Upgrading your bedding, blocking out lights and sounds, and changing your sleepwear are all things you can do to promote sleep. Keep reading for more things you can do, as well as tips from our team.

person sleeping with eye mask
Illustrations by Maya Chastain

Your bedroom might offer convenience by day, but there’s a chance it has a different impact at night.

A hot, bright, cluttered room can disrupt your sleep and keep you lying awake for a chunk of this time. This can negatively impact your waking health.

Updating your bedroom can help you get better sleep and improve overall well-being. Our tips below can help you get one step closer to achieving the best sleep.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain and body don’t get a chance to rest, recharge, and carry out the essential processes that keeps your body functioning.

The amount of time you spend sleeping matters, but so does the quality. If you spend hours tossing and turning, you may not feel very rested the next day.

Making a few changes can help you create a more comfortable sleep environment:

  • Temperature. A cooler room and bed can reduce nighttime sweating and improve sleep. Keep your bedroom thermostat set to 65°F, give or take a few degrees.
  • Light. Blue light can disrupt sleep. Putting down your devices, using blackout curtains, and using dim lights at night can improve your rest.
  • Pets. If you’re unable to get good sleep with your pet, consider keeping them off the bed.
  • Tidiness. You may not see your bedroom clutter while you sleep, but it could still have an impact on your rest. Try tidying up and making your bed each day.
Tips we live by

“I have been either shutting off my heater or opening up the window in my bedroom an hour or two before bedtime. It cools down the room significantly, and I found that I sleep better and longer throughout the night.”

— Victoria, senior influencer marketing manager

If your bedding is old, worn-out, or in a state that prevents you from maintaining an ideal sleep temperature, you may not feel great in bed. Better bedding doesn’t just improve your rest, it can also make bedtime more inviting.

Sheets and comforter

There are many types of cotton sheets. Everyone has a different preference, so you’ll want to look for sheets that feel comfortable to you.

Take a trip to your local department store to give different types of sheets a touch test. Not all brands have the exact same feel, but this can give you a better idea of what fabrics you prefer.

If you sleep on the warmer side, look for natural fabrics, including:

Polyester and other synthetic sheets can trap heat, leaving you sticky and sweaty.

Pillows

If you’re sleeping on yellowed, stained, or flat pillows — or ones with a strange smell — it’s time to toss them and bring in something new.

A good pillow should support the alignment of your spine during sleep. This can help reduce neck pain and promote better sleep.

You should also consider your regular sleeping position. Side sleepers may rest more comfortably on firmer, fuller pillows. Thin, soft pillows will help stomach sleepers maintain good spinal alignment. A medium firmness might work best if you sleep on your back.

Mattress

While you may think that you would get the best sleep on the softest mattress, that is not the case for most people.

Side sleepers may benefit from the pressure relief offered by softer foam mattresses, but research suggests a medium-firm mattress is a good option for most people looking to improve sleep quality and comfort.

If you only sleep on your stomach or back, you could go a little firmer.

Tips we live by

“White noise and cozy bedding are two essentials for me! I’m a very light sleeper, so I always have a fan running to minimize any disruptive noises that might wake me up. I’ve also spent the last few years curating the comfiest blankets, pillows, and sheets I could find so I genuinely look forward to getting into bed every night.”

— Morgan, newsletter editor

Bright light can disrupt your circadian rhythm and impact your levels of melatonin, the hormone that signals bedtime.

Depending on your schedule, you may go to bed before the sun fully sets or wake up well after daybreak. This means daylight could wake you before you intend on getting up.

Lights inside your room can have an impact, too. Turning on bright lights in the evening and using them until bedtime can also suppress melatonin, keeping your body in “awake mode.” This can prevent you from falling asleep.

Dimming the lights can also work. As soon as you finish your tasks for the night, turn off any bright lights and keep the lights low.

Blackout curtains

Blackout curtains can help you make the most of sunlight during the day and completely block it out when you need to sleep.

