How Your Bedroom Environment Shapes Your Mood and Mental Wellbeing

Your bedroom isn’t just the space you sleep in; it’s where every day starts and ends, and it has more power over your mood than you might think. 

From the colours you choose to the light in your room, each detail matters. The right setup can help you recharge, refocus, and feel your best, while the wrong one might be quietly draining you. 

Not sure what your space is doing for your wellbeing? In this guide, we’ve teamed up with the specialists at Hillarys to explore how your bedroom affects your mood, along with practical tips to create a calmer, happier space.

Light and your mood

Getting the light in your bedroom just right is vital for balancing your wellbeing and sleep quality.

Exposure to natural light, for example, is essential for your mental health and mood. 

Enough time in the sun can increase productivity and reduce seasonal depression, making it a pretty powerful ally for overall wellness.

Daylight exposure is also a key part of your circadian rhythm. It helps your body produce serotonin during the day, which is later converted into melatonin, the hormone responsible for restful, high-quality sleep. 

In short, the more natural light you get, the better chance you have of drifting off at night and waking up refreshed.

In your bedroom, focus on maximising natural light during the day with large, clean windows. Keep your curtains open or your blinds up, and feel all the benefits of the sun in your bedroom.

At night, however, the best light to sleep in is none at all. Your body secretes melatonin in response to darkness, making it a must that you’re able to lie down in a dark bedroom when you need to rest. 

“Window dressings play a crucial role in creating a sleep-friendly environment,” says Yvonne Keal, product manager at Hillarys. “The right curtains or blinds can block out unwanted light and muffle noise, helping to signal to your body that it’s time to wind down and rest.”

Blackout made to measure curtains from Hillarys offer a smart solution for restful sleep, allowing you to block out the light from street lamps and passing cars.

Getting the temperature just right

The temperature in your bedroom is a bit of a Goldilocks situation; you don’t want it too hot or too cold, as this can drastically impact your sleep, mood and overall wellbeing.

The best temperature for sleep tends to be between 15°C and 19°C. Typically, a cooler room makes it easier to fall and stay asleep, though this can vary from person to person. Pay attention to the temperatures you sleep best in to learn more about your personal preferences.

When looking at mood and emotional wellbeing, it’s interesting to note that higher temperatures can also increase your stress and irritability. Temperatures that are too low, however, can make you feel lethargic, which isn’t ideal when you’re trying to get up in the morning.

For a boost to your wellbeing, keep your bedroom between 10°C and 21°C during the day.

Too hot to sleep? Discover the best cooling tips for hot sleepers

Struggling to reach your ideal temperature? You can make it easier with the right bedding. The Cloud Duvet, for instance, is available in either a 4.5 or 10.5 tog so that you can choose just how snuggly you are when you go to bed.

Choosing a colour palette

When exploring your bedroom environment and wellbeing, the colour palette is often at the centre. 

Colour psychology can affect mood, focus, and behaviour, and the tones you choose for your bedroom are likely to affect how you feel when you’re in it.

Consider the colour of your bedroom walls, bedding, furniture, and art to curate a space that enhances your wellbeing.

Best bedroom colours for sleep

To create a relaxed, calming sanctuary, opt for soft colours. Forest Green, for example, is often associated with tranquillity and has become a go-to when exploring colours that support better sleep.

There’s also evidence that blue can lower your heart rate, which may help reduce stress and anxiety while inducing better sleep.

Pair these shades with warm, earthy neutrals that reflect the relaxation of nature for a space you can truly rest in.

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Best bedroom colours for mood

If sleep isn’t an issue in your bedroom, you might want to focus on colours that are known for lifting your mood and promoting positive mental wellbeing, instead. There’s some overlap here, too, with green and blue being two colours that fall into both categories.

White is another brilliant choice if you’re creating a restful, positive space. It also works well as a blank canvas, making it easier to add colourful bedding and accessories without creating a cluttered, stressful bedroom.

Adding greenery and plant life

The rise of biophilic design, in which interiors are inspired by nature, has made houseplants a trend that’s here to stay.

Plants bring a whole host of wellbeing-boosting benefits to your bedroom design. They can decrease stress, improve your focus, and lift your mood, making them essential for creating a space you feel good in.

Certain plants can also help you sleep better thanks to their ability to boost air quality. It’s been found that purified air leads to 12 minutes of extra sleep a night, and as plants filter pollutants, they’re a natural way to get a little extra rest. 

Opt for plants with excellent air-purifying qualities, like peace lilies, spider plants, snake plants, and aloe vera.

Curious about bamboo bedding? Uncover the benefits of this wonder plant.

Control noise for a mood boost

If you find that too much noise can impact your mood, you’re not alone.

Exposure to unwanted noise, like traffic outside your bedroom window, has been linked to a host of wellbeing issues. These include an increase in anxiety, depression, and behavioural issues.

Luckily, though, it isn’t all bad. Some sounds can help you relax, induce creativity, and boost positivity. Binaural beats are a great example of this, in which two different frequencies are played in your earphones to encourage your brain to produce relaxing brain waves.

When designing your bedroom, consider ways in which you can control noise. This might include upgrading to double-glazed windows, adding carpeting, and using a speaker or earphones to play relaxing music or binaural beats.

Does bedroom humidity affect wellbeing?

The levels of humidity in your bedroom could affect your mood and sleep quality.

High humidity has been shown to increase wakefulness and reduce REM sleep, reducing the quality of your rest and leading to a decrease in well-being. On the other hand, low humidity can irritate your sinuses and lead to congestion, which impacts sleep and can make you feel stressed, irritated, and tired.

Optimal humidity levels in your bedroom should be between 40% and 60%. If your humidity is too low, consider a humidifier to add moisture to your air. Humidifier benefits also include reducing dry skin and allergies, and helping with respiration.

For bedrooms where humidity is too high, use a dehumidifier to reduce moisture. You might also need to speak to a professional if you think your humidity levels are related to a deeper issue, such as damp or leaks.

Final thoughts

From colour psychology to promoting quality sleep, how you design your bedroom can do a lot to alter your mood and mental wellbeing. Start every day the right way by making conscious choices aligned with your needs.

For more advice on getting a good night’s sleep, check out the latest on our  Sweet Dreams blog.

This post was written by Yvonne Keal, in collaboration with Hillarys Blinds. Yvonne has over 20 years’ experience in the interiors industry. Since joining Hillarys in 2003, she has successfully launched many window dressing collections, including Roller blinds, Vertical blinds, Roman blinds, curtains and Voiles. She is passionate about improving the sustainability of Hillarys products, by continually improving the materials they use. Yvonne provides practical advice to help customers better understand which styles are best for their windows.