What You Need for Good Sleep: Experts' Opinions

There is a sleep hormone called melatonin: its level increases in the evening, and our body understands that night is approaching and it's time to sleep. The amount of this hormone can easily decrease due to nighttime flights or frequent delays at work. Because of reduced levels, the quality of sleep also decreases.

To compensate for melatonin loss and ensure healthy sleep, you need to develop good habits, follow a routine, and thoughtfully arrange your bedroom. How—let's find out with the help of experts.

Maria Lazich — General Director of Maryart Design Studio

Margarita Fomina — Interior Designer

Bed

It's best to place the bed with its headboard against a wall so you can see the door—this creates a sense of security. You can place the bed to the right or left of a window or even with its headboard facing the window.

However, you shouldn't press the bed against a wall—there should be space to approach the bed from both sides.

Symmetrically, place nightstands or side tables on both sides of the bed. You can put books, phones, and other essentials there for morning or evening use.

Blinds

Darkness is key to good sleep. By artificially creating darkness, you can help the brain produce melatonin. However, if your apartment is located in a city, there's a high chance that the bedroom windows face a well-lit courtyard or busy street, and regular curtains won't create the necessary conditions.

For such situations, blackout curtains are available. These are made from very dense fabric and do not allow light to pass through.

Design: Olga Chernyenko

You will need:

"Kirs" curtain on a rail, 140x260 cm

Blackout roller blind

Blue curtain on a rail, 140x260 cm

Curtain on a rail

No TV in the bedroom

It's hard to convince people of the importance of this decision today. However, by removing a TV from the bedroom, a person develops a good habit—falling asleep without external light, noise, or information distractions.

Although modern TVs are now made with a beneficial blue light reduction feature, it's only a small attempt to address the issue.

Coolness

For comfortable sleep, the room temperature should be between 18–19 degrees Celsius. Therefore, you simply cannot do without an air conditioner in the hot summer, placed in a proper and healthy location. Pay attention to models with built-in air purification and humidity regulation features.

Fresh air

Comfortable humidity levels in the air are around 60%. In winter, when apartments are heated by central heating, humidity drops to critical levels of 25–30%. The mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth react very quickly to this, which inevitably affects sleep quality. Therefore, it's important to plan ahead for purchasing a humidifier.

If the bedroom has no windows, you need to plan a ventilation system and ensure fresh air circulation using a wall valve or a special device—a breeze maker.

Design: Ariana Ahmad

You will need:

Ballu UHB-1000 Ultrasonic Humidifier

Neoclima NHL-7.5 Humidifier

Boneco W200 Humidifier

Neoclima NHL-200L Ultrasonic Humidifier

Noise Isolation

To fall asleep easily, the bedroom must be quiet. However, quality soundproofing is expensive, and often new apartment owners decide to forgo it. But they're wrong: this investment will more than pay off by reliably protecting you from street noise and loud neighbors, ensuring healthy sleep.

Lighting

It's important to designate a spot near the bedside table for a lamp with adjustable brightness. This light source should work without disturbing someone lying down nearby.

You might also consider a cross-switch. With it, you can turn off not only the bedside lamp of your sleeping partner but also the entire lighting in the apartment at once.

You will need:

"Ektor" Wall Sconce

Relax Junior Table Lamp

Tibro Floor Lamp

"Ball" LED Desk Lamp

Natural Materials

It's preferable that bedroom furniture is made from natural wood. No matter what quality certifications the manufacturers of LDP and MDF panels issue, formaldehyde and PVC film are not the most eco-friendly materials for human health. This is especially true for children's bedroom furniture.

Design: OM Design

Finishing

In the bedroom, we often walk barefoot, so it's important to choose a tactile-friendly material for the floor. Natural wood planks, parquet, or carpet are best. For wall finishing, any material can be used: paint, wallpaper, or wall panels. It's not necessary to wallpaper the entire room—just highlighting one accent wall is enough.

It's believed that comfort and tranquility are best created with a beige color palette. But you shouldn't be afraid to choose bright colors for the bedroom interior—rich hues can serve as a great antidepressant.

You will need:

Three-strip natural wood plank "Ash Prestige VK"

Lamb skin

Class 33 laminate "Spruce Stockholm"

Single-strip engineered plank "Oak Opening"

Decoration

The most important decorative element in a bedroom, drawing the eye, is the headboard. There are many ways to style it; you just need to choose what suits your interior.

Don't forget about textiles: decorative pillows, bedding, and throws. A variety of textures will give the bedroom a finished look.

Smart Alarm Clock or Sleep Tracker

The goal of a smart alarm clock is to help develop easy falling asleep and waking up. It mimics a gradual sunrise, gradually turning on the light and increasing its brightness.

However, such an alarm clock doesn't help everyone. Therefore, you can try using it together with a special tracker bracelet that monitors body movements and determines what phase of sleep a person is in, and whether it's safe to wake them.

Design: Manana Khuchua

Daria Kryuglova, St. Petersburg

I have back problems, so I need a good bed with a quality mattress, two comfortable pillows, and a light blanket under which I'm comfortable in both summer and winter.

In summer, unfortunately, it's hot at home. Ventilation is only possible in the evening because sleeping with an open window makes you hear everything happening outside.

In winter, I also turn on a nightlight; it's easier to wake up in the dark.

Anastasia Savchenko, St. Petersburg

For me, the most important thing is silence, but birds singing outside the window don't bother me. Darkness is also important—there should be no external light in the bedroom. If I nap during the day, I close the window with blackout curtains.

And, of course, a soft pillow and blanket are essential. Even in the heat, I need something to cover myself with.

I always ventilate the room before sleep, no matter if it's winter or summer. You can't fall asleep in a stuffy room.

Cover image: Design project "20:18"