A good night’s sleep is essential for a happy and healthy life. The proper amount of sleep can boost your immune system, prevent weight gain, and put you in a better mood. That is why it is so important to have a bedroom that is a relaxing oasis. It should be a place you look forward to coming to at the end of a busy day as well as a room that instantly lifts your spirits when you wake up each morning.
Creating this oasis begins with choosing the right colors to decorate with. You probably already know that color affects your mood. Your mood in turn will affect your sleep. Learning which colors help bring peace to your bedroom can be your first step in getting a relaxing and rejuvenating night of sleep.
Colors and Your Behavior
Different colors cause you to react in different ways. Think about the color red. Red increases feelings of anger and passion equally. These qualities have made it a staple in bullfighting. One wave of a red cape attracts a bull and increases its anger. People react in much the same way, but red is also used to represent love and passion on Valentines Day. Love and passion are stimulating emotions that don’t lend themselves well when it comes to sleep.
Most colors represent a specific emotion or mood. Colors are so good at doing this that we use them to represent heat and cold. Red, once more, makes us think of something hot while blue immediately brings on a sensation of coolness. We have even gone so far as to classify colors as warm or cool.
Understanding that colors can manipulate our behavior helps you choose the best colors when it comes to decorating your bedroom. You need to use calming colors that promote relaxation for your walls, bedding, window treatments, and accessories.
Colors Affect Your Sleep
The idea of certain colors being better than others for sleep is not a myth. Muted and toned down colors provide better sleep than a vibrant primary color will. A study done with the Travelodge chain of hotels showed which colors worked best for inducing sleep in their guests along with which ones hurt a guest’s chance of a good night’s rest.
This study also found that flat colors work better than glossy paints for good sleep. This is mainly due to how flat surfaces give colors an illusion of being softer than their glossy counterparts. Our list of colors to help you get the best sleep is based on studies such as these, along with the recommendations of sleep experts.
The Seven Bedroom Colors That Help You Sleep Better
1. Blue
Blue is the best color when it comes to sleep. It is a calming color that brings to mind the vast sky or a beautiful waterfall. Our brains are especially receptive to the color. Ganglion cells found in the retina are quite conscious of blue.
Using a light blue for a subtle hint of color in the bedroom can be relaxing and enjoyable. Studies show that an ordinary person can experience an average of seven hours of sleep in rooms painted blue. The Travelodge study found that 60% of their participants reported feeling happier too when waking up in a blue room.
2. Yellow
Studies have also shown that people sleep equally well in bedrooms that are painted in a soft yellow. The majority of them also reported waking with a happy feeling. Many of the colors that are recommended for better sleep come from nature. Yellow is used in many situations to represent sunshine. What could be better when it comes to relaxing or lifting your spirits? Use lighter shades like buttercup for best results, as these softer versions are less distracting than the primary yellow.
3. Green
Green is also an organic color that promotes a good night’s sleep. Green automatically reminds one of nature. It is a shade that allows you to wake up feeling positive and upbeat.
In addition to reminding you of nature, green provides a relaxing mood. It’s a harmonizing color that is quite refreshing. It works wonderfully on it’s own, but it can be paired beautifully with many of the other recommended colors for great results. Consider a sage green combined with warm honey tone wood trim for a refreshing break from the high tech world found outside of the bedroom.
4. Silver
Silver is an excellent bedroom color. It fits in perfectly with today’s trends in home decor. It works with contemporary settings as well as farmhouse styles. It is a unique color, but it is relaxing when it is used as an aid for sleeping peacefully. It is an ideal neutral, and it can create a dramatic and sophisticated look without keeping you up at night.
5. Orange
It may surprise you to find orange on this list. It is not exactly the typical choice when looking for a bedroom color, but it is a warm and happy shade. Orange has also been associated with helping indigestion. This is an added plus. An upset stomach will interfere with good sleeping patterns.
Use a natural shade of orange such as clay or terracotta instead of a true orange. This will give it a more relaxing feel. It also goes well with many of the other recommended colors.
6. Pink
Another top pick for a relaxing bedroom is pink. Soft and muted, this color is recommended in Feng Shui decorating as a gentle color that provides a calm feeling. While pink can seem childish, a beautiful mauve or blush mixed in with neutral accents can look very grown-up. Pink works as a good color for sleep because it often has orange undertones. Avoid hot pinks that have a red undertone. These shades are too energetic for bedtime.
7. Beige
Although beige has been largely replaced by gray as the new neutral, don’t be too quick to rule this color out. Beige is a classic that works wonderfully in the bedroom. It glows in the lamplight each evening, and it reflects the morning sunshine perfectly. Lean towards a sand or straw shade that allows you to stay within colors associated with nature.
The Worst Colors for Sleep
Purple
Studies have shown that the average person can only get around five to six hours of sleep when going to bed in a purple room. Purple is mentally stimulating. It will keep your mind alert while increasing your creativity. These are both wonderful qualities in a color, but save purple for other areas of the home than the bedroom. Purple can help lift your spirits during daytime activities. If you must use purple in the bedroom, try a soft shade such as light violet and use it sparingly.
Gray
Gray is not to be confused with silver. Silver is excellent for sleep while gray is a darker and more depressing color associated with gloom. It is considered a confrontational color that can appear cold. The biggest difference is in how each color reflects light. Silver allows the light to bounce off of it, giving a bright and cheerful glow. Gray is flat and absorbs the energy that comes from reflected light.
Brown
Brown is also gloomy as well as drab. It will give the bedroom a cave-like appearance. Brown has been proven to increase restlessness. This is not the right mood for a good night of sleep, and when you wake up surrounded by brown, it will drain your motivation.
Red
Red is just too energetic for a bedroom. It will increase your blood pressure and keep you awake. Avoid using this color in your bedroom, even in small doses. Instead, replace red with a burnt orange or a soft pink.
What to Do Once You Find the Right Color
Choosing the right color is the first step in getting deep restful sleep, but it isn’t enough. Pick a light, muted, or pastel version of the color you like. According to the theory of Feng Shui, doing so will provide a positive flow of energy.
Use neutral tones of your chosen color. Even the best color for sleep will backfire if the shade you use is too bright or bold. The result would be too stimulating. Use a flat paint instead of glossy or eggshell. Glossy finishes reflect too much light. A flat surface absorbs the light, and it makes the room look darker and feel softer.
Finish your bedroom off with accents in complementary colors found parallel to your main color on the color wheel. Following all of this advice will get you one step closer to that restful and rejuvenating night of sleep that you have been wishing for.
