Inside The London Nest: Bedroom
I used to love sleeping, and I was such a good sleeper. Like nap time? You tell me when and I'll do it.But as I've gotten older, sleeping just doesn't seem to come so easy. It's not that I don't always want to, it's just that sometimes, I can't. With such busy lives, access to our emails 24/7, and the constant worrying of 'have I done enough today? Have I seen all the people I need to see this month?', it's hard to completely switch off. Take time out.So we tried to make our bedroom that chilled space. And whilst we're not here to be all 'no phone zone' (because we totally are responding to emails at 11pm), we did agree that we wouldn't buy a TV for our bedroom. And in all honesty? I miss it on those Sunday mornings we have at home. But other than that, it helps. It really does.I think...
Less clutter really does help
I used to be such a hoarder, and to a certain extent I still am (although nowhere near as bad as the male, who fyi wanted to keep a spare kettle in the cupboard just incase - really?), however I much prefer a more minimalist approach at home. And whilst that's not to everyone's taste (and that is totally cool), I love my bedroom in particular to have less clutter dotted around. Our wardrobe is fairly small, so that does result in the occasional pile up of clothes by the side of the bed - I mean, who doesn't?! But when it's tidied away, it really does make for a much calmer space. Meaning a hopefully calmer sleep...
Natural light in the morning
This is my favourite one, and I know a lot of people disagree. Ever since I've lived as a grown up (as in, not a place with my folks), I've chosen voils over curtains. There's something so much better about waking up to the natural light and not feeling groggy, and unsure on what the time is (looking at you winter, when it's still dark at 8am!). We actually have venetian style blinds in our bedroom at the moment, which isn't to my taste, but as we're in rented we get by. I tend to pull the blinds down, but leave them open slightly, because we're on the ground floor so whilst it stops any nosy neighbours looking in as I undress for bed, it also still lets that natural light creep in as morning starts.
A good solid (not literally) mattress
I never understood this as a child, like, a mattress was just a mattress surely. WRONG. Actually, a good mattress, an incredible mattress infact is key, and makes such a difference. I'd had my previous mattress only four years, and I was pretty attached to it, so when I received a Simba Hybrid mattress I was sceptical. Sceptical as I'm not really a lover of the memory foam kind. And in all honestly, I wasn't sure after the first night, or even the third night. But we're now 5 weeks in and I LOVE IT. Genuinely. It makes me not only want to get into bed earlier (and even say I'm busy sometimes just so I can get more time in bed), but also doesn't leave me with aches and pains thanks to my awkward sleeping positions. So next time you need a new mattress, invest*. That's all I'll say - because it makes such a difference!
Keep it just as a space to sleep
As I mentioned, we decided against having a TV in the bedroom, which was a hard one to make (there were a lot of debates, and still debates going on now). And I think it helps. Because we tend to spend more time in the rest of the house (well, what there is!), which then makes us associate our bed with sleeping, ensuring a better night sleep. Of course, I would be lying if I said I've never worked from my bed, because I know there's been a few very cold days and so working under the duvet (and on that comfortable mattress) is why I freelance, but where possible we keep it as a room for sleeping. Or unwinding. With a good book and a peppermint tea!
Do you have any tips for a good night sleep?
This post is in collaboration with Simba, where I was kindly gifted a mattress, however all views and photographs are my own. *If you click this link to Simba, it'll provide you with an amazing £75 off your own mattress, which definitely helps! And don't forget that they have their 100 night trial, which I think is a great sell. That's my honest opinion.