Design Your Bedroom for Better Sleep

Are any of these mistakes costing you sleep?

Few things are more frustrating than spending night after night tossing in your bed. You wake up hoping to feel refreshed, but instead, you're not much more lively than a zombie. Missing out on your beauty sleep can do a lot more harm than creating dark circles under your eyes. Without enough sleep, your performance at work, immune system, and sex drive can decline, and your irritability, blood pressure, and weight can increase. Sleep is important.

If you're having trouble sleeping at home, there can be a lot of factors at play. It could be stress that keeps you wide-eyed at midnight, or it could be something more manageable such as discomfort. In the case of the latter, you may want to look into how well your bedroom is optimized for achieving 40 winks. Below are some of the best ways to turn your bedroom into the ultimate sleep oasis so you can get those valuable hours in every night. Because nobody likes a cranky camper.

Two words: Black. Out.

The first order of business is eliminating the outside factors that might be tinkering with your resting hours. In this case, we're talking about the actual outdoors. Sometimes light sleepers can be easily kept awake from light seeping through their bedroom windows, even if it's something that seems as dim as moonlight. Even if you don't categorize yourself as a light sleeper, everyone's eyelids flutter as they move from one stage of sleep to the next, making it easy for the moon or streetlights to interfere with your slumber.

To turn the lights out for good, invest in some blackout curtains that make your room darker than you could ever dream. There are more than enough stylish varieties of blackout curtains, so you shouldn't have a problem scoping out a pair that matches your room decor.

Buy the right bedding.

If you're known to sweat in your sleep, you're aware that trying to sleep at an uncomfortable temperature is not conducive to an interruption-free night. A lot of this discomfort can be stemming from none other than your comforter. First, ensure the weight of your bedding is in line with the season—break out thin bedding for the summer, and bulk things up as winter rolls around.

As far as material goes, buy silky, hypoallergenic sheets and pillow covers to ensure you're not sniffling yourself awake. Also make sure to have enough pillows of varying sizes to cover all the bases—get a body pillow, a roll to place behind your neck, and a wedge for your back.

Set the scene.

Comfort is paramount to a good night's sleep. Take a look at your thermostat and ensure it's not too hot—according to a recent study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, the optimal sleeping temperature clocks in at a chilly 65 degrees. The reason for cooling things down in the bedroom is the fact that your body's core temperature gradually rises as a way to wake you up, so you're helping yourself stay snuggled up until you're ready to wake up.

Another atmospheric detail to take into consideration is scent. Lavender is known to promote calmness, so spritzing some of the scent on your pillows or having a diffuser in the room is a great way to transport your senses to sleepy town.

Color your comfort.

Another big sleep signal is color. To create a sleep-friendly room, implement color cues that soothe you instead of riling you up. Bright, energetic colors, for example, such as red and orange, are not exactly the most soothing hues. Muted greens, soft blues, and dreamy whites are ideal for creating a zen atmosphere as you close your eyes for the night.

Mattress matters.

Your last effort might be the most influential. If your mattress has seen better days or is not your ideal hardness or softness, it could be preventing you from sleeping well. The best way to choose a new mattress is to try it out at home for about 30 days. This way, you can get a feel for it night after night, thoroughly deciding whether or not the mattress will suffice. Trust on this one; your mattress really matters.