Which Colours Can Help You Sleep Best?
Lauren JaquesWhile some people find it easy to drift off to a peaceful slumber as soon as they lay their head on the pillow, it’s not so straightforward for others. For many, tossing and turning and waking up feeling as tired as they went to bed is the reality.
Stress, scrolling social media and too much caffeine are some of the usual factors that come to mind when you try and think of reasons you may be struggling to sleep. But have you ever considered the impact the colour of your bedroom could be having?
We were curious to find out if there were any similarities between those who sleep well and the colour of their bedroom, so we conducted a survey to dig a little deeper.
We asked 1000 people from across the UK questions about their sleeping habits, including how long they sleep on an average night, how well they sleep and whether they feel the colour of their room impacts their mood, and this is what we found.
Could white be the answer?
Delphine Ottoman Bed Frame
39% of the 1000 people we surveyed revealed white to be the main colour in their bedroom. We also discovered that more men had white as their primary colour than women (a).
When it came to how well each gender slept, almost double the number of women to men said they slept less than four hours per night (b). And when we looked at the quality of sleep, women seem to be falling behind again, with just over 17% of men saying they felt ‘full of energy’ when they woke up, compared with less than 4% of women (c).
This could also explain why more women said they wanted to change the colour of their bedroom compared to men, with over 27% of women claiming they would like a change, compared to just over 20% of men (d).
So, could switching to white really help you get a better night’s sleep? Of course, so many factors can impact how much sleep we get, such as the amount of caffeine we consume and how late we go to bed. However, some of the qualities so often associated with the colour white could be beneficial to creating a calming sanctuary to fall asleep. White is often linked to feelings of purity, clarity, and serenity, which would be ideal for the atmosphere we want to create to help us drift off into a peaceful night’s slumber (1).
Black is back
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Although black may not be the first colour that springs to mind when you think of calming, tranquil colours for a bedroom, black actually ranked highly as the main colour palette of those who slept the best.
Of the 1000 people surveyed, those aged between 16 and 24 had the most people with black as their main bedroom colour (e). This age group also ranked the highest for getting between nine and ten hours of sleep a night (f), and they ranked highest for those who feel the most ‘full of energy’ when they wake up (g).
In comparison, those aged 55 and over were the age group with the least number of people with black as their primary bedroom colour (h). And only 3% of those over 55 said they woke up feeling ‘full of energy’ compared to 18% of 16 to 24-year-olds (i).
When we looked at responses based on geographical area, we discovered people in Greater London had the highest percentage of people who have black as their main bedroom colour (j), and they were also the region from all of the UK to most report feeling ‘full of energy’ when they woke up (k).
Although in western society, black is often associated with more subdued moods and feelings of grief, in other cultures, black is often regarded as a more peaceful colour. For example, in Feng Shui, the Chinese system used to maximise the flow of energy in a room, black is closely related to the water element, representing qualities of stillness, wisdom and quiet contemplation (2).
It is also interesting to note that when we sleep at night, we usually have the room in total darkness with no light at all to help us sleep. Could it, therefore, be that black could be the key colour to help us unlock a good night’s sleep?
Beautiful blue beds
Penelope Upholstered Bed Frame in Navy
Our survey results revealed those from the southwest of England reported some of the highest rates of people feeling the most ‘pleasantly refreshed’ when they woke up (l) and they also ranked one of the highest for having blue as the main colour of their bedroom (m).
Shades of blue and light green have always been regarded as some of the most soothing colours. According to colour psychology, blue can denote feelings of calmness, security and tranquillity (3). When you think of blue, many people think of beautiful skies or calm blue oceans, which for many can help them feel restful and therefore aid a night of peaceful sleep.
Can yellow be mellow?
Hemingway Upholstered Bed frame in Turmeric
Although yellow is often described as a cheerful colour, it did not rank highly in our survey results as being the main colour people have in their bedroom (n). Northern Ireland was the region to have the most people with yellow as their primary bedroom colour(o). And interestingly, with just over 21%, Northern Ireland also had the most of any other region of people saying they felt ‘very tired’ when they woke up in a morning like they ‘haven’t slept all night (p).
