Getting a good night’s sleep is critical for health, wellbeing, recovery and mental acuity. When you sleep, your body and your brain rest and repair themselves, so not getting enough sleep can affect your ability to function, and be detrimental to your health.

There are a number of factors that can influence the quality of your sleep, including:

• Mattress quality
• Bed sheets
• Room colour scheme
• Room temperature

Given that all of these factors can impact the quality of sleep you get (and how well your body can rest and repair itself), understanding how you can improve each of them to get the rest you need is important.

Is your mattress impacting your sleep?

Sleeping on the right mattress is incredibly important for a comfortable sleep.

A mattress that’s too hard or too soft won’t do your body any favours, and an out-of-alignment back or neck can cause not only sleep issues but migraines and other health problems too. Taking the time to research what kind of mattress you need, while balancing quality with cost, will make a big difference.

Sleep experts suggest that you should replace your mattress if one or more of the following apply:

• It’s 6-8+ years old
• It’s affecting your sleep
• It’s saggy or damaged in certain areas
• It’s making more noise than usual (noisy springs are common in old innerspring mattresses)
• You find that you sleep better when you stay with friends or at a hotel
• Your allergies and/or asthma is getting worse
• You regularly wake up with muscle or joint stiffness and you know it’s not from exercise

Essentially, you should replace your bed if it’s no longer helping you get restful sleep.

Make sure you invest in quality bed sheets

Bed sheets play a bigger part in helping you sleep than many people give them credit for, which is why choosing the right bed sheets is another factor that’s important for helping you get a good night’s sleep.

Using a flat and fitted bed sheet combination will help keep your bed tangle-free, and the fabric you choose will make a difference too. 100% cotton sheets will keep you cool and comfortable in summer and flannelette – that’s brushed cotton - will keep you snug and cosy in winter.

Sheets made from polyester do not breathe like 100% cotton sheets do, and trap heat from your body through the night. Polyester sheets are also more prone to static, are more absorbent of body oils (making them harder to treat for stains), and pill if tumble-dried which can make them feel rougher on your skin.

When comparing polyester vs cotton sheets, cotton sheets win in durability, comfort and breathability.

How the bedroom colour scheme can affect sleep

Different colours have different effects on mood and sleep, so the colour of your room walls, décor, furniture and even bedding can have an impact on your sleep. Restful colours that are ideal for bedrooms include:

• Blue – promotes calmness, stability and serenity
• Green – symbolises nature, calmness and tranquillity
• Light pink – represents gentleness and calmness, relieving stress
• White – the colour of serenity, cleanliness and comfort
• Beige or sand – a warmer alternative to white, shades of beige and sand promote simplicity, quiet and relaxation

The colours to avoid in your bedroom are red, purple, brown, orange and black, which can have the opposite effects to the above, creating a feeling of energy and creativity, which aren’t conducive to restful sleep at all.

Is your room temperature right?

Your ambient room temperature is another factor that will directly impact your sleep. Being too hot in summer and too cold in winter will make it difficult to rest easily.  Research has found the ideal sleeping temperature is around 17 to 19 degrees Celsius.

If you can’t keep a window open in summer because of bugs or noise, revisiting the bed sheets you’ve chosen is your next best step, and we have some tips that can help you on that.

Likewise, choosing warmer, cosier bedding in winter will help keep your body at the right temperature so you can sleep.

Understanding the factors that influence sleep quality

Understanding the factors that could be impacting the quality of your sleep is important, as are the steps you can take to improve the restful ambience of your bedroom. From the quality of your mattress and bed sheets to the colour scheme and temperature of your room, these are all things that you can address to help you get a better night’s sleep.

Bed sheets that will actually help you sleep

For bed sheets that will help you get a good night’s rest, the  Zip Sheets range of 300 thread count 100% cotton and 180gsm winter-weight flannelette zip-up bed sheets are the best sheets you can buy for cosiness, convenience and comfort.

Check out our full range of bed sheets, available in range of both vibrant and restful colours, and get the sleep you – and your family - deserve.