Achieving better sleep requires combining healthy lifestyle habits with a calming bedroom layout that tells your brain it's time to rest and sleep. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, optimizing bed placement, and putting in place light and temperature control measures are examples of strategies to help improve sleep quality.
You'd want to get higher-quality sleep as soon as possible, as many health problems stem from poor sleep. As the Harvard Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine points out, short-term lack of sleep can already impact judgment and mood. In the long run, sleep deprivation can lead to chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
What Does Healthy Sleep Even Mean?
Healthy sleep is a multi-faceted pattern of sleep-wakefulness, in which sleeping helps promote one's physical health and mental well-being while asleep and awake. Some of its key characteristics include:
- Adequate duration
- Restfulness
- Proper timing
Unfortunately, as crucial as healthy sleep is, many people don't get enough of it.
An April 2026 data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that in 2024, over one in four (30.5%) adults had an average sleep duration of under seven hours (24-hour period). Adults within the age groups of 35 to 49 and 50 to 64 had the highest rates of short sleep duration, at 33.4% and 34.5%, respectively.
Why Is Achieving Better Sleep Important?
Achieving better sleep is crucial because it's a critical component of optimal health and well-being. How you feel while you're awake (e.g., perky and energetic vs. fatigued and irritable) depends partly on how you sleep and what happens during this period.
Adequate, quality sleep is also essential for the growth and development of children and teens. Conversely, poor, interrupted, and short sleep durations can increase the risk for chronic health problems, regardless of one's age.
A guide published by the National Sleep Foundation notes that experts recommend adults (18 to 64 years old) get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Older adults (65 and older), meanwhile, should aim for seven to eight hours.
What Do You Need to Know About Better Sleep Habits and Your Bedroom Layout?
Your bedtime habits, bedroom layout, and furnishings can all influence your sleep, impacting your nervous system, physical comfort, and mental relaxation. Understanding these factors can help you make targeted changes that can positively impact your sleep quality and duration.
Maintaining a Consistent Sleep Schedule
A consistent sleep schedule helps synchronize and stabilize your body's internal clock (circadian rhythm). Going to bed around the same time every night (e.g., between 9 and 10 pm) trains your body and brain to anticipate, gradually relax, and prepare to sleep as your bedtime draws closer.
With a consistent sleep schedule, you're more likely to:
- Fall asleep faster
- Stay asleep for at least seven hours (for adults)
- Wake up from your sleep feeling well-rested
Optimizing Room Organization and Furnishing
Clutter can be a potent cognitive stimulant. Having too much clutter and mess in your sleep and relaxation space can trigger subtle stress responses in your body, making it harder for you to fall asleep and enjoy longer, better sleep.
Your bedroom layout strategies should therefore include decluttering, organizing, and keeping the room clean. Buying the right mattress and bedroom furnishings with the help of smart and practical furniture shopping tips is just as crucial.
The kind of mattress you sleep on, for instance, can impact how comfortable you are before, during, and after sleep. Too soft, and it won't provide adequate physical support; too firm, and it won't provide enough cushioning.
Factoring in Bed Placement
You can try the bed placement technique called "command position" in Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese practice of building arrangement and space harmonization. It involves having the bed centered against a solid wall while providing a clear view of the door without being directly in front of or aligned with it.
The command position may help calm your nervous system and prepare it for sleep, as it lets you monitor the door while not completely exposing you and your bed.
Putting in Place Temperature and Light Control Measures
Keep your bedroom temperature cool, around 60°F to 67°F. Doing so can help you get better sleep, as this range matches the body's natural temperature drop during nighttime.
Invest in blackout curtains, drapes, or blinds, too. They can help by blocking out artificial outdoor lights (e.g., street lamps) and early morning sun.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can You Do to Wind Down Before Bed?
Winding down before bedtime means transitioning from an active mode to a more relaxed state. It helps tell your body and brain that it'll be time to sleep soon.
Make this switch from work mode to unloading your brain about an hour before bedtime. You can, for instance, write a to-do list for the next day. It can help prevent you from worrying about and rehearsing them in bed, which would only likely keep you up.
You should also turn off screens to avoid bright (blue light) and stimulating content. Instead, engage in relaxing activities, like:
- Reading a feel-good book
- Gentle stretching
- Slow breathing exercises
What Does It Mean if Your Body Doesn't Let You Sleep Like You Want?
If your body won't let you sleep, even if you feel tired, even exhausted, it likely means your nervous system is in a continuous state of hyperarousal. In this case, wake-promoting areas in your brain remain active even at night, instead of letting rest and sleep take over.
Hyperarousal can stem from many causes and factors, including stress and mental health issues. Stress, for example, can trigger your body to produce more cortisol (also called the "stress" hormone). It could keep you awake by making you feel more alert and spiking your energy and blood sugar levels.
Enjoy Better Sleep With These Techniques and Insights
Getting better sleep isn't optional, at least not for your health in the long run, as chronic sleep deprivation can put your well-being at risk and make you more susceptible to illnesses. If you haven't been sleeping well, try the techniques in this guide. Follow a consistent sleep schedule, get the right mattress and furnishings, and have temperature and light controls in place.
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