How to create the most calming and relaxing bedroom

The bedroom is where you go to get away from it all; the anxiety, the noise, and everything else that occurs in our everyday lives.

But sometimes, our bedroom can become a place for other things too, where we get ready, where we work from home (we’re all guilty of working in bed, right?), where we watch TV, where we spend hours on the phone to friends and family.

No matter what you use your bedroom for, its ultimate purpose is to get a good night’s sleep. But when sleep evades you, have you thought it could be your bedroom having a negative influence on your mood and sleep patterns?

Below, you can find some ways to create a calming and relaxing bedroom that helps you get the best sleep.

 

1. Choose calming colours

Vibrant colours can be really stimulating so opting for a soft palette in a bedroom is a great way of promoting relaxation. Neutral colours like white, beige and grey and hues such as soft blues, light pinks or greens create calmer environments that often feel fresh and relaxing.

 

For a tranquil bedroom, pair back your colour scheme and opt for one calm accent colour. Complement this with warm, earthy tones for a timeless, serene space.

Dark colours can work too. These aren’t vibrant, they just have depth. Think dark blues or greens – both calming and relaxing colours.

 

I’d recommend that you avoid harsh and bright colours in your bedroom. Orange and yellow aren’t exactly going to help your brain settle in for a good night’s sleep.

 

2. Remove clutter with clever storage

Clutter can have a big impact on our sleep – messy room, messy mind and all that. Removing the visual clutter in your bedroom is the easiest way to improve the restful feel of your space. It’s all well and good having plenty of bedroom storage, like a wardrobe and chest of drawers, but it’s almost useless if you’re not using the storage properly.

Say goodbye to unnecessary items and organise your room to ensure everything has a home. For a bedroom that feels calm, hide the majority of your belongings in a wardrobe in boxes and drawers.

 

You should make sure everything has a proper place, and use clever storage hacks, like under-the-bed crates or vacuum packing to make sure the room stays neat and tidy. Beds take up a huge amount of floor space, so you might as well stash some slim crates underneath there. I tend to put things under the bed that I don’t use a lot – holiday clothes, swimwear, etc.

 

3. Relaxed lighting

Light is one of the most crucial aspects of a relaxed setting, but it is usually an overlooked element within our homes. Layering different types of lighting is key to creating a calming, restful bedroom.

The general overhead lighting in a bedroom can often appear overly bright and harsh, which is why having a few cleverly positioned mood lights is key for a tranquil environment.

This is best achieved with smaller lights dotted around the room. Bedside lamps are almost a necessity – I read every night before bed so couldn’t be without them. Place a mood lamp on either side of your bed and use bulbs that emit a warm light. Add another mood light to the opposite end of your bedroom to help balance your lighting level.

 

Alternatively, you could have a ‘big light’ that has a dimmer switch, allowing you to control the light a little better.

Finally, consider adding candles. It’s not only the light that is relaxing, but their smell too. Just be sure to blow them out before going to bed, and keeping them away from flammable objects, like curtains.

 

4. Personal touches

There are other things to consider when creating a sanctuary in your bedroom. You can place photographs of your friends and family on the walls, art that causes you to feel calmer, or even motivating and tranquil slogans on the walls to help you feel empowered.

 

5. Prioritise your bed

No matter what you use your bedroom for sleep will usually always be its primary function. So to help prioritise sleep and restfulness rearrange your bedroom and position your bed in the centre of your space.

The bed is the most important aspect of a bedroom so focus on layering it with irresistibly soft textiles to elevate the tranquil appearance of your room. Some soft bed linen, a plush duvet and a few snooze-worthy throws will help you dress a bed you’ll never want to crawl out of.

 

6. Use lots of fabric and soft furnishings

Bedrooms can look harsh with all that wood of the wardrobe, the bedside tables and the bed. But we want them to be cosy places to sleep. You can do this by adding lots of soft furnishings. You’ll need lots of rugs, throws, cushions, curtains, etc.

If you find that you often get bored of your interiors, these soft furnishings are the easiest and cheapest things to change. You don’t want to be buying a new bed every year at £1,000 a go. Instead, you can change your duvet cover and throws. You can change the cushion covers (every week if you want to!). Soft furnishings are my favourite thing. They’re so versatile and easy to style.

A high-pile rug under your bed will help ensure there is always something warm underfoot when you jump out of bed on a cold winter’s morning. Hardwood flooring can instantly make a room feel cold and uninviting, particularly in a bedroom, so add a large rug to your bedroom to create a cosy space. For the softest and warmest material opt for a mid to high-pile wool rug in a soft tone of colour.

 

7. Dress your windows

An effective way of softening the appearance of your bedroom is by layering your window dressing. Lots of textiles are a guaranteed way of creating a space that feels more serene and a bedroom is the easiest and most convenient space to go crazy with fabrics.

 

8. Bring in plants

Nature can do wonders for our state of mind so incorporating a few plants into our bedroom decor is an instant way of elevating the tranquil feeling of the space. Not only do they look great in any room, but house plants, such as a peace lily also help purify the air, making a better environment for sleep.

 

9. Embrace the views

If your bedroom has stunning views over fields, a village or a skyline, then do make the most of it. The view is one of the first things you’ll see when you get up in the morning or come into the room.

In order to draw attention to the view, keep the rest of the furniture and decor minimal and plain. You could frame the window to create a focal point that you’re naturally drawn to.

 

10. Lose the technology

Some people find this extremely difficult, but I refuse to have a TV in my bedroom. I always read for at least 20 minutes before I go to sleep. It gives my brain a chance to settle and also gives it a break from blue light.

Electronic devices emit blue light which your brain can mistake for daylight. Therefore, you’re tricking your brain into thinking it’s mid-afternoon. You should really cut out all blue light for two hours before you go to bed (but that’s a little bit too much reading, even for me).

Avoid watching TV in bed before you go to sleep, as you may find your sleep to be disrupted.

 

Creating a calming and relaxing bedroom isn’t about spending loads of money or following every interiors trend going. It’s about crafting a space that makes you feel instantly at ease the moment you walk in. Whether it’s soft lighting, hidden-away clutter, or just the perfect cosy duvet, it’s all these little touches that come together to form your own personal sanctuary.

So, if your bedroom’s been feeling more stress-inducing than soothing lately, now’s the time to make some changes. A few thoughtful tweaks can completely transform the vibe of your space and, more importantly, the quality of your sleep.