Better Bedrooms, Better Sleep - Dunelm

1. Better Bedrooms, Better Sleep How to create a sleep-centred bedroom and get way more than 40 winks. www.dunelm.com

2. The problems that cause sleeplessness – and how to solve them. Chronic insomnia needs medical treatment, so you should see your GP if you’re worried that your sleep troubles are caused by something else. The advice in this guide can’t treat the core causes of anxiety – that should be left to medical professionals. However, it can help you to relax. We spend a third of our lives asleep, and snoozing is essential to make sure we feel recharged and ready to face the day. Needless to say, sleep quality is really important – so if you’re having trouble sleeping, it’s time to take action. There are many factors that can affect the way we sleep. Often, it’s environmental factors like light, temperature and comfort levels which cause sleep problems. This guide looks at a few of these factors, and shows you how you can make small adjustments to your bedroom to give yourself the best chance of a restful night. www.dunelm.com | 1

3. Uncomfortable bed/bedding It’s surprising how many people have difficulty sleeping, but don’t think to blame their beds! An uncomfortable bed frame or mattress could be a big contributing factor to your nocturnal nuisances. However, they become gradually less supportive over time, so it’s sometimes difficult to tell if they’re no longer giving you the comfort you need. Here’s a simple test. Visit a bed store and lie on one of the brand new beds they’ve got on display. If you’re surprised by how comfortable it is, it’s probably time for an upgrade. Or, as a rough guide, you should replace your mattress every 8-10 years – or when it shows signs of wear. But is it the bed frame or mattress that’s causing you trouble at lights out? If you bought them at the same time, it’s probably both. Beds and mattresses work in tandem to keep you snoozing. Your frame has been under the effects of strain for as long as the mattress, so may no longer offer optimum support either. What’s more, wear and tear can occur inside the mattress, so any damage might not be visible. Pillows are also important. These provide essential support for your neck, so make sure you choose one wisely. www.dunelm.com | 2

4. Choosing a mattress This might be the single most important thing in your sleep-centred bedroom, so it’s crucial to choose a mattress that suits your own sleeping style. Taking note of your sleeping position can help you choose a mattress that’s just firm enough for you. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this is only a guide. The most important thing is that the mattress feels right. There’s are numerous factors that can add up to a good night’s sleep, but focus on the end result and things will seem much simpler – if you feel refreshed and revitalised in the morning, your mattress is probably doing its job well. If you lie on your front, you’ll probably sleep most soundly on a soft mattress. This will ‘cradle’ the contours of your body, and let you breathe easily during the night. If you prefer to lie on your side when sleeping, consider a firm mattress to give your spine the support it needs. If you’re waking up with a stiff back, this might be why. Medium-firmness mattresses are usually best suited to those who sleep on their backs. These give the best balance of weight distribution and support. You should also consider the filling or material that makes up your mattress. Open spring mattresses offer good weight distribution and great value for money. Pocket sprung mattresses are perfect for couples, as the springs can move around independently to support the shifting weight of each sleeper. Memory foam, meanwhile, moulds to the body for optimum support, so is ideal for those who often wake up with aches and pains in the morning. www.dunelm.com | 3

5. Choosing a bed frame A bed frame is a big investment, but it’s well worth buying a new bed if you suspect your old one’s impacting on your sleep quality. As we’ve established, your bed frame and your mattress work as a dynamic duo, silently protecting you from night-time nasties like discomfort, achiness and creaky slats. Like mattresses, different types of bed frames give different levels of support. Choose one that suits your choice of mattress and the way you like to sleep. The placement of the slats in a traditional bedstead determine how much support it will provide. The firmest beds have closely-spaced slats, which also provide resistance against wear and tear. If you prefer softer beds, consider buying a bed with slats placed further apart. However, remember that a bed of this style may be more susceptible to wear and tear. Divan beds come in two types which also change the feel of the mattress on top. Sprung divans feel softer than padded divans. www.dunelm.com | 4

6. Choosing a pillow Rule number one: If you’re still using old, flat pillows, chuck them out! They’re useless. A nice, plump supportive pillow can do the job better than that a lifeless stack of past-their-best pillows. The support that pillows provide is determined by their fillings. You can refer to your sleeping position to help you choose the right pillow: Soft pillows filled with deliciously comfy down work well for those who sleep on their fronts. Soft polyester makes for an allergy-friendly alternative. A mix of down and feathers gives a pillow a medium-firm feel that’s just right for those who sleep on their backs. Choose a medium-firm polyester filling if you have allergies. Firm pillows help keep the spine in perfect alignment, so suit side sleepers. These are typically double-stuffed with feathers of polyester, or made of firm memory foam. If you sleep upright, consider a memory foam pillow to ensure your whole body has adequate support. www.dunelm.com | 5

7. Temperature Do you seem to spend the whole night tossing and turning to find the right sleeping temperature? Or do you never feel quite warm enough, even with several layers of socks? If so, your bedding might not be regulating your temperature as effectively as it could. Here’s the thing. One person’s comfortable sleeping temperature might be way too hot or too cold for someone else. So it can be a challenge to find the right balance – especially if you share your bed with someone who prefers a completely different temperature. Duvet tog ratings are designed to give you some idea of what will work for you. The higher the tog rating, the more air the duvet traps, and the warmer you’ll feel. The tog rating of a duvet shows how good it is at trapping air and keeping you warm. If you usually find yourself feeling cold in winter, you might want to invest in a fleecy underblanket or even an electric blanket. You can buy special mattresses to keep you cool too. Memory foam is particularly good at regulating temperature. Top Tip… If you feel cold at night, try drinking a hot, milky drink or taking a warm bath before bedtime. www.dunelm.com | 6

