Interior design is a challenge. Not only must things appear aesthetically pleasing, but they must also have a practical impact on our daily lives.

Designing a bedroom is perhaps one of the biggest interior design challenges there is. Too much colour and it can be difficult to fall asleep, too little and the space lacks character.

Get Laid Beds has partnered with MyJobQuote’s interior design expert Kane Hughes to provide some quick tips for designing a sleep-friendly bedroom that promotes relaxation and comfort.

 #1: Use Soft Colours

 “Harsh colours can make it incredibly difficult for us to fall asleep. By distracting us from relaxation, strong primary colours are known to have a severe impact on our ability to relax.

 To counteract this, designers should consider using softer colour palettes with warm tones throughout the bedroom. Beiges, whites and browns are fairly soft on the eyes, allowing us to drift off easily.”

 #2: Indoor Plants

“Plants can boost your mood, and have been proven to reduce noise levels, stress, depression and respiratory difficulties. This is why, having house plants in your bedroom, can really help aid a good night’s sleep. 

Some plants will be known more than others as sleep aiders, lavender for example. Lavender has a unique smell, and the smell is a great aid for relaxation. Other plants to incorporate into your bedroom include jasmine, which has a smell that helps with decreasing anxiety, according to studies, and the snake plant, which is a natural air purifier and emits oxygen at night, again helping with your snoozing. Just make sure these plants are being looked after!” 

 #3: Types of Lighting 

“Generally speaking, warm tones and colours of light are less harsh, and therefore better on your eyes before sleep than cool ones. Recent research has shown that red light in particular might help stimulate sleep, as well as a 2017 study that suggests your personal preference of colour will relax you the most. So, the best case scenario is if your favourite colour is red!

A nice way to incorporate this into your bedroom could be a mood light on your bedside table, or an LED strip behind your headboard for an atmospheric glow.”

 #4: Eliminate Clutter

“Having a messy bedroom can actually lower your quality of sleep. It’s like sleeping in your own task list, so it can actually raise your cortisol levels due to stress. Having an organisation system in place will make it easy to do a quick tidy at the end of each day if it’s not possible to keep it tidy throughout.

Without tidying and cleaning, your room will collect dust and dirt and could make you unwell, but dirty bedding also just isn’t as comfortable as clean ones. Nothing makes a good night’s sleep quite like that fresh bedsheet feeling, right?”

 #5: Blackout Curtains

“It might seem obvious, but don’t underestimate the importance of blackout curtains. They help you keep control over the amount of sunlight in your bedroom, particularly in the summer months when it stays light outside until late. 

Another great benefit of blackout curtains, however, is that they block heat as well as light. They can help you keep a cool temperature when you sleep, stopping heat from coming in during the summer and from getting out in the winter. Having a stable body temperature will keep you relaxed, and therefore get to sleep much quicker.”