Creating a Sleeping Haven

In our previous article, we discussed why sleep is so important for one’s health and we also have published 8 Steps to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. In one of the steps, it was mentioned that creating the perfect environment in your room would help you relax enough to snooze. But what exactly does that mean? Well, let’s break it down for you.

Bed linens

Let’s start with the basics of what you’re going to lie on. Get sets of comfortable fitted sheet sets that you love – in calming colours or cheerful and fun. Most important is the quality. Go for smooth Egyptian cotton at 980 thread count just like TrueRest’s Dorset Hotel series (S$60, U.P $75) or our personal favourites are sheets made with Tencel, which feels like silk but at a fraction of the price. Honestly, when you feel that your bed linens are plush, it just automatically makes you happy and relaxed – perfect for getting your shut eye.

Another recommendation would be Uniqlo’s AIRism bed sheets, pillow cases and duvet cover that are sold separately and comes only in three basic colours. Using the AIRism technology, Uniqlo’s beddings are super comfortable, silky and keeps your body at the right temperature while you sleep.

For children, they might be more attracted to prints such as the new Disney collection by Eurotex, featuring an array of Marvel designs (S$39.90)!

Getting the right pillows

It is very important that you get the right pillow for you and some questions to ask yourself would be:

• Are you a side sleeper or do you mainly lie on your back?
• Do you toss in your sleep?
• Do you like something a bit firmer or softer?

If you sleep with the wrong type of pillow, you may wake up with an aching neck or shoulders, exacerbating tight muscles there which are a result of long hours sitting down and staring at the computer screen.

For side sleepers or those who lie on their back, you may want to consider a pillow that is firm and cradles the neck and head, such as Nature Basic’s Massage Pillow (S$69.90), which is not too soft and provides appropriate support for your neck and as it is made with 100% natural latex, the cool fabric will also help to cool your body temperature throughout the night so that you can get a restful night despite Singapore’s humid weather.

If you tend to snore, then we recommend BodyLuv’s Addiction Pillow (S$47.80) which has been making waves from Korea and throughout Asia due to its 3D ergonomic design. Filled with micro air balls, the Addiction Pillow moulds to your head and neck while providing ample support. Tried and tested, it really helped to reduce one’s snoring! However, do note that due to the Spandex pillow cover and the loss of micro air balls during each wash, it tends to lose the optimal ergonomic support after about a year’s usage.

For those who sleep on their stomachs, then a super soft pillow is recommended to reduce tension on your back.

Watch your posture while you sleep

This is more for side sleepers as you need to keep your spine in the correct ergonomic position for natural comfort as you sleep. As such, do get a bolster as a simple solution to correct your posture while sleeping. Similar to a pillow, do choose the right firmness for your self because if the bolster is too firm, you may end up with backaches as well.

Choosing the right mattress

Of course, the mattress itself is so important to get your beauty sleep. There are so many opinions on how firm a mattress should be if you’re a side sleeper or if you have back problems etc. We did ask a mattress expert on how does one choose a mattress and he said that the key questions one should ask first would be:

1. Do you sleep on your back or on your side mostly?
2. Are you sleeping alone or with a partner?
3. If you sleep with a partner, does he or she sleep mostly on the back or side?
4. Why are you changing your mattress?
5. Are you buying for your new home or there’s some problem with your current mattress?
6. Are you looking to buy a softer or firmer mattress compared to your existing one?
7. Do you have any medical conditions or injuries to your back or spine?

Once you’ve answered those questions, then it is best to go to the shops and try out the mattresses of various brands. You may like something that have individually pocketed springs, or something like TEMPUR’s ACTIVEbreeze that allows heat and humidity to be cycled out of the mattress (quite important in our tropical weather). Don’t forget that you’ll be sleeping on it for a long time, so don’t just go for the best prices or some marketing spiel. Choose the mattress that is right for you.

Creating the right ambience

Now that your bedroom (or rather, the bed) is a dream (all puns intended), the last touch would be to choose a relaxing scent to lull you to sleep. You can choose to put some essential oils, such as Lavender and Chamomile, or burn a scented candle such as iKou Essentials Smallglass Candle (S$49.00) which comes in two popular scents: De-stress and Joy.

If you’d like to opt for a scent without having to worry about fire hazards in your bedroom, then go for fragrance diffusers that are low maintenance but still allows the fragrance to permeate your room.

Get the right lighting

Besides ambience, lighting is very important to lull you to sleep. Here are a few tips to get the best light setting for common bedroom activities. First, use LED light bulbs as they are most cost-effective, create less heat and can be smart – allowing you to control them using app or voice commands without rewiring. Add dimmer switches where you can to avoid the harshness of full light in the morning and to get great mood lighting effects. Use indirect lighting to get soft accent lighting to create a more relaxed atmosphere. Incorporate lights such as lightstrips for subtle decorative effects and select one unified colour palette to create a cohesive and intentional look. Choose fixtures with diffusing lampshades to create a soft atmosphere. All these can be achieved by choosing smart LED light bulbs and lamps that are versatile, dimmable and colour-changing to allow you to adapt the light intensity and colour temperature of your light sources.

Images: BHG Singapore, Breathe Essentials, Envato, Signify and Unsplash