8. Choosing a duvet There are two main factors to consider when picking a duvet – its tog rating, and its filling. Tog ratings range from one to 15, with one being super lightweight and cool, and 15 being extra cosy. It’s a good idea to buy two duvets, one of a lower tog rating for warm summer nights, the other a lovely, warm duvet for winter. A tog rating of 12.5 to 15 should do the trick. Duvet fillings come in two types, synthetic and natural. Natural-filled duvets can include feathers or down, or a mix of both. These natural materials help your skin to breathe and tend to keep you warmer without using so much filling. However, they can cause problems for people with allergies. Duvets with synthetic fillings are typically lighter than natural duvets, and are easier to care for and keep clean. They’re usually a better option for allergy sufferers too. You can even buy special microfibre duvets that imitate the feeling of down without the extra weight. www.dunelm.com | 7

9. Light pollution If you’re one of those people who needs complete darkness to sleep properly, light pollution can be a real problem. In simple terms, light pollution means light being where it shouldn’t be – like in your bedroom when you’re trying to sleep! You might live next to a main road and have to deal with the constant intrusion of street lamps and car headlights – or you might work nights and get rudely awakened each morning by streams of sunshine. Blackout blinds and curtains are a great solution. These are specifically designed to block out light, so are perfect for your bedroom if you’re a light-sensitive sleeper. They also help to cut down on noise, so are doubly useful if you’re tossing and turning because it’s too noisy outside! www.dunelm.com | 8

10. Snoring Snoring’s nothing to be ashamed of. But if you or your partner snores, it can put a serious strain on your sleep quality. You can buy medical aids to help prevent snoring. However, it’s worth making sure your bedroom or bedding isn’t the problem first. Snoring can sometimes be exacerbated by allergies to bedding, your sleeping position, or the quality of air in your bedroom. Try these tips to help beat snoring: Sleep on your side so your airways aren’t restricted. Use a firm pillow to support your head. Choose anti-allergy bedding – allergic reactions can narrow the airways and cause snoring. Buy a humidifier to moisten the air in the bedroom. It’s important to be aware that snoring can be caused by underlying medical conditions, so you should see your GP if these tips don’t fix the problem. www.dunelm.com | 9

11. Allergies As horrible as it sounds, creepy crawlies in your bed might be causing you to lose sleep. Dust mites love the warm, cosy environment of a bed, and feed on flakes of skin and other organic matter. Ugh! Dust mites can cause asthma and other allergic responses. This can limit sleep and potentially lead to health problems. Anti-allergy bedding can help. This is made up of pillows and duvets which have been treated with special anti-dust mite chemicals, or are woven so tightly that not even a tiny dust mite can get through. What’s more, this type of bedding is usually made from synthetic fibres, allowing them to be washed regularly at high temperatures. Hot washes kill dust mites and remove the dust they feed on, so you’ll be even more protected from their allergenic properties. So if you’re sneezing and coughing at night and you don’t know why, it’s worth swapping out your whole bedding set for synthetic, anti-allergy alternatives. Other ways you can help: Steam clean soft furnishings and carpets to stop dust mites hiding out. Wash your bed linen regularly. Don’t leave soft toys in the bed (dust mites can live on teddies too!). Don’t make your bed as soon as you get up, or you may trap body moisture under the covers. This is paradise for dust mites! www.dunelm.com | 10

12. A busy bedroom Bedrooms should be the most tranquil places in the whole house. After all, they’re for sleeping in. You can improve your sleep by creating a haven of relaxation. Start by shifting out unneeded ornaments and other clutter – busy rooms lead to restless minds. The same principle applies to furniture. Choose complementary items that are easy on the eye, and make sure you’ve got enough storage space to stop the clutter building up again. Lighting is also important. If all you’ve got is one bare light bulb, you’ll feel like you’ve been slapped in the face by some unfriendly photons the moment you walk into your room. You can use a combination of lighting sources to make your room feel like a comfortable sanctuary. Your main light can be as bright and bold as you like (you need to be able to see, after all), but invest in softer lighting sources like lamps and dot these around the room. This way, you can choose to drift off with a book under a warm glow when you’re ready for bed. If you’re fitting out a new bedroom or you have the resources to redecorate, think carefully about the colours you choose too – as colours can affect your mood. www.dunelm.com | 11

13. When you’re painting your walls… Avoid… Reds, which boost the ‘energy level’ of a room – great for dinner parties, not so great when you’re trying to sleep. Yellows. These are sunny, happy colours – again, not the best choice for relaxation. Orange, as this combines the qualities of reds and yellows. In other words, it’s energetic, exciting and a little bit too happy – banish it from your bedroom. Choose… Blues. These have a reputation for being sad colours, but when used correctly they can evoke feelings of tranquillity. Go for soft blues rather than dark blues, and make sure you balance things out with bedding and accessories in warmer colours. If you’re worried about things looking too chilly, you could even opt for a light purple shade. Greens, which are as tranquil as blues and as cheerful as yellows – this all adds up to a powerful calming effect which makes them ideal for bedrooms. Neutrals, which respond well to all lighting setups, and look fresh without feeling overwhelming. Choose neutral colours if you don’t feel ready to go for big blocks of blue or green. www.dunelm.com | 12

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