Top 3 Things to Think About When Designing Your Bedroom
Are you feeling like your bedroom needs some sleep optimization? Or maybe you have just moved into a brand new place and are wanting to create the perfect sleep sanctuary! If this is you, keep on reading!
I recently just moved into a new space with my little family, myself, Milo the bernedoodle and my husband and we are planning out our new bedroom! When we moved in we realized there were 3 must-haves to help us sleep in this new environment.
First a little back story. We previously lived in a basement suite where it was dark and cool all year round, which made for decent sleeping conditions most nights. Our mattress was okay, it was a queen, which left me a little too close to my heater of a husband. I would have to block him from coming too close, or in the summer, use him to warm myself up. My husband also worked shift work, which means I would wake up as soon as he crawled out of bed. This was not ideal for those 4:30am wakeups. Some days I wouldn’t get back to sleep, which left me groggy all day.
Moving into our new space we didn’t realize that light and temperature were going to impact our sleep as much as it did, so we needed to make some immediate changes!
First: Decide on the perfect new Mattress.
It was exciting. We were a month away from moving into our new apartment and my dream was to have a King Mattress. We didn’t want to move our mattress because we knew it wasn’t going to be our forever plan, so I started researching and I found Haven Mattresses. I am an avid local shopper when I can, so I was ecstatic that this company had Canadian hand made mattresses and options for FREE Canada wide shipping and boxed delivery! Check out this blog for more detail about the company and all the environmental benefits of this mattress (link to other blog).
Everyone I spoke to at Haven was so helpful and supportive. We ended up going with the 14" LUX Hybrid Pillowtop HAVEN King size. With discussion from the lovely support staff at Haven, we were able to pick the one that would be best suited for our family! They also helped organize delivery and made the move that much easier!
Once the mattress arrived, I just had to take a quick lay down. It was soft, but not too soft and that first night sleeping in it was heaven. However, with the amazing mattress I still realized there was something else that I needed to help keep me snoozing in my new mattress and that was the light.
Second: Block out the morning light
We were sleeping so soundly with our new mattress, but still finding ourselves and our Bernedoodle Milo waking up earlier because now we are on the second floor. Being above ground means way more natural light, which is perfect for feeling ready to get out of bed. But with our summers here in Canada, the sun was starting to come up around 5am. We also found that because we are in a more central area and not the suburbs, there was much more light pollution from the street, making it difficult to settle and fall asleep.
Our next investment was some black out curtains. My lovely mother picked these up for us at Costco as a housewarming present, and I’ll tell you a little secret, my favourite gifts are the ones that help me sleep!
The curtains helped us all out significantly! My husband was able to fall asleep earlier so that he could get to work on time in the morning, and I was able to stay sleeping longer and more soundly into the mornings with my 14" LUX Hybrid Pillowtop HAVEN King size, which allowed me to feel rejuvenated and ready to take on a new day!
Third Must-Have: Temperature Control
Because we were so used to being in a basement we had never really thought about temperature too much. I knew the importance of it, but until you are in an environment where staying cool is more difficult you really notice the difference.
Moving into the second floor, the space was quite warm, even with all the hacks of closing the blinds, windows and fans on during the day. The mattress has helped immensely because of its cooling technology! In each mattress there are different features that support the natural cooling, one being a bamboo topper, which helps wick any moisture as well as pulling excess heat away from the body keeping you warm and dry. Next, is the copper-infused top layer, this helps heat transfer away as well as acts as anti-microbial. Next is the cool gel technology, this helps keep the mattress more breathable as well as stops from tossing and turning or someone sliding over onto your side!
For the summer months, we decided we needed a little extra support and we love the sound of a fan and cool air blowing at night to help us sleep! That is when we made the leap and purchased an AC.
If an AC is out of budget right now, some other tricks are to purchase high quality sheets that are breathable. Haven actually has some amazing ones on their website too! Another tip is to have a warm shower before bed to cool down body temperature or get a few fans to help circulate the air once it has cooled down at night.
For me the aesthetic of a bedroom is important, however, the key to creating your perfect sleep environment is to think about the basics first that will help you sleep and then continue to add from there. My husband, Milo and I are sleeping soundly every night, which means we are able to show-up each day with our best foot forward. Personally, I am more energized and motivated to take Milo out for his daily walks, more present for my clients and prepared for any new challenge that comes my way!
xoxo, Nicole
This article does not constitute medical advice. Consult your naturopathic doctor or medical practitioner before taking any supplement or medication.