November 2014
Designed to be your sanctuary, Story Homes’ bedrooms provide comfort, calm and the perfect backdrop to a sound night’s sleep. With the seasons in change and winter on its way – we’ve put together a good sleep guide to help you doze more dreamily.
Back to basics
We are creatures of habit which means that a regular routine helps our bodies to know when it’s time to begin winding down and get into the right mind set for sleep. Keeping a routine of waking and bed-time hours is simple but effective. Add some evening rituals into the mix such as light stretches, meditation or reading by soft lighting and you’ll give yourself a sure-fire cue that come lights-out it’s time to drift off.
Colour your way to calm
Colour is a wonderful tool and used cleverly; it can add light, create a feel of energy or bring about a sense of spaciousness. Calming hues comprise of muted tones, they’re subtle, soft and most definitely sleep inducing. Revealing the interior design secrets tips behind our beautiful show home in Cairns Chase, designer Suzanne Webster said: “I chose subtle colour palettes to create a calm and restful atmosphere – soft pinks, gentle greys and duck-egg blues.”
Go natural
A set of curtains can make a statement in a gentle coloured room and add a sense of occasion to your bedroom, but, in darkness, your body is able to produce the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. Adding a black-out layer will stimulate hormone production and creates the perfect environment for sleeping soundly – team with a pillow spritz of natural scents such as lavender or bergamot for a good sleep guarantee.
Temperature control
While bedding works to beautify your room, a duvet plays an important part in helping you enjoy a truly restorative night’s sleep. Things to consider are tog and filling. Winter months require a heftier tog to keep you at just the right temperature to snooze deeply. The higher to tog rating; the warmer you’ll be, meaning your body can relax. Filling is also important, natural fillings such as feather, down and wool are soft cosy and breathable, whereas synthetic fillings offer a comfortable non-allergenic solution.
Chill out
For the perfect night’s rest, avoid stimulants like caffeine and alcohol. These linger in your system, keeping your brain active longer than it needs. Herbal teas, like mint or camomile, soothe and relax the mind. Feeling a little peckish? Bananas or peanut butter on whole-grain toast will help you produce more of the natural hormones that help you to fall sound asleep.
With a good night’s sleep you’ll be feeling fresh and revitalised, with lots of added energy to use on other activities – pop across to our lifestyle section for a touch of inspiration.