Blackout curtains could also help lower your energy bills.

Sleep masks

A sleep mask may help if you aren’t able to block out all lights.

There are many types of eye masks, such as weighted masks, heating or cooling masks, and masks infused with scents like lavender. These can provide additional relaxation.

Tips we live by

“I’m a big fan of eye masks. I live in a city and even with my blackout curtains, light still finds it’s way into my room. The eye mask also blocks out light pollution from my partner’s cell phone.”

— Megan, senior editorial director

Blue light glasses

Knowing that turning off devices before bedtime helps reduce exposure to blue light is one thing, but actually following through is another.

You may work through the evening. You may also use the nighttime hours to browse social media, play video games, or catch up with friends. Essentially, not everyone can avoid blue light at night.

Blue light glasses can help reduce your exposure to blue light when you’re having trouble turning off screens entirely.

A 2021 study found that blue light blocking glasses reduced the time it took to fall asleep in individuals with:

However, research on its effectiveness is mixed.

While it may be ideal to turn off screens entirely before bed, it can be a hard habit to break. Using a pair of blue light-blocking glasses can be a good compromise as you work towards cutting it out.

If you’re a light sleeper, noises from outside your bedroom — or a snoring partner — can keep you lying awake.

To block out these sounds, you could try:

Tips we live by

“I’ve recently started to listen to crystal bowl meditations right when I’m ready to shut my eyes. They help me drown out whatever noise is coming from my downstairs neighbors and help me drift into sleep.”

— Louisa, editor

Pajamas should feel soft on your skin. They should be warm enough to keep you cozy but breathable enough to keep you cool and dry. Tight waistbands, cuffs, collars, and rough fabrics may not promote restful sleep.

You may also benefit from sleeping naked.

A good first step is to take stock of your current sleep habits. Have you noticed anything specific keeping you awake? Start there, and see how your sleep improves. You don’t necessarily need to redo your entire room.

On the other hand, you might feel ready to do a complete bedroom upgrade. You may consider repainting your walls with a more sleep-friendly color.

Take some time to look into the best options for you. You’ll find plenty of mattresses, sheets, and pillows online, so investing in the right ones can help you get more quality rest for years to come.

Tips we live by

“White noise machine, keeping my phone out of the bedroom at night time, breathable cotton sheets, and quality pillows are all key to building my sleep haven.”

— Rose, senior manager

Low-cost room upgrades

A room upgrade can get a bit pricey, and you may not have room in your budget for a new bed or mattress.

Consider these smaller changes that can still make a difference:

  • Bring out your fan. A box fan can be a cheap option for blocking disruptive noise and keeping you cooler through the night.
  • Wash your sheets and blankets. Keeping fresh sheets on your bed can make bedtime more appealing.
  • Make your bed. When you wake up, make your bed. It may not seem like much, but it can change the feel of your room and give it a more put-together look.
  • Declutter. Put away anything on the floor to promote both tidiness and safety. Clean desk drawers can make it easier to work. Hanging organizers or storage drawers also make great affordable tidying solutions.
  • Move some furniture. Consider moving things around to create a more open, peaceful environment.
  • Consider your senses. Cracking the window for an hour or so each day (or longer during nice weather) can refresh the air and your mood. A reed diffuser with essential oils can also add a touch of fragrance.
Tips we live by

“Before bed, I light a soy candle that smells like fresh-cut roses and let the soothing scent fill the room for about 20 minutes. Then I turn on some thunderstorm sounds, and I’m usually out in less than five minutes. It’s my little routine, and it works like a charm!”

— Sandra, senior editor

Sleep is an essential part of your health. Taking steps to ensure you get quality sleep can impact every part of your day.

You may consider upgrading your bedding, mattress, or pajamas. But you don’t necessarily have to spend money in order to improve your sleep. Smaller changes like turning on a fan at night or making your bed in the morning can also have an impact.

Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.