In my world bedrooms should be the place that is primed for relaxation and sleep, but with so much anxiety during these unusual times when we are isolated in our homes and bombarded by so much distressing news, sleep might be a rare treat. Now more than ever, let’s review these three top guidelines for a peaceful and relaxing bedroom: routine, design style and good guidelines. If our bedrooms are not conducive to a good night’s sleep, our body rebels and we are not at our most alert to tackle the day’s obstacles. Melatonin, our sleep hormone, needs to be activated each night to help us get to sleep. As the daylight hours dim and night approaches. our bodies rely on the reduction of light to produce melatonin to lull us to sleep. By controlling the variables of maintaining a rigorous sleep routine, creating a practical bedroom design style and adhering to good sleep rules, we can be more assured of that ever-precious commodity, a deep sleep each night.
A Restful Routine
Yes, routine is all important to key into that “sleepy feeling.” Maintaining a regularly scheduled bedtime is easy to say but harder to keep with so many distractions swirling around us. Our bodies are particularly sensitive to light exposure in the hour before bedtime, so try to darken your bedroom space an hour before bedtime and if you can condition yourself to go to bed around the same time each night, you automatically prime your body to produce melatonin. As a part of this routine, regulate the temperature of the bedroom so it is not too hot or too cold, which might be harder than you think, as your partner likes to sleep with all the windows open and you are stuffed under three down blankets. Make sleeping soundly a daily habit.
Good Design Style
Routine is hard to come by if you don’t adhere to some good bedroom design rules. Obviously, if streetlights, the moon and any other distracting lights are glaring through your windows, why haven’t you ordered some new custom window shades or blinds with a room darkening layer? Select any of our window coverings that can be custom built to your needs of how to regulate the light and noise to your personal satisfaction. With so any choices of color, pattern, style and type, your bedroom can easily be designed to create privacy, light control, optimal temperature and a good look. The perfect window treatment might be the missing piece to subdue fitful nights.
Window Treatments Of Your Dreams
Cellular Shades
Cellular shades are one of our most popular bedroom window treatments as they fit seamlessly into the window frame and come in a variety of room darkening liners and are available in a wide array of colors and textures. Cellular shades not only block out the light, but can warm up your bedroom during the cold months and cool down your room during the summer. In addition, cell shades can help reduce outside noise, adding more ambiance to your bedroom.
Roller Shades
Roller shades are still popular for the bedroom, but if you are a fitful sleeper and any light seeping in through the windows bothers you, be forewarned that rollers, installed either as an inside mount or as an outside mount, can still allow some annoying street lights in at night around the edges. If that is a particular problem where you live and you are very sensitive to any cracks of light trickling in, choose another option.
Solar Shades
Solar shades are one of my personal favorites if you are lucky enough to have minimal outdoor distracting light and extreme privacy is not an issue. Solars are a sleek window treatment that can be customized with your particular privacy threshold and see through requirement. In addition, they block the sun during the day, protecting you and your furniture from damaging UV rays.
Shutters
For many, shutters are the ultimate window treatment for their classic style and beautiful architecture. You do limit the amount of light by covering up some of the frame of the window, but that can be a plus for your bedroom for a darker sleeping space. Shutters are extremely durable and energy efficient and increase the value of your house.
Drapery
If you like an extravagant and decorated bedroom, add thick drapes with a dark liner and layer over any other window treatment for a bedroom that encases your bedroom in a heavy layer to obliterate any menacing light or outdoor noise. Imagine a fabric sleeping bag of window treatments enclosing you at night.
Color Me Sleepy
Color has its own charms and evils. For the bedroom, if you are sleep challenged, choose a calming color palette to induce a soothing feeling. Lean towards blues, greys, greens and brown and, of course, all the neutrals and whites are restful hues. If you need a more saturated color, go for a classic navy or a dark earthy green. Your window treatments can either accent or blend in with your chosen color scheme. Color is a powerful tool to stir up emotions and the bedroom needs to the spot to moderate and soften feelings.
Free Up The Furniture
Don’t think you have to buy a costly bedroom suite of furniture that makes you feel uncomfortable and gives off the vibes of a space that seems formal and overdone. Free up your bedroom with a simple but stylish bed, eclectic nightstands and personal accessories that are soothing. Bedding, rugs, art and lighting should personify a casual, serene atmosphere.
Go For Good Guidelines
I know you don’t want to hear this but here are the 8 things never to have in the bedroom for the best sleep. Even though most of us can’t bear to banish these from our sacred sleeping places, here goes the list, whether you take it to heart or not.
• Phones, computers and tablets. The blue light disturbs your circadian rhythms; plus, our devices are too tempting and make us anxious and unable to relax.
• Televisions. Remain the next biggest detriment to sleep. 98% of people who binge watch TV, suffer from poor sleep.
• Exercise Trackers. Don’t wear them at night.
• Lumpy, old pillows. Buy a good quality pillow that matches your specific sleeping style.
• Clocks that emit light. They create more sound and light that you don’t need. Banish from the nightstand.
• Clutter. You know the drill.
• Food. Just don’t do it.
• Heavy blankets. The optimal sleeping temperature is 68 degrees, so go for light layers instead of bulky and thick wool and down.
Your bedroom is the most important room in your house as it is the refuel refuge where our overactive minds and bodies must be tempted to shut down to begin anew each day. We may not be able to control the chatter surrounding us, but we can tightly close the window blinds, turn on our white noise machines, and cocoon in our own sweet sounds of silence.
