Choosing the right bedroom lights for your space can really dictate the way it looks and feels. Depending on where your bedroom is placed, as well as how you’ve chosen to decorate it, you might have a lot of natural light flood into your room naturally throughout the day.
While this can have a really beautiful effect on your room itself, it can actually have an adverse effect on the general quality of your sleep overall. The correlation between sleep and exposure to light has been well studied and documented.
In one study published by the National Academy of Sciences, scientists found that light cues can trigger the ways in which the hormone melatonin, also responsible for our sleep regulation, is produced.
Decorating your bedroom with your bedroom lights in mind can thus be really impactful on the way we experience sleep. From ensuring you have the best mattress for a good night’s sleep to learning how to differentiate between different kinds of lighting, here are some things you’ll want to keep in mind when you’re choosing your own:
Optimizing Your Sleep Set-Up
Before getting stuck into how bedroom lights might be impacting your sleep, it’s important to examine how you could make your current sleep set-up as good as it can be.
Finding the best mattress for your sleep is critical, especially if you have a bedroom that is exposed to a lot of natural light.
The right mattress should be so comfortable any other distractions are pretty quickly eliminated. Memory foam mattresses have risen recently in popularity for this exact same reason.
Not only are foam mattresses a great choice for those looking for comfort, but they’re also the best mattresses for those looking out for something that will eliminate any external distractions.
The best mattresses will come with motion isolation capabilities, which means even tossing and turning won’t cause a disturbance in your sleep environment. Finding the best mattress isn’t as simple as doing a quick search online – good sleep feels different to everybody.
All the best mattress companies will be aware of this and offer some kind of trial period during which you can test their product out before having to commit to it, so be sure to check this before making the leap.
Finding The Right Kind Of Bedroom Lights
There are a wide range of bedroom lights that you’re going to be able to choose from when decorating your room. For better sleep in general, you’ll want to keep an eye out for warmer, more diffused kinds of bedroom lights.
If you work out of your bedroom, chances are you’re going to need something stronger than the warm glow of a nightstand lamp. This is where task lighting comes in. Making sure that you’re separating the section of the bedroom in which you work from your bed is crucial for healthy sleep habits.
Task lighting is a stronger kind of light you can work under – a stronger, more focused light like this one won’t just help you get work done more quickly, it’ll also allow your brain to associate a certain kind of light with mental alertness.
When this light goes off, you’ll be training your mind to start relaxing too.
Why You Shouldn’t Keep The Light On
You might be wondering exactly how negative the effects of sleeping with your bedroom lights on might be. Even if you do have the best mattress for your sleep, the physiological ways in which our bodies respond to light are largely out of our control.
An increased exposure to light, especially in the night-time, can make it difficult for your brain to achieve deep sleep. Sleeping with the lights on has been shown to increase irritability and susceptibility to disorders such as depression.
Sleeping with the lights on can also lead to other negative side-effects such as obesity, a lack of focus, and an increased risk of chronic illness. If you’ve been looking for a reason to train yourself to sleep without any of your bedroom lights on, this is it.
Bedroom Decor For Light-Control
Thankfully, there’s a lot of options when it comes to bedroom furniture that allows you access deep sleep, as well as eliminate any excess light.
If you do have a room with a lot of natural light, you’ll be served well by investing in a pair of heavy-set, blackout curtains. Along with the best mattress for distraction-free sleep, these kinds of bedroom decor can really help minimize the obstacles between you and a good night’s sleep.
Choosing bedroom lights that are naturally softer and dim will also allow your body to prime itself for a good night’s sleep. If you’re the type of person who can’t imagine sleeping without a light on, you do have options.
Some bedroom lights come with night-sleep in mind, using red light so that your body’s natural sleep clock isn’t disrupted when it’s time to snooze. Some light bulbs, such as the Philips Hue connect with apps on your phone to control just how much light you need for different points of the day.
Arranging your bedroom lights strategically isn’t just a means of making sure you have a cozy and inviting space to retreat to every night, it’s also the key to getting the good night’s sleep you deserve.
Finding the best mattress you can for uninterrupted snoozing, ensuring you’ve got a designated space for your task lighting, and controlling the flow of light into your room can all help you access deeper sleep.
