biggest causes of insomnia and lack of sleep. Keeping a notebook next to your bedside can provide a place to get rid of any looming thoughts. Write down all of your worries, feelings, and ideas into your notebook so you don’t have these thoughts running through your mind when you’re trying to drift off.
As you can see, there are a whole host of easy bedroom ideas and sleep strategies to help you get a better night’s sleep on a day to day basis. Whether you’re treating yourself to a set of luxury bedding, or you’re trying out new blackout blinds to block out external light, there is so much you can do to create a comfortable night time environment that supports a good night’s sleep every single time!
What are your go-to easy bedroom ideas and sleep strategies? Please share yours in the comments below.
