For most of your adult life, you will need 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night to perform at your best and for your body to perform all the necessary tasks that it needs to do to keep you healthy and happy. Almost 40% of all adults are barely scraping through with 6 hours of broken sleep a night, which is decidedly suboptimal. If you can’t make the sacrifices that you need to achieve the 7 to 9 hours, then at the least you need to make sure the sleep you are getting is good quality. Create the perfect sleep sanctuary by following these 5 steps.
1. Comfortable Furniture
Tossing and turning is the number 1 cause of poor sleeping patterns across the globe. Sleeping on a bed that is too small, too low, or too constrictive will guarantee you not getting a good night’s sleep. Sharing a bed as an adult is not easy if your partner snores and kicks, like mine. The best thing we ever did was invest in king size bed frames, we have slept like babies ever since. I can also highly recommend paying more for the extra length, I don’t need it because I would never be described as tall, but my husband does and his feet no longer dangle off the end of the bed.
2. Calm Design Space
Your bedroom is meant to be a quiet, relaxing space in which you can easily drift off to sleep every night. Make sure your chosen décor elements reflect a space of peace and serenity by choosing neutral colours that promote a restful atmosphere. Colour psychology suggests opting for calming colours like greens and blues but you should choose the colours that work for you and your personality. Wooden furniture has a naturally calming quality so consider opting for natural materials like that instead of synthetic ones.
3. Quality Mattress
Once you have the perfect new bed frame, the next step is getting yourself a high-quality mattress. Stay away from the cheaper brands if possible, the money you save now will be wasted when you end up replacing your mattress every year. Do your research on the best mattress available in your price range and take it from there. A comfortable bed makes all the difference and can assist with other ailments like a sore back and neck.
4. Supportive Pillows
I cannot stress this point enough – without good pillows, you won’t ever sleep well. If your pillows are flat, lumpy or yellowed, it is time to get new ones. Supportive pillows help to align your neck and spine which eliminates the undue stress and strain that causes chronic pain over time. The right pillows should be at the perfect height too, these factors combined will give you a peaceful night’s sleep.
5. Meditative Sounds
This is my favourite point, by far. Ever since we bought a Bluetooth speaker for our bedroom and downloaded a sleep sounds app, I have had no trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. I prefer the white noise sounds over the stereotypical ocean sounds, but this all boils down to personal preference.
