Build A Zen Zone

Create a snooze-friendly bedroom with a few simple swaps

One of the easiest ways to be healthy is to sleep well. According to a 2016 study by SingHealth Polyclinics, 44 per cent of Singaporeans sleep less than seven hours on weekdays, and 26 per cent don’t sleep enough on weekends. Furthermore, an online poll across 12 countries by American market research firm Wakefield Research in 2018 found that Singaporeans were the second most sleep-deprived people in the world.

Lack of sleep could profoundly impact our body as sleep is one of the key contributors to good health. One easy way to help you sleep better is to change your bedroom interiors. Studies have shown that the decor and design of your bedrooms can affect the quality of your slumber.

Look at lighting

Light has a significant effect on how you fall asleep and wake up. It affects your 24-hour body rhythm and is nature’s way of stimulating the sleep hormone melatonin. In a research reported in the Scientific Reports journal, Luc Schlangen, principal scientist and Signify (Philips Lighting) research expert says this natural sleep-wake cycle can be disrupted due to an excessive exposure to artificial light in the late evening and at night. That throws our body clocks out of sync. According to a 2016 research in Endocrine Reviews, disrupted sleep can harm your metabolic health.