Paint Colours That Could Help You Sleep

Thinking about giving your bedroom a makeover? It’s tempting to reach for your favourite shades when decorating a bedroom, however these are rarely the best choice for ensuring you get a good night’s sleep. 

Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to avoid bright orange colours and more dramatic shades when decorating your space. However, this doesn’t mean you’re limited to lacklustre bedroom colours. Neutral or pastel shades are a safe choice, but you can explore hues from most colour families when creating a sleep-friendly space. 

Need some pointers to find the best colours that help you sleep? We’ve put together an essential guide to help you find the perfect palette to help you fall asleep without fail. Once you’ve finished reading, take a look through our full collection of paint colours so you can create a truly inspired bedroom of your own. 

The Importance of Creating an Optimal Environment for Sleep

Ideally, we should all be getting at least seven hours of restful sleep every night.  A disrupted sleep cycle not only leaves you feeling exhausted in the morning, it can also lead to all manner of health issues. 

Poor sleep quality can lead to elevated blood pressure and increase your risk of developing chronic health issues like diabetes, heart disease and obesity. It can even affect your mental health, with poor sleep associated with increased instances of depression. 

Many people think investing in a good mattress and blackout blinds is sufficient to get a good night’s sleep. However, you need to think about the bigger picture. 
Choosing the right bedroom colours for sleep is just as important as picking out a quality mattress and premium bedding. As well as enhancing the overall aesthetic of your space, wall colours can have a therapeutic effect, helping you wind and drift off to pleasant dreams. 

Which Paint Colours Can Help You Sleep?

While you’ll want to avoid bright orange colours and shades that overload the senses, you don’t have to stick with flat paint hues when decorating a bedroom. Need some guidance? Read on for some tried and tested tones that will always work well in a bedroom. 

Blue

The colour blue is a popular choice for bedrooms. A blue room promotes a feeling of calm, making it easier to drift off at the end of a busy day. It’s a stable and grounding colour, making it ideal for when you need to unwind. 

You have a huge rage of colour options to choose from. In smaller spaces, pastels and lighter shades work well. However, even intense blues can be used in moderation, bringing the same sleep-boosting benefits to your bedroom.

You can even combine different blues for a tonal decor scheme. Use a paler shade to paint your walls, then reach for a more dramatic hue for a feature wall or decals. 

Green

Green is another classic colour that’s long been used in bedrooms. A green room is soothing and relaxing, with these gorgeous hues evoking a feeling of nature. If falling asleep is a real challenge for you, it’s time to go green. 

As well as helping you sleep, a green palette can energise you in the morning, filling a room with positive vibes. It’s also a good option if you want to embrace natural aesthetics that improve sleep quality. 

If you want to keep the colour light, go with sage greens and botanical-infused hues. These greens work well with oak flooring, wooden furniture and other natural materials. 

As with blue, you’re not limited to one shade when decorating with green. Play around with softer shades and more saturated colours for a tonal bedroom interior. You can even introduce complementary colours like light grey and brown into the mix.

Light Pinks

While it’s typically seen as a kid-friendly choice or a good idea for feminine spaces, light pink is a terrific choice for bedroom makeovers. 

Lighter pinks bring colour intensity, but don’t overwhelm the senses, making them perfect for uninterrupted sleep cycles. Pale pinks are comforting and cocooning, especially when paired with purple room accents. 

Pink can also bring energy to a bedroom. Once the curtains are pulled back in the morning, that bright light can bring a new dimension to pink walls. 

You can coordinate light pink with a wide range of colours. Keep things simple with neutrals, or mix and match with a more intense pink shade or jewel tones. For a more elegant interior, you can even play around with dusky hues and dark grey accents. 

A pale pink bedroom works well with all-white furniture and wooden pieces, but it can also be enhanced with luxurious aesthetics. Take your bedroom decor up a notch by adding a wrought iron bed frame and brass lighting fixtures. 

Neutrals

Some people find neutrals boring, but there are fewer options for creating a sleep-friendly sanctuary. The best neutral paint colours are often enhanced with warm undertones, adding a layer of comfort to your spaces. 

Choose softer shades enriched with pink and brown undertones for a more grounded interior. If you want a neutral wall colour that takes on new depth in the morning, choose something with a hint of yellow. A muted tone imitates sunshine, even when the curtains are pulled to. 

Neutrals are also something to consider if you haven’t decided on the finishing touches yet. A low-key wall colour will make a versatile backdrop, whether you’re using wooden furniture to deck our space or prefer more contemporary aesthetics like mirrored material. 

Off Whites

Sometimes, the best bedroom colours are the most simple. Off-white hues will always make a welcome addition to a bedroom. 

While pure white seems like a good choice for bedrooms, they can be disruptive when exposed to bright lights and sunshine. An off-white hue leaves a room feeling fresh and pared-back but still brings a grounded quality that’s a must for any sleep space. 

If you want to add warmth to your space, go with off-white shades with brown or pink undertones. If you prefer a more fresh and airy aesthetic, go with off-whites with blue and grey undertones. 

Using These Colours to Help You Sleep

Whatever shade you’ve settled on for your bedroom walls, you’ll need to be creative when incorporating these colours into your space. First, consider whether you want to use the same colour for every wall. If you want to bring some variety to your sleep space, consider using a darker colour for a feature wall. 

Just because you’ve opted for a low-key colour for your bedroom walls, doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to more dramatic shades. Your bedding choices and accessories can do a lot for a room palette. However, they should be sympathetic to your wall colour, so don’t think too outside the box. 

Finally, consider those lighting choices. Everyone knows to avoid blue light in the bedroom, so forget about adding contemporary fixtures that are best left in the office or kitchen. Instead, reach for warm lighting when picking out those bedside lamps and reading lights. 

Tips for Creating the Ideal Environment for Quality Sleep

Once you’ve taken care of those decorating tasks, there’s a lot more you can do to create a sleep-friendly space. For starters, remove unnecessary distractions from your bedroom. This includes things like televisions and other electronics. 

Next, take a step back and consider your storage options. You’ll obviously want enough storage to house all your garments and everyday essentials, but you’ll also need to ensure clutter is kept to a minimum. Open shelving seems practical, but it can leave a small space feeling overwhelmed. 

Integrated storage is always a good idea. Ottoman beds and tallboy units are a great way of amplifying your storage capacity, without sacrificing too much square footage. 

You also need to be able to keep your bedroom as dark as possible, especially if you work nights and need to catch up on your sleep during the daylight hours. As such, blackout blinds are curtains are essential.