by Victoria Bellerby

Senior Business Development Director at VIDA

Victoria, is head of sales for Vida Living, with a MA in interior design for health and wellbeing, she brings her expertise and knowledge in interior design to offer evidenced insights into how the design of our interior spaces can improve our physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Sleep is so important for health and wellbeing and for many of us getting a good night’s sleep is a challenge! In celebration and recognition of National Bed Month in March we thought we would take a moment to talk about sleep and making the perfect sanctuary for a great night’s sleep! We know that research shows that having enough sleep enhances our energy levels, reduces our stress, improves our mental and emotional wellbeing, but it also affects our physical being, resting our bodies, our cells rejuvenate while we sleep, our injuries heal and our muscles relax and recharge. And when we have less stress, our blood pressure and heart rate lowers, and in turn our productivity, creativity, and wellbeing increase!

Well, that all sounded simple, so what makes sleep so elusive and what can we do to grab that extra bit of shut-eye, a few more forty winks? Staying active during the day and enjoying lots of natural daylight will help you sleep better at night. But we are going to share our top five wellbeing interior design trends for a great night’s sleep in 2022.

Turn out the lights

Light at night can impact how well you sleep; our inner body clock (circadian rhythm) is disrupted by light and this can mean our sleep suffers, as we produce less melatonin (sleep hormone). Even dim light can have a negative effect, the colour of the light is important too, blue light is found in screens and energy-efficient lighting stimulates our attention, mood and alertness.

So, turn out the lights, put down your phone, as bedtime approaches help your body and mind get ready for a great night’s sleep!

Clean air

It is said that we are an indoor species, air quality (IAQ) in our homes affects our wellbeing, and no more so than when we sleep! VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) are tiny airborne particles that evaporate in the air at room temperature, poor indoor air quality can lead to allergies, asthma and breathing difficulties.

But what can you do to improve the air quality in your bedroom? Ensure the room is well ventilated. Cleanse and purify the air with an air purifying plant, the Peace Lily is a good option and its high moisture content will humidify the air too!

Beauty and Comfort

The beauty and comfort of our surroundings have a positive impact on our mood, a feeling of comfort and being at ease in our bedroom can reduce our stress, which in turn leads to a great night’s sleep positively boosting our wellbeing. Storage space is a wonderful way of decluttering your bedroom, creating a space that is meaningful, comfortable, beautiful. Free from clutter, tidy, calm, a quiet retreat from the noise, smells, sensations and activities of the day, focus on recharging, re-energising, rest!

Nature

Bringing natural elements into our design is termed biophilic design, the positive effect of nature and natural elements on our wellbeing is nowhere more important than in our bedrooms where we go to sleep and recharge. Growing plants in your home, is a joy to all visually and texturally, add organic, non-linear patterns, images, textures mimicking nature, will have a positive effect on your wellbeing. Colour can enhance our mood, bright, bold colours will energise and motivate, a colour palette of soft, muted colours, will provide sanctuary and calm, perfect for a bedroom and so to sleep.

Day and Night

Covid has meant that so many of us have had to use our bedrooms as day and night spaces, as we navigate the world of hybrid working and space limitations in our homes. Simple rearranging may work to create a sanctuary for sleep at night and a productive workspace in the day.

Transform an under-bed storage box, into a tuck away space for laptops at night, turn off notifications, disconnect your screens from the power source, it will save energy too! Use a folding room divider to screen off your work area if space allows.

And when the workday finishes and the evening begins, go for a walk, have a stretch, breathe deeply, refocus and make sure the place where you sleep is restorative – to help you sleep better, to help you live better.

Design your bedroom for yourself, consider colour and textures for calm and relaxation, add a bit of slow living at the end of the day, tidy away, create a quiet place to relax, turn off the screens.. prepare and sleep well…