There are a ton of benefits to transforming your room into a calming oasis. A calm, clean, clutter-free bedroom means you’re able to keep better track of your belongings and have a less cluttered mindset. When you’re more well-rested, your overall health will be better and you’ll have improved productivity.
We have put together a list of ideas and tips from experts to help you make your bedroom a relaxing oasis.
Best tips to make an organized bedroom for the ultimate relaxation?
- Clear the Clutter – Clutter is the opposite of relaxing so clearing off surfaces like your bed, bedside table or the top of your dresser in your bedroom will instantly reduce the overwhelming and stressful feeling when you walk in. It also creates a more visually appealing and cleaner space to relax in.
- Surround Yourself with Items that make you Happy – Your bedroom needs to be a space of positivity. Remove any toxic items that bring up sad or unpleasant memories. Only allow items that spark happiness or motivation, that infuse feel-good memories and items with your favorite colors into the room. Of course, with having your favorite items in your bedroom oasis, minimalism is key therefore keep a few things out.
- Style like a Hotel – There is a reason why we love staying in hotels and one of the reasons is that there are only the essentials out. Do the same thing for your bedroom by having only your essentials out. Organize any small items you don’t need often away in a drawer so that you free up space. That way your room stays clean and you have a clear view of all the items you love seeing.
- Morning Routine Habit – Organize your time in the morning by making sure that you make up your bed as soon as you get up. It may be a small task accomplishment but it is one less thing you need to do for the day. Plus, it is the fastest way to instantly straighten up your bedroom and makes your bed look fantastic each time you walk into your room.
Shanice Bannis – City of Creative Dreams
How to choose the best bedding for a bedroom oasis?
Choosing the right bedding is one of the most important steps to make a bedroom a relaxing Oasis.
Start with the basics by choosing the right bed sheets, because it doesn’t matter how comfortable your mattress is when the sheets are uncomfortable. Go for natural fabrics like Egyptian cotton or Viscose bamboo as they not only feel good against your skin but also help in regulating body temperature as they are breathable and highly absorbent. If you would like to go for Egyptian cotton, go for high thread count sheets as they are much softer and more durable.
Next comes the comforter as a cloud-like bed is never complete without it. Goose-down comforters are the best when it comes to comfort and warmth. Go for Down comforters of around 700 fill power as they are not too heavy and are all year warm. If you are allergic to down products, a microfibre comforter can be your second best option, as it offers warmth and comfort similar to that of a down comforter.
Do not forget to use a duvet cover to protect your comforter from dust. A duvet cover gives your comforter a new look every time you change it as you can buy them in the exact same fabric and color to match your sheets. They come in a variety of fabrics such as bamboo and Egyptian cotton.
Last but not the least, make sure that you use the right pillow as a pillow not only offers comfort but also keeps your head aligned rest of your body. Pillows are available in goose down, microfiber, and many other fill materials. If you are not allergic to down, it is advisable to go for a goose-down pillow as natural products are always better than synthetic fibers.
Rick – Royal Egyptian Bedding
Ways to use Turkish towels in the bedroom and as a decoration?
You may think Turkish towels are just for the bathroom or the beach. But on the contrary, Turkish towels have a myriad of uses. In addition to so many other ways to use a Turkish towel, they also make great decorative accents to cozy up any bedroom for maximum ZZs. The thermal environment is one of the most important factors that can affect our sleep so having a Turkish towel handy can increase or decrease warmth easily to help you moderate this by easily adding or removing a Turkish towel from your body. And because of the breathability of Turkish towels, they offer warmth and coziness that won’t turn your bed into a sauna.
Due to their large size, Turkish towels make a great throw or blanket folded at the foot of any twin-sized or child’s bed. In a bedroom with a full or larger bed, it’s as simple as tossing one on the bed or a side chair as a throw so you can quickly grab this style piece for a relaxing read before bed, a nap, or added warmth and softness at bedtime or throughout the night to help you get your best sleep. If your bed has a footboard, you can drape it over the end for a clean yet functional design accent in the day. With so many colors, weights, and patterns of Turkish towels to choose from, you’ll be able to complement any color scheme and even change them out for a seasonal refresh while always having something to cover exposed toes, toss over your head for an afternoon siesta or snuggle with in the night for an extra restful slumber.
Tanya Vaughan – The Bali Market
How to get better sleep and what are natural bedroom essentials?
Natural bedroom essentials are naturally occurring measures that can improve your sleep habits and help you get better sleep.
Here are some I rely on to help recover after a busy and stressful shift at work:
- Washing: Take a warm bath to increase blood flow to your cells and relax your muscles. Adding lavender bath salts helps tackle insomnia. Lavender scent works by slowing your heart rate, reducing your skin temperature and blood pressure, helping you get ready for sleep.
- Movement/Stretching: Do a short ten-minute stretch routine before anything else to help you reset and re-energize.
- Fluids: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Adding one or two slices of citrus fruit can boost the water flavor if you don’t like drinking. Doing this will pay off at sleep time when your brain cells are vitalized with fluids rather than being dehydrated, which prevents restful sleep.
- Light Effect: Around bedtime, keep your bedroom lighting low with dimmers or muted lamps. Avoid watching television or using your smart devices 1 hour before bedtime so you can relax and wind down.
- Reading: A favorite bedtime book and journaling are my favorite ways to spend the time just before sleep. Don’t make any long-winded or complicated plans. Simply reflecting on the day’s activity while meditating can often soothe your mind.
- Music: Listening to white sounds, natural musical sounds, calming sleep music, or podcasts can help some people relax. Be sure to avoid stories or songs that may stimulate and engage active thought as you want your brain cells to quieten and sleep.
