Anyone over the age of 30 understands how rubbish your body feels after a poor night’s sleep. Gone are the days when I could pull an all-nighter, get up after 4 hours of sleep, and hustle. If I tried that now, my body would ache, my head would hurt, my mood would be terrible, and I’d need two days to recover. I have to prioritize my sleep, which is why I want to share some tips on how to organize your bedroom for better sleep.
Bright lights, strong scents, loud sounds, uncomfortable pillows, and poor air quality will guarantee poor sleep. Avoid all of these pitfalls, and you’ll be sure to achieve better sleep every night.
I think that there should be a goal for every room, especially when you are attempting to decorate and organize. Thankfully, as a minimalist, my objective is to organize, declutter, and streamline my environment.
Since my bedroom is the place where I sleep and work, I need it to be a clean, spacious, organized, and simple space for creativity and relaxation.
I have separated my bedroom into two zones:
- The work station
- The sleep station
At my work station, I need lights, stationery, electronics, and some decorations for the videography portion of my business.
The rest of my bedroom falls under the sleep station. I want the wall colors, curtains, lighting, and bed to be optimized for relaxation and deep sleep.
Optimizing a bedroom for sleep necessitates zero clutter.
All unnecessary paperwork, packaging, clothing, bedding, and other items have to be packed away or thrown out. I’m extremely brutal about what is allowed to remain in my room.
Whatever remains has to be stored in plastic containers, inside cupboards, under the bed, or on shelves.
I have managed to improve my sleep by making the following changes to my bedroom, and I strongly believe that they can help you too.
Related article: Minimalist habits for longevity and anti-aging
How Can I Optimize My Bedroom For Sleep?
1. Install blackout curtains or blinds
As long as you have light illuminating your room, even as a reflection through the curtains, there’s a chance that it will affect your circadian rhythm and prevent you from entering or remaining in deep sleep.
Blackout curtains or blinds seem to be the best solution. I used to pair my lined curtains with an inner sheer curtain, but they were neither black nor dark in color.
Light wouldn’t directly penetrate through the material, but the cream color would brighten up the room the minute the clock struck 6 a.m.
I was never able to sleep in or get proper rest, even if I could, because the room would be too bright with a golden hue.
Dark-colored curtains are a must if you’re not going to use blackout curtains.
2. Use a red light at night
It has been reported or asserted that red light stimulates the production of melatonin, which is the hormone responsible for inducing sleep.
I work from home, but I spend the majority of my time in front of a desk instead of soaking up sunlight outdoors.
Not only do I end up deficient in vitamin D, but I also disrupt the regulation of other hormones. I try to prioritize sunlight exposure to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, but the addition of a red light has helped me get better sleep.
Rather than a bright overhead light, I have a lamp that emits a red light.
About an hour before getting into bed to sleep, I turn on this red light and turn off everything else. It creates a relaxing and soothing environment that encourages me to shut down and sleep.
Whether that’s attributed to improving melatonin production in my body is up for debate. But the resemblance to a setting sun certainly calms me down, and I love it.
3. Optimize the quality of air with an air purifier
Irritatants and allergens in the air have the propensity to induce sinus attacks and poor breathing. This can tremendously affect your ability to fall asleep or enjoy deep, restful sleep at night.
My mother suffers from rhinitis, and I’ve seen how miserable she feels when it flares up at night.
What worked for us was an air purifier. It cleans the air, removing odors and allergens while also emitting a soft white noise.
4. Set the thermostat between 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit
The ideal temperature for better sleep is estimated to be around 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
This can be done with the HVAC system in your home.
Alternatively, you can warm up a cold room using heaters, thicker blankets, and insulating windows, or cool down a hot room with a fan that also adds moisture to the air.
5. Induce sleep with aromatherapy
It has been reported that the use of certain essential oils promotes the secretion of hormones like serotonin, dopamine, and even melatonin.
I’ve used lavender oil since it has been said to help improve sleep. It’s quite strong, so I use it sparingly. But, I’ll admit, it has helped me sleep.
You should consider adding a diffuser to your room with an essential oil that is helpful for sleep.
Here’s a list of essential oils that help you sleep:
- Lavender
- Ylang Ylang
- Chamomile
- Peppermint
- Eucalyptus
- Sandalwood
Related article: How I make my bedroom smell good
6. Place all electronic devices away from the bed
If red light helps you to sleep, blue light helps you to stay awake. That has been the case with me and for countless people across the world.
Blue light from electronic devices stimulates us and disrupts the regulation of hormones like melatonin.
It is always advisable to leave devices away from your bed so that you are not tempted to look at a screen.
Also, avoid blue light for about 1 to 2 hours before getting into bed. This should help you to wind down.
There have been many nights when I got into bed early and intended to sleep. Boredom or temptation got the better of me, and I took a quick scroll through Instagram or TikTok. A moment turns into an hour, and my entire plan is ruined!
This is when I learned that I have to make it super inconvenient for me to use my phone when I get into bed.
That’s the only way I can avoid it and improve my sleep.
7. Use white noise to induce sleep
Most of the time, I love silence, and it helps me sleep.
But when I’m traveling or staying at a different location, sometimes the sound of a fan or the sparks from a fireplace trigger an oddly calming reaction within me.
Looking into this, I’ve learned that white noise contains all frequencies at equal intensity, which helps mitigate the negative effects of loud noises on sleep.
It’s growing so much in popularity that you can find devices that are specifically designed to do nothing except emit a variety of white noises.
Consider grabbing one and placing it on a nightstand or nearby desk to test the efficacy of white noise on your sleep.
8. Purchase bedding with neutral, soft colors
Too many distracting features in your bedroom will give you reason to focus on unnecessary details that keep you awake.
The devil is in the details, but when it comes to optimizing your bedroom for better sleep, less is more.
Opt for bedding with neutral, soft colors that are free of busy patterns or designs. It should be soft and comfortable, with a good amount of natural material to encourage air flow.
Here’s a list of the best neutral colors for your bedroom:
- Ivory
- Beige
- Taupe
- Gray
- Greige (a mix of gray and beige)
- Mushroom
- Dove gray
- Pale blue-gray
- Sand
- Off-white
- Cream
- Oatmeal
- Muted lavender
- Sage green
- Blush pink
- Soft peach
- Misty blue
- Hazelnut
- Camel
- Ash gray
That more or less concludes everything I know about how to organize your bedroom for better sleep. Sometimes a single change to your environment can make the biggest difference, but other times a combination approach is required. Experiment with the suggestions in this article, and I’m pretty sure you’ll find at least two or three ideas that improve your sleep.