Achieving the sleep of our dreams (and the daytime productivity of our fantasies) starts with the right mindset; racing, anxious thoughts from the day will only make it harder to relax. Routine matters too; drinking caffeine or alcohol, eating rich foods, and scrolling through social media before bed can mess with rest. Finally, one of the most important determinants of sleep quality is the bedroom itself. The ideal sleep space is dark, quiet, and cold—ideally around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. “In the outdoor conditions in which we evolved, the temperature drops at night. That drop is part of many contextual factors that cause us to feel sleepy,” holistic psychiatrist and sleep expert Ellen Vora, M.D., previously told mbg of the importance of a chilly bedroom. As the night goes on, research also shows that warmer temperatures can decrease sleep quality4 by increasing wake-ups5 and keeping us from reaching the later sleep stages wherein the majority of rest and repair happens. Clearly, achieving the right temperature is essential for sleep—and it’s much easier to do during the dark, cold nights of winter than the hot and sunny days of summer. Instead of resigning yourself to frequent wake-ups and groggy mornings this season, follow these designer-approved tips for crafting a stylish bedroom that’s cool and comfortable: Interior stylist Emeli Ericsson adds that bedding in light, breezy colors can add to the cooling, inviting effect. Bring on those light blues, pale grays, crisp whites, cool greens, and dusty pinks. After living in a home without central air conditioning, Wood has experimented with many ways to draw the blinds to keep the bedroom from becoming a sauna. “The most impactful way to keep my home cool seems to be keeping the shades closed to block out the sun while also having the windows open to allow for airflow,” she’s concluded. To create a cross breeze in your bedroom at night, set up one fan to blow in the direction of your bed and the other to blow out your window. If temperatures outside are colder than they are inside, this can cool things off slightly by blowing warm air out of your room. Ceiling fans can also be helpful here; just make sure yours is running in a counterclockwise direction so it’s blowing cool air down instead of pulling it up. Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
