5 Tips for a Blissful Bedroom: Sleep Better Tonight

The right amount of sleep brings vitality to body and mind. According to research from Harvard Medical School, too little or too much affects mood and contributes to irritability and sometimes depression.

Sleep lowers blood pressure and increases energy. It catapults focus and overall health and happiness. It just sets us back, restores us, and can fix rocky relationships.

“If you don’t sleep, you go crazy,” says Ken Weizer, a naturopath at Providence Zidell Integrative Medicine in Portland.

Practicing good “sleep hygiene” can help reduce anxiety and facilitate sound sleep, especially in times of crisis.

The experts at the Portland Clinic Sleep Center remind us of a sleep ritual: go to bed and wake up at about the same time each day, including weekends. Take a short nap – less than an hour – and avoid napping after 3 p.m.

Experts also recommend cleaning up clutter and creating a fresh, clean, and simple environment that promotes luxurious sleep.

Steph and Jimmy MacDonald, founders of Authenticity50 Homegoods Company in Vancouver, Washington, agree that you can step into a blissful bedroom at night for a sound sleep.

The company sells sheets directly to consumers made from cotton grown in California, spun in Georgia, and woven in the Carolinas. By overseeing the process from farm to fiber to factory and consumer, MacDonalds gains insight into what contributes to a restful environment.

Here are five small changes the MacDonalds suggest that can have a huge impact on how it feels to slip into bed:

Nowadays a bedroom is not used exclusively for sleeping. This is where work or homework takes place, projects come together or the clean laundry ends up.Authenticity50

Create a border. Nowadays a bedroom is not used exclusively for sleeping. This is where work or homework takes place, projects come together or the clean laundry ends up.

However, tracing an area only in the evening can be critical. A bed that is free and uncluttered can be a breath of fresh air at the end of the day.

“We see our beds and bedrooms as a place where we separate ourselves from everything and where we can fully rest,” says Steph MacDonald. “Leave the deadlines and appliances at the door.”

Establish a clean sanctuary. There’s no doubt that fresh, clean sheets are a joy, but what is often overlooked is what the sheets contain before the first wash. Many leaves, even organic, are treated with anti-wrinkle chemicals, a poisonous element that sleepers come into contact with every night.

To create a wrinkle-resistant fabric, these sheets are treated with a resin that releases formaldehyde, a chemical closely associated with embalming fluid.

MacDonald’s company has sheets made from 100% extra long staple, Supima cotton, that has been minimally treated and contains no formaldehyde.

“We don’t mind a few wrinkles, especially if it means keeping chemicals out of our bodies and beds,” says Jimmy MacDonald.

> Coyuchi has soft washed organic sheets made of 100% cotton

The MacDonalds also recommend a wool blanket: wool is naturally hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and antibacterial, and also odor, dust and mite resistant. Lanolin is a natural, waxy substance found on the outside of wool fibers. It contains fatty acids and other properties that prevent mold, mildew, and bacteria from growing.

“Lots of people don’t know about the benefits of wool, but it’s far superior to down or synthetic materials for sleeping,” says Jimmy MacDonald.

> Wayfair offers a variety of blankets

Good hands are a game changer. High quality cotton towels are made from extra long cotton, a cotton fiber that is 1 3/8 inches or longer. The extra length allows the cotton to be spun into a durable single-ply thread that can then be woven into a softer, finer fabric.

The Supima cotton grown in California is the best in the country and even beats Egyptian cotton, the MacDonalds say. It consists of a percale fabric that contains one horizontal yarn for each vertical yarn in the fabric. This results in a more durable and breathable film that can withstand repeated washes without piling up

“If you invest in a great set of cotton towels, you can really sleep better,” says Steph MacDonald. “You will wake up energized and refreshed and ready to face a busy day.”

The highest thread count for a percale fabric is 350 and 500 for satin. For all threads above, multi-layer yarns are used instead of stronger single-layer yarns. An 800-count sheet could really be a 200-count sheet made from four-ply yarn, say the MacDonalds, whose sheets are 250 thread count.

> The Company Store sells sheets made from Supima cotton

Set the correct temperature. Your bedroom should be quiet, dark, and cool. Set the bedroom thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees to allow your body temperature to drop to induce sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

“Wool has several advantages over down: Its natural insulating properties trap dry, warmer air near your skin when it’s cold and help wick moisture and heat away from your body when it’s warm,” says Jimmy MacDonald.

Wool can help individuals maintain their own comfortable temperatures even when they’re under the same covers as their partner, ensuring everyone a good night’s sleep, he adds.

If you prefer a lightweight blanket, MacDonalds recommend a blanket made from quality cotton, which is naturally cool to the touch and gives the blanket a weight that can be more comforting at night than a bare sheet. Her company’s heritage blankets are made from 100% American cotton and woven in Maine.

> LL Bean has organic cotton blankets

Go for calming colors. The sun coming in through the window in the morning can be a great way to wake up, but the brightness in the bedroom at night can prevent a smooth transition from the hustle and bustle of the day to calm relaxation.

Dimming the lights and removing the blue light from the phone screens can be a great way to signal the body that it is time for much-needed melatonin. This can include bedding in soothing colors.

“There’s a reason the top hotels use white sheets. it evokes a feeling of calm, cleanliness and serenity. It also compliments any color palette you have in your bedroom, ”says Steph MacDonald.

> Send as organic white rain leaves

– As Janet Eastman relates | 503-294-4072

[email protected] | @janeteastman