Statistics show that a huge proportion of your life is spent in your bedroom, but of course most of that time is when you are asleep! That said, you still want the atmosphere to be calm and relaxing and recent research has shown that insomnia is increasing, mainly because bedrooms have become full of gadgets and gizmos which not only keep the occupant rather wired before sleep but also give out ambient light when switched off, which can cause disturbed sleep. If space permits, it is much better to keep all electronic items out of the bedroom, especially if you are finding you are experiencing sleep problems or tiredness next day.

Step 1 – choose a calm colour

If you are decorating from scratch, choose a colour which is known to be calming. Blue is the best colour to choose with purple being the least restful – if you adore purple and hate blue you may feel this limits your choice rather but by choosing pastels your colour won’t make a statement which will overwhelm the room. If you can’t live without purple, keep it to a few small highlights. If you are not redecorating, look at soft furnishings and bedding to introduce the right shades. A large rug in pale blue would have a great effect, as when lying down for sleep your eyes are often facing the floor, if you sleep on your side.

Step 2 – clear the clutter

Is your dressing table a nightmare of brushes, cosmetics and empty bottles? Is your bedroom chair covered in a pile of clothes waiting the wash or ironing? If so, clearing all the clutter will immediately make the room look better and won’t cost you a thing. In fact, if you take an hour or so to go through your wardrobe, you might find you have enough to do a car boot sale and make yourself a bit of spending money – a nice bonus if this proves to be so. Be ruthless but if you really find it hard to part with stuff, put it in a box, write the date on the lid and seal it up. If you haven’t been in there six months later, you clearly don’t need it so you can throw it out without worry. If your rugs are a bit shabby, change them for one nice large rug. If you are still uncertain of your colour scheme at this point, choose a natural rug which will go with anything.

Step 3 – make things cosy

Even if you tend to keep your home fairly minimalist, your bedroom is somewhere that should be rather more cosy and comfortable. Make sure your mattress is a good one which suits your needs – clinging on to an old one which has gone soft and shapeless can be very bad for you. Choose a memory foam topper if you can – a mattress of this kind is yielding without being too soft. And a shaggy rug to sink your toes in last thing at night and first thing in the morning is bliss!