According to experts, you must first live well to sleep well. The ability to fall asleep quickly and get a good sleep is linked to a healthy lifestyle. But what is the ideal environment sleep? Here are some things to keep in mind, according to experts, when creating your own sleeping space. Especially if you are organizing your first home, choose the bedroom in the quietest area.
The key words for a good night’s sleep: comfort, tranquility, darkness, good ventilation, and safety.
Bedroom: restful colors and not so restful ones:
- Blue, violet, and green are the ideal colors.
- Pink and beige set the mood.
- Total white is neutral and can be too bright especially in the morning.
- Red, bright yellow, and turquoise are too intense and stimulating and should be avoided, as they can prevent a restful sleep.
Bedroom paint and wallpaper
Use water-based paint of dyes. They are natural and not toxic.
Fragrance and sleep
Use an essential oil (rose, sandalwood, etc.) to help you relax. Avoid synthetic air fresheners.
Light and lighting
- Avoid bright lights on the bedside table, ceiling, or spotlights.
- Floor or wall lamps are ideal light sources because they diffuse the light upwards and evenly throughout the room.
- Use blackout curtains that do not let the light lick in. If that is not possible, it may be helpful to use a sleep mask.
- If you use a bright clock radio cover it or switch to a traditional clock.
Bedroom décor
- Ideally just have a few essential pieces of furniture in the sleeping area.
- Ornaments, toys, carpets, books, etc. tend to collect dust and should be avoided where you sleep.
- Avoid keeping PCs, mobile phones and other electrical appliances on the bedside table. Even when they are not operating, electrical current continues to pass through the wires, emitting radiation. Insomnia, fatigue and anxiety are just few of the symptoms caused by the electromagnetic fields produced by these devices. If you must keep these devices in your sleeping area, install a circuit breaker and completely deactivate them at night to guarantee against the effects of electromagnetic fields.
Bed: ideal location, shapes, and materials
- Location: experts agree that the best placement is against the northernmost wall in the room, with the window at the foot of the bed, and the entrance/door to the sleeping area on the right.
- Material: metal or wood are best. The mattress must rest on a suitable bed base or slats that supports and moves with the body during sleep while allowing for good ventilation.
- Dimensions: the bed should beat least 3 feet wide for a single and 5 to 6 feet wide for a double bed. Length should be proportionate to the sleeper’s height. Sleeping in a narrow or short bed creates tension.
- Mattress: choose one that provides support; without being too stiff. Pick an appropriately sized hypoallergenic mattress. Materials will vary, and each has its characteristics and benefits.
- A wool mattress tends to ensure better thermoregulation because it absorbs moisture.
- Latex, obtained from the rubber tree, is a non-deformable anti-allergic material with bactericidal action. Among the materials, it is one of the most ecological and has excellent hygienic characteristics.
- Pocket spring mattresses can compress according to the sleeper’s weight and help to maintain a healthy spine position.
- The Japanese futon is made of raw cotton and covered with an untreated cotton lining. It is somewhat pliable and follows the spine’s physiological curvature
- The pillow. Some like it soft and very low, others high and more rigid, but no model is perfect for everyone. The essential thing is that the pillow can support the head, keeping it well aligned with the neck and shoulders to promote relaxation and not contract the muscles.
- When choosing a pillow, it is good to check its height: if it’s too high or too hard it forces the neck to stay bent forward, unnaturally stressing the vertebrae. You can also try anatomical pillows, shaped with a recess for the neck and shoulders, which guarantee correct alignment.
- The filling can be wool, down (preferably duck or goose) or latex. Feather filling is soft, natural and breathable. Latex offers more consistency, and adapts to the shape of the head but does not maintain an imprint. Any pillow you use must be breathable.
- Pillows should be covered with pure cotton or viscose fabric. For hygienic reasons, it is good that the cover is also washable.
- Linen and bedclothes. The sheets should be made of natural fibers for good sleep. Synthetic fibers build static electricity, producing magnetic fields that irritate the skin and disturb sleep. Wear light nightwear, which prevent excessive sweating from disturbing sleep. The most suitable fabric for pajamas or nightgowns is cotton, because it’s breathable and keeps the body at the right temperature.
Room temperature
The ideal temperature of the bedroom should be between 65 and 69 degrees. Try to lower the thermostat to keep the room in this range between 11 pm and 6 am. Excessive heat and cold do not encourage a restful sleep.
The sleeping area should also be well ventilated to ensure good oxygenation. You can keep the window ajar or buy an ionizer, a device that emits negative ions making the air purer and healthier.
Sources
Jan-Dirk Fauteck – Melatonin – The secrets of a formidable hormone. New Techniques Ed, 2022
Piero Angela – The mysteries of sleep. Sleep, dreams and insomnia. Mondadori Ed, 2021
Enrica Campanini – When sleep does not come, help from nature. New Techniques Ed, 2019
ColorPower – How you can improve your health, relationships, and work with the right use of colors. Editions The Age of Aquarius, 2012
Brunelli PP – The chromatic message. Semiotics and psychology of color communication. IKon Editrice, 2010
Itten J – Art of color. Il Saggiatore, 2010
Michel Pastoureau – The colors of our time. Ponte alle Grazie, 2010
Luzzatto L, Pompas R – Color & Colors. The Castle Ed, 2009
Zanardi M., Maltempi A – 100 tricks to sleep well. RED Editions, 2006
Brunelli PP, D’Amico M, Riedel I – Colours. In religion, society, art and psychotherapy. Magi Editions, 2nd and 2005
Dragoni G., Zanon D – Sleep well. Sleep and insomnia: exercises and tips for the
own well-being – Elika Editrice, 2003