Reality Reno with Mitch and Mark – Baby It’s Cold Outside!
As winter is just around the corner, we’re all more likely to spend time at home to keep warm and comfortable. Some of us will be enjoying this change in season, while others are hold up waiting for warmer weather to return.
So… it’s time to warm up for winter! Take a breath and recharge your batteries a little bit. This made us think about how we can all do this by creating a bedroom haven, and we have with a few hints and tips that might help.
Your bedroom is where you wind down from the day and get those important hours of sleep. You can do a few things to create a room that’s inviting and helps prepares you for sleep.
Getting enough sleep, especially REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, helps to process emotional information. During sleep, your brain works to evaluate and remember thoughts and memories, and a lack of sleep has many impacts on us. Poor sleep has been linked to a weakened immune system and has impacts on our mental and physical health and ability to cope.
The last few years have been challenging for so many of us…the impact of the pandemic on our lives, flooding in the eastern states, the war in Ukraine, the rising cost of living! Getting enough sleep is important right now. Making our bedrooms a sanctuary is a way we can take some control, enhance our ability to process what we’ve been experiencing, and of course pamper ourselves.
Our interior styling choices influence us as humans, and here are a few of our thoughts about how these choices can help you get the rest you need ready for the new day ahead.
- Blue light vs red light (and not what you think!)
It’s now common knowledge that light emitted from TV screens, tablets and smart phones will negatively impact your ability to sleep. These screens emit blue light, which is okay during the day, however at night it effects our body’s ability to create melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy. Blue light is a good thing during the day. Once you wake up, it can help you feel more alert. But at night it can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. How
For your bedroom aim to use warm light and have dimmers to reduce the light at night to prepare your body for sleep. There’s also some evidence that lights which emit red, orange or yellow light are better for sleep as they promote the production of melatonin. There are great Bluetooth light globes now that you can buy and change colour, put on a timer, and dim the lights. They are readily available and easily controlled via apps, making it easy to have the right coloured light during the day and then change it at night to promote sleep.
- Layer your floor with a fabulous rug
Hardwood floors are beautiful and practical, however in winter they’re also cold. This is the ideal time to warm up your floors too, by bringing in a luxurious rug to sit under your bed (or living room, or wherever you like!). When you’re going to bed, or getting up in the morning, instead of cold floors your feet will be greeted by the warmth of a rug. Make sure it’s big enough to extend either side of your bed. The feeling underfoot will have you feeling relaxed and pampered.
Even if you have carpet, layering with a rug brings an extra element of warmth, and you can play with new colours, textures, and pile to warm things up. It’s an easy way make a change and create your sanctuary!
- Warming up your bed
Winter is a season when the throw’s you’ve carefully styled on your bed come into their own. They are not there just for looks! As the nights get colder, you have layers for warmth, and you can play with the colour and textures too. Sometimes your sleeping partner doesn’t need the extra layer, but you do, making a throw the perfect solution!
For some people, the addition of an electric blanket is a must. You can get electric blankets that include a bed topper, adding extra comfort to your sleep, along with warmth. Just remember, electric blankets are great to warm a bed before you get in but try not to sleep with them turned on as they can interfere with your nocturnal body temperature cycles and negatively impact the sleep you get, along with the risk of burns.
Winter is a time to snuggle up, stay safe, and get rejuvenated with the prospect of Spring and Summer to come, and your choices can help your mood, enhance your sleep and well-being.