The Danish principle of hygge, meaning a feeling of cosiness and contentment, swept the world in 2016 and 2017. Columnists from the New Yorker to the Guardian were writing about how to bring hygge into your homes.
What these keen authors missed out on, however, is that hygge is not about home-styling a perfectly Scandinavian themed bedroom, or changing your life plans just so that you can get cosy and read a book every evening. Instead, it’s about recognising life’s enjoyable moments, and enhancing them.
In this way, bringing the hygge principle to sleep is a natural fit. Filling your bedroom with moments of hygge will help bring more moments of calm and cosiness to your bedroom, and some of the ways you can create hygge have been scientifically proven to improve the quality of your sleep.
Sleep is incredibly important for our physical and mental wellbeing. We seem to be obsessed with it in our modern society. This is for good reason. Poor sleep has been linked to chronic disease and poor daily performance, while good quality sleep helps your body and mind to heal, improves memory and is key for growth in children and teens. When we consider the fact that we spend roughly a third of our lives sleeping, creating a positive and cosy environment with comfortable bedroom furniture for better sleep seems not only logical but critical to our well-being. So what can you do to improve your sleeping environment?
Here are our top four tips:
1. Declutter Your Space
The idea here is simple. The cleaner your space, the better you sleep. Make your bedroom clutter-free! A National Sleep Foundation poll found that participants who had a cleaner bedroom environment felt it strongly influenced how well they slept. However, this is as much to do with the state of the physical space as it is to do with your headspace. Having a de-cluttered bedroom can help you to relax and empty your mind, helping to calm racing thoughts and focus on sleep.
If your bedroom is small, this can be achieved by storing bulky items in other rooms. If you have a larger space, keeping the area around your bed clear can be a happy medium. If you do need to store things in your room, wall storage solutions or even just a nightstand with drawers can help to keep your (head) space clear. The aim is to create a room that feels light and airy, with lots of natural light during the day so creating floor space is key.
The String® System storage solution, pictured above, is a sleek and organised way of keeping your belongings off the floor. String® has the additional benefit of being customisable and modular, allowing you to organise and re-organise your space (and your thoughts!) to your heart’s content.
2. Make It Cosy!
One of the most important principles of hygge is to love your home and make it your own space. Proponents of Scandinavian style cite the use of candles, as well as layering materials and different textures as the best way to bring some cosy warmth to your rooms. Piles of pillows and bundles of blankets can help to give your room a real hygge feel. A comforting hygge space can help you to leave your work behind and invite you to relax, helping prepare your mind for sleep.
In bedroom decor terms, this also means thinking carefully about your choice of bed linen and pillows. Not all bedding is created equally, nor does the same bedding work for everyone. From a sleep perspective, investing in your bed sheets is one of the best ways to easily improve your sleep. Your body likes to be cool during the night, and so high quality sheets, blankets and quilts that breathe and wick moisture are key.
3. Invest in a Mattress that’s Right for You
This is the single most important thing you can do to improve your sleep. Buying the right mattress can also be the single most difficult purchase you make. Why? The best mattress for you is extremely subjective. You need to find out what works best for you and your body. However, some mattresses are objectively better quality than others, and it is recommended that you do your research and view any mattress you are thinking of purchasing in person and try it out.
A DUX® Bed is an example of what you are looking for in a mattress. DUXIANA has become leaders in the field of sleep science and their market-leading mattress is a reflection of meticulous research and engineering. Their mattresses are specifically designed to help alleviate back pain, and with its patented Pascal system featuring six interchangeable spring cassettes (three for left and right sides of the mattress), it is customisable to give both you and your partner an environment specific to your body shape, weight and preferences. View our range of exquisite DUX beds here.
4. Optimise Your Environment
Finally, bring all your efforts together by crafting an optimal sleep space in your bedroom. Research shows that areas with little light or noise disturbance are best for promoting high quality sleep. Your bedroom should have a cool temperature and should be free of any blue light sources like alarms. Get yourself into a good sleep routine; and it’s advisable you switch off your devices at least two hours before going to bed as the blue light from electronic devices can mimic daytime and confuse your body; exercise regularly and, if you wish, practice meditation before bed. All these small tricks can help to tip the balance between a disturbed night and a dreamy one!
Create Your Bedroom Haven With Us
Keen on giving your bedroom or other spaces in your home a new look but not sure where to start? Why not let our expert team of home styling experts at Danish Design Co help you with beautifying your home? Book an appointment for a home styling service here.
Danish Design | Authentic Designer Furniture