Many respondents from our survey described brighter colours as being too ‘distracting’ and ‘stimulating’, which could explain why yellow is not a very popular choice for a room where we need to minimise stimulation in order to get a restful sleep.
For those who like yellow, you could look at adding splashes of yellow rather than having it as the main feature colour. You could also opt for pastel shades which will help tone down the vibrancy.
Do colours really impact our mood?
Some people feel colours are just colours and cannot directly impact our mood, however, the results of our survey showed that of the 1000 people we asked, just over 50 per cent felt colours did influence our mood (q).
When asked how colours impact them, people described colours as being able to help lift our mood, that colours can help relax us, soothe us, and make us feel happier and most positive. In contrast, many people also thought that some colours can feel intimidating and even depressing.
Even though colours are not the only factor that affects our mood, being aware of the colours that make us feel happy and content, and those that make us feel heavier and more subdued, can really help with interior design. The colour of your bedroom is the last thing you see every night before you fall asleep and the first thing you see each morning, so it makes sense to choose colours that help us feel our most content in order to give ourselves the best chance of getting a good night’s sleep.
Colour your bedroom your way
If you’d like to add a pop of peaceful colour to your bedroom, why not take a look at Benson’s your bed, your way® service? Our wide range of beds comes with a large variety of headboards, bases, fabrics and colour choices to help you create your perfect bedroom. Go for steel or graphite grey to make a statement, or choose blush pink, linen beige or oyster to create a more understated vibe.
Survey Results and Sources:
(a)226 of 492 male respondents answered ‘white’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’ 168 of 508 female respondents answered ‘white’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’
(b)15 of 508 female respondents answered, ‘less than 4 hours’ when asked ‘How much sleep do you get on average each night?’ 7 of 492 male respondents answered ‘less than 4 hours’ when asked ‘How much sleep do you get on average each night?’
(c)84 of 492 male respondents answered, ‘full of energy’ when asked ‘Which of the following, if any, best describes how you feel most mornings when you wake up?’ 20 of 508 female respondents answered, ‘full of energy’ when asked ‘Which of the following, if any, best describes how you feel most mornings when you wake up?’
(d)140 of 508 female respondents answered yes when asked ‘Would you like to change the colour of your bedroom’?’ 103 of 492 male respondents answered yes when asked ‘Would you like to change the colour of your bedroom?’
(e)21 of 131 respondents aged 16-24 answered ‘black’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’
(f)10 of 131 respondents aged 16-24 answered ‘9-10 hours’ when asked ‘How much sleep do you get on average each night?’
(g)24 of 131 respondents aged 16-24 answered ‘full of energy’ when asked ‘Which of the following, if any, best describes how you feel most mornings when you wake up?’
(h)4 of 384 respondents aged 55+ answered ‘black’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette if your bedroom, if any?’
(i)24 of 131 respondents aged 16-24 answered ‘full of energy’ when asked ‘Which of the following, if any, best describes how you feel most mornings when you wake up?’ 13 of 131 respondents aged 55+ answered ‘full of energy’ when asked ‘Which of the following, if any, best describes how you feel most mornings when you wake up?’
(j)15 of 128 respondents from Greater London answered ‘black’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’
(k)20 of 128 respondents from Greater London answered, ‘full of energy’ when asked ‘Which of the following, if any, best describes how you feel most mornings when you wake up?’
(l)10.34% of those surveyed from Southwest England answered ‘pleasantly refreshed’ when asked ‘Which of the following, if any, best describes how you feel most mornings when you wake up?’
(m)17.24% of those surveyed from Southwest England answered ‘blue’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’
(n)30 of 1000 respondents answered ‘yellow’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’
(o)10.71% of those from Northern Ireland answered ‘yellow’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’
(p)6 of 28 respondents from Northern Ireland answered ‘very tired like I haven’t slept at all’ when asked ‘Which of the following, if any, best describes how you feel most mornings when you wake up’.
(q)502 of 1000 respondents answered ‘yes’ when asked ‘In your opinion, do you feel the colour you choose for interior design can have an impact on your mood?’
Sources
(1) Feng Shui Tips for Decorating Your House With White (thespruce.com)
(2) The Meanings of Major Colors in Feng Shui (thespruce.com)