Elements that make for a sleep-friendly bedroom

Lights, sounds and other pointers work together for a perfect design

Designing the perfect bedroom is tricky. While one can experiment a lot with light, colours and fabrics in other rooms, designers say sticking to basics is best for bedrooms.

‘World Sleep Day’ was observed on March 18, and blending the perfect sleep and design elements for a cosy bedroom are in focus.

Lighting

Every light has its own purpose. Good light recommendations for a bedroom include flush mount ceiling lights, pendant lights, bedside lamps, floor standing lamps and concealed lights. Warm light (dim yellow) helps lighten the mood, is easy on the eyes, and ensures comfortable sleep. Avoid white and focus lights overhead. Use white light only in a reading corner, if there is one in the bedroom.

Flush mount ceiling lights also serve as the main lights in your room. Pendant lights mostly add to the aesthetics of the room. Bedside lamps are typically for those who have a habit of reading just before going to sleep. Floor standing lamps work best for the relaxing or reading corner. Concealed lights, usually used in false ceilings, have a soothing effect.

Sound

Opt for thick curtains — these will help absorb sounds. The thicker the material, the better it will absorb sound. These are best in cotton and not polyester because it does not absorb sounds as well as the former. Curtains also allow one to get an extra hour of sleep when you’ve had a hectic day.

Rugs are also good sound absorbers, especially the ones with threads and soft, plushy ones. Soft furnishing cuts off external sounds and the ones inside the room too. If you want to minimise external sounds, you can choose specialised windows that slide. It helps cut off approximately 85% of sounds.

Having a music system playing soothing tunes, be it classical or other genres, can be a good sleep inducer. Pop and other heavy music is a big no-no.

Colours

Light coloured walls work best in the bedroom — pastel colours are recommended. Colours that are close to nature, like green, blue, and beige and off white have calming effects. When it comes to bedspreads and curtains, choose soft and light ones with less designs. Bedsheets with bright colours and messy designs are not sleep friendly. Avoid fiery, bright colours such as orange, red because these don’t have a calming effect.

When checking out furniture, choose ones in wooden brown or white wood. Avoid black or deep dark wood. Rubberwood will gel well with light walls and bedspreads. White, being a neutral colour, goes well with other colours.

Clutter-free space

Do not congest the room with furniture. The more the furniture there is the more it adds to the surface area, which leads to a mess and clutter. Stuffy rooms make it difficult to get a peaceful sleep. Neat and tidy rooms have a calming effect on the mind.

(Inputs from Snehal Patil, founder of Designspark Interiors)

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