Decorating Your Bedroom for a Good Night's Sleep

Decor for Better Sleep

Bedrooms are probably the most important room in the home to focus on: They hold the key to a good night's sleep. Yet they're often the last room we decorate. Here's a 10 step guide to making smarter decorating choices to help you get a good night's sleep.

Decor for Better Sleep

Forget those heavily patterned Marrimekko sheets. They might look stylish, but it's possible that they could stimulate your brain and stand in the way of a peaceful sleep. "Heavy patterns are like bold colors," says Austin Handler, a decorator based in New York's glitzy Hamptons. "They're not going to be conducive to a feeling of serenity." A must for any bed in winter: a chenille throw. Choose a super soft blanket in a soothing accent color and lie it at the foot of your bed to up the snuggle factor. Photo: Living Etc

Decor for Better Sleep

Instead, try dressing your bed in a luxurious set of sheets and one fluffy duvet, and when it comes to throw pillows, remember: less is more. And don't forget what lies beneath. Your mattress is probably the most important piece of furniture you will buy. Check it yearly to make sure it's in good condition. Photo: Mabley Handler

Decor for Better Sleep

Handler says it's easy to put form over function in the bedroom. You may love bold colors, but before painting your room canary yellow or hot pink, think about the effect that will have on your psyche. "When you're trying to achieve a serene environment," he says, "you don't always go with what you like. You have to take a step back and think about the desired goal of the room." And while you're at it, say no to mirrors, TVs and windows without curtains or blinds. A good night's sleep requires darkmess. Photo: Flickr, ooh food

Decor for Better Sleep

One of the most soothing colors: green. According to color theorists, green is calming and surrounding yourself with too much of it will make you complacent. Bingo! Just what we want in the bedroom. Handler suggests a color like Benjamin Moore's Misted Green (similar to the color shown here). But any watercolor blue, green or gray will probably have the same desired effect. Photo: House to Home

Decor for Better Sleep

Is your bed high off the ground in a sleigh bed with an extra high mattress, or is it resting low to the floor on a Japanese platform bed? Either way the style of your bed could be getting in the way of a good night's sleep. "The height of your bed plays a huge role in how comfortable your bed is," says Handler. While some people consider higher beds luxurious, others, like Handler, can't imagine sleeping that high off the ground. Go with your own preference for best results. Photo: Pottery Barn

Decor for Better Sleep

While a luxe chair in the bedroom can wind up being the perfect place to drape clothes, it can also serve as a relaxing transition between you and your bed. A spot for you to kick off your shoes, close your eyes and savor a few minutes of personal meditation before undressing and getting into bed. Think of it as a "relaxation destination," says Handler. A bench at the foot of the bed can serve the same purpose as could a vanity or dressing room chair. "Getting into bed in a relaxed state is just as important as getting a good rest," he says. Photo: Sarah Face

Decor for Better Sleep

Granted, if you live in Miami or Malibu, you're going to savor the cool touch of wood or tile floors to your feet when you roll out of bed in the morning. But if you live in the rest of the country, where slippers are more common than palm trees, you're going to appreciate a cozy soft shag area rug underfoot. Be warned: While sisal and jute rugs look nice in the bedroom, their scratchy texture may be a buzz kill when it comes to stepping into bed at night. Photo: Flickr, sparklerawk

Decor for Better Sleep

Many of us associate a few rows of throw pillows and layers of sheets, blankets and comforters with a luxurious bed. While Pottery Barn makes us want to own every item shown enveloping beds in their catalog, it shouldn't be work to get into bed, says Handler. He points to the scene in "Along Came Polly" when Ben Stiller gets so tired of taking all of the throw pillows off his bed every night that he ends up stabbing them in an act of liberation. "I threw away all your little throw pillows," Stiller's character tells his ex-wife, Debra Messing. "Yea. Cos' throw pillows suck. They serve no purpose. They're purely decorative." Coming to bed is supposed to be about winding down, but if you're stuck "creating these mini-systems, you're creating more work for yourself," says Handler. Photo: Sweet Home Style

Decor for Better Sleep

Many of us have trouble sleeping if there's too much artificial light pouring through our windows at night – or too much sunlight coming in at the crack of dawn in the morning. The easiest solution – curtains or roman shades that block out the light. But don't head out for thick velour drapes just yet. Handler says you can buy any curtains you think will have the most calming effect aesthetically, even gauzy ones – as long as you back them with blackout lining. "Don't feel like you're limited by picking the heaviest fabric," he says. Photo: Flickr, coco+kelley

Decor for Better Sleep