How To Create the Best Sleep Environment: 9 Tips

Published: Feb 01, 2023
Updated: Sep 13, 2024
How To Create the Best Sleep Environment: 9 Tips
In this article
    Reading time
    5 min

    A relaxing sleep environment is essential to get good rest at night. Despite your hectic schedule, imagine you’ve made time to unwind and rest before bed. Your bedroom is calm, tranquil, and dark, and you can fall and remain asleep without difficulty. The following day, you manage to beat your alarm and feel refreshed. Even if you do not feel energized, you will be ready to take on the world. It sounds lovely, right!

    We’ve compiled the nine suggestions to establish an optimum sleep environment. These suggestions will enhance your sleep quality. And (finally) you will get a decent night’s sleep.

    Tips-to-Create-the-Best-Sleep-Environment

    9 Tips to set-up the Best Sleep Environment

    1. Declutter your space

    It is critical to keep your bedroom neat. Thus, remove any potential distractions before your body can begin to rest. For example, necessary paperwork, artwork, or even a treadmill are unpleasant reminders of your duties. Hence, they might keep you awake at night. So instead, keep your area clutter-free and your décor to a minimum.

    2. Reduce your exposure to light

    To create the best sleep environment, use room darkening window coverings or thick drapes. You can even use an eye mask to block out as much natural light as possible. Light may come from streetlights, your hallway, even the moon and stars, and fool your brain into believing it’s sunlight. Blue light exposure might also have an impact on your sleep quality. According to research, blue light exposure keeps you awake by raising alertness. It does so by changing your circadian cycle and decreasing the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin.

    3. Make use of essential oils

    It’s no surprise that we associate odors with emotions and memories. Essential oils for sleep are often disregarded. Yet they may help you wind down, relax, and fall asleep. Aromatherapy with essential oils is a simple and affordable way to battle sleep deprivation. It allows you to relax physically and psychologically. Lavender and vanilla are two of the most popular sleep oils. They may be used in an aromatherapy diffuser or vaporizer to disseminate into the bedroom.

    4. With furniture placement, emphasize the symmetry

    The location of your furniture is another factor to consider for a better sleep environment. It also affects the functioning and symmetry of your bedroom. Position your bed against the center of a wall, placing it far away from the entrance. Your bedroom will have an ideal balance with room on both sides. When lying in bed, position yourself such that your feet are closest to the door. Try to avoid laying with your head under the window if feasible.

    5. Get the ideal bedspread for a comfortable sleep environment

    These top layers add extra warmth and style to your bed. You can easily get the different styles ranging from comforters and duvet covers to blankets and throws. In addition, each bedspread has a varied weight and texture. Hence, what works best for your sleeping environment and comfort is totally up to you.

    ShutEye@3x
    Discover ways to start sleeping peacefully with ShutEye! 
    Try For Free

    6. Make your bedroom walls a calming color

    Color strongly influences our mood and can improve our sleep quality by providing a relaxing environment. According to studies, blue is the greatest bedroom hue for sleeping. Other colors considered suitable for sleeping are yellow, green, and silver. However, bright colors might fool the brain into believing it needs to be attentive. Hence, stick to neutral, pastel, or subdued hues.

    7. Invest in a sound machine/conditioner

    You might find it difficult to sleep if you have a snoring spouse, live on a busy street, or have running thoughts while in bed. In that case, a white noise sleep machine may be what you’re looking for. Gentle sleepers may choose an app that provides a range of natural-sounding noises, such as crashing waves or light rain. A basic bedside fan might suffice for someone who feels uneasy in complete silence.

    8. Find the perfect cushion for you

    The typical rule of thumb is to change your pillow every 1 to 2 years to preserve spinal alignment while sleeping. But, if you can’t get comfortable and wake up with problems, replace your pillow. Bad spinal alignment can cause headaches, neck aches, and shoulder difficulties. Keep your sleeping position in mind when selecting pillow firmness. You can choose softer options like down pillows to stiffer options like buckwheat pillows. Back sleepers prefer a medium-support pillow, whereas stomach sleepers prefer a thin pillow.

    9. Consider purchasing new linens for a better sleep environment.

    You’ll discover several thread counts, weaves, and materials to pick from when looking for sheets. All of these factors contribute to the warmth and softness of the sheets, and selecting the best bed sheets is determined by the sort of sleeper you are. For example, do you wake up in the middle of the night shivering, despite being wrapped in layers? Fleece and jersey are popular alternatives for fighting the cold, followed by silk. Or perhaps you wake up feeling like you’ve spent the night in a sauna. If this describes you, choose fabrics such as cotton and linen or even bamboo bed linens. Bed sheets with breathable fabric and temperature-regulating qualities are designed for “heated sleepers.”

    Conclusion

    You might have various issues that rob you of sleep. With the sleeping suggestions mentioned above, you can set up an ideal sleep environment. But, you may face problems despite following an appropriate sleep schedule, sleep hygiene, and environment. In that case, please contact a doctor. Identifying and treating the causes can help you sleep better.

    ShutEye@3x
    Say goodbye to sleepless nights and wake up refreshed with ShutEye
    Try for Free
    About authors
    Jessica Brown, a 29-year-old freelance copywriter passionate about human nature and deeply committed to promoting sleep and mental health awareness. Jessica holds a Master of Arts in Literary Studies from the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor's in Biology from the University of Cambridge.

    Blume, C., Garbazza, C., & Spitschan, M. (2019). Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. Somnologie : Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin = Somnology : sleep research and sleep medicine23(3), 147–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-019-00215-x

    Breus, M. (2024) Best Bedroom Colors for Sleep [online]. https://sleepdoctor.com/sleep-environment/best-colors-for-sleep/

    Summer, J. (2023) The Best Essential Oils for Sleep [online]. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-aids/best-essential-oils-for-sleep

    You may also like
    What To Do When You Can't Fall Asleep (10 Helpful Tips)
    what to do when you can't fall asleep
    Updated Sep 13, 2024
    9 min
    7 Tips to Help You Fall Asleep After Loss
    Fall Asleep After Loss
    Updated Sep 13, 2024
    6 min