Can the colors in your bedroom affect your sleep? Most people select bedroom decor, like paint, furniture, and bedding based on their personal aesthetic preferences. But it’s possible that some colors may be more soothing than others, and that could actually affect how well you sleep.
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According to Sleep.org, people who sleep in blue bedrooms sleep longer. Their website explains: “The reason has a whole lot to do with your eyes. Specialized receptors in the retina of your eyes—called ganglion cells—are most sensitive to blue. The ganglion cells are responsible for relaying information to the part of your brain that controls your body’s 24-hour rhythm, which, in turn, affects everything from performance to how you feel physically during the day.
The color blue is associated with feelings of calm which, when picked up by your ganglion cells and relayed to your brain, helps reduce blood pressure and heart rate, all of which help you receive a solid night’s sleep.” They are referring mostly to the color of paint on bedroom walls, but it’s possible that sheet color could play a role, too.
Other experts suggest that your sheet color matters. On his website, Dr. Oz says: “If you sleep on white sheets, you could be sabotaging your sleep. The whiteness reflects the light, which stops the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep.”
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And in an article for HuffPost, feng shui expert Candace Vorhaus wrote: “Clean colored sheets, such as bright yellow, strengthen your health. Spring green is also a good color; the color of rest and renewal. In Feng Shui, the energy associated with white sheets is considered too yin, or weak. Think about it: white sheets are used at hospitals, morgues and funerals to cover a dead body.”
One final thing to consider: Research also shows that bedbugs are more attracted to certain colors. One study found that bedbugs gravitated more to paper tents that were red and black colors, and were less likely to go to green and yellow paper tents.
Related: Check out our top picks for best bamboo sheets, here.
“The authors suggest that a possible explanation for why bed bugs avoided yellow and green colors is because those colors resemble brightly-lit areas,” a press release explained. “These findings are important because they may have implications for controlling the pests.” But that’s not necessarily a reason to panic. Study author Corraine McNeill told CityLab: “I don’t know how far I would go to say don’t get a red suitcase or red sheets, but the research hasn’t been done yet, so we can’t really rule that out completely.”
Ultimately, you should find sheets that feel comfortable and don’t cause you to overheat. Having certain colors in your bedroom might make a difference, or it might not—but if you’re struggling to sleep, a little redecoration can’t hurt.
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