Making some or all of these measures a regular activity will clean up your routine and open the way for healthy and restful sleep.
Dr. Sylvia – Ask Away Health
How to relax and unwind before sleep?
While sleep gives you much-needed R&R on a daily basis, relaxing and unwinding before sleep can pose quite a daily challenge.
To help you fall asleep with more ease, here are our favorite tips for relaxing and unwinding before sleep:
#1. Dim the blue lights
Whether it’s your TV, laptop, or iPhone, cutting your screen time at least 30 minutes before snooze time can work wonders. Your screens emit lights that signal “stay awake” to your brain. It’s worth swapping the message to “go to sleep” by turning off all your screens before bedtime.
#2. Stop the late-night grub
Speaking of ending habits earlier, avoiding big heavy meals at least 2 hours before you snooze can help release the right amount of growth hormone and melatonin into your body, which means better quality sleep throughout the night. And if snacking at night is too difficult to give up right away, shoot for something low-carb and light. Researchers found that a low-carb diet can improve sleep.
#3. Take a hot bath
You don’t need a special occasion to reward yourself with a nice hot bath before bed. If you work it into your nightly ritual, it’s a surefire way to trigger your parasympathetic nervous system (aka rest and digest), which means you’ll have a much smoother time engaging sleepy vibes in both your brain and body.
#4. Practice mindfulness
It doesn’t have to be an extravagant practice to do the trick – a mindfulness routine right before bed can clear out the stress and/or overthinking you’ve collected throughout the day. Journaling, meditating, breathing exercises, or even simple yoga poses can ground you in the present moment and prime your mind for a good night’s rest.
All it takes is one solid practice to relax and unwind with ease before sleep.
Cyn Meyer – Second Wind Movement
What are the best light recommendations for deep and restful sleep?
A soft ambient light is the best for a restful night’s sleep. Keep electronics out of your bedroom, as the blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, a chemical that signals for the body to sleep. For some reason, this blue light stimulation is more extreme at night. If it seems impossible to get rid of the television or cell phone, use blue blocker glasses to filter the stimulating blue light.
Happy Snoozing.
Sarah Hamel – Light Therapy Products
What is the relationship between exercise and better sleep? How to improve it?
Two of the biggest Mental Health Resources that are readily available to all of us are Exercise and Sleep. Exercise helps regulate your energy and also helps with chemical regulation. Both of which are massive contributors to your sleeping habits.
When you are aware and intentional about the relationship between Exercise and Sleep, you can have a profound positive impact on your Mental Health. The beautiful thing about this relationship is…YOU control it. Everyone can exercise and everyone can be intentional about their relationship with sleep.
The key is to be kind to yourself and start small. Analyze with kindness where you struggle more. Do you struggle more with implementing exercise? Do you struggle more with getting a full night’s sleep? Answer some of these questions and determine where your focus needs to be.
If you do not currently exercise, start with a small brisk walk every day. Anything that pushes you a bit physically, gets your heart rate up, your body temperature up, etc., will help release energy regulating chemicals which in turn will help you sleep.
If you currently struggle with getting a good night’s sleep, analyze with kindness what is preventing you from a full night’s sleep. Do you scroll on your phone too much before bed? Do you have caffeine too late at night?
The bottom line is Sleep and Exercise go hand in hand and both have tremendous impacts on your Mental Health. Start to observe your relationship with Sleep and Exercise and how they impact each other. Consistent Sleep gives you a better opportunity to implement Exercise. Consistent Exercise gives you a better opportunity to get better Sleep.
Improve your Exercise and you improve your chances for better Sleep.
Improve your Sleep and you improve your chances for better Exercise.
China McCarney – Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation
What is the best food to eat before sleep and what is the best timing for meals?
We’ve heard to drink a glass of warm milk to help you get to sleep. While this may seem like an old wives tale, calcium and tryptophan, which are in milk, are two nutrients that help release serotonin in your brain which makes you feel more calm and relaxed and can help you fall asleep.
It doesn’t have to be milk, but foods that have calcium and tryptophan are good to have before bed. Dairy products contain both but vegetable and protein sources are good as well. Yogurt is a good choice.
Ideally, you would eat a small meal every 3-4 hours. This helps keep your blood sugar stable and energy good all day long. If you are going to have a bedtime snack, try to have it about 1 hour before you go to bed to give the food time to digest. It shouldn’t be a big meal but a light snack around 200 calories or so. Again, yogurt works well for this.
Terry Linde – Destiny Management
What are the best linens to have the perfect sleep for the whole family?
Comfy bedding is essential to a good night’s sleep, so make sure your little one has everything they need to keep them warm and comfortable all night. Along with their duvet and pillows, it might be a good idea to include a throw, so they can easily pull it over them on colder nights.
When buying bedding, make sure that it is OEKO-TEXⓇcertified. This means that no nasty chemicals have been used during the production process.
Your child will be sleeping on their sheets every night, which means regular wear and tear can occur as well as frequent washing. This means that the fibres can eventually start to break down and become worn. To keep your little one at optimum comfort, you should be replacing their sheets at least once every two years. This includes fitted sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases.
Mattresses and duvets will often last a lot longer (up to 10 years) and it’s likely your child will outgrow their bed before this time comes. However, if their mattress or duvet starts to feel flat and the filling feels limp, then it’s best to replace them with a new one
Finally, we recommend washing your sheets every week to get rid of dead skin cells, possible dust mites, etc.
Phillip – Happy Linen Company
From the most soothing paint colors to lighting, bedding, temperature, and aromatherapy, there are many things you can do to enhance your sleep environment. With these ideas, you can transform your bedroom into a serene, sleep-promoting oasis of calm.