French Bedroom has been specialising in creating perfect bedrooms for over 12 years. We love every part of helping our customers create their dream bedroom with their own unique signature style - combining beautifully made investment pieces with eye-catching and contemporary lighting and accessories, with an emphasis on classic French style. We pride ourselves on creating inspiring interiors that are classic but playful, on-trend but timeless, and luxurious but carefree.
Over the years we have learnt a lot about getting the perfect nights sleep and we want to help you have the bedroom of your dreams, and that means creating a space that makes you feel good, is welcoming, comforting and most importantly; conducive to a good night's sleep.
The Signature Piece
Picking the right bed is a great place to start. The perfect bed needs to be large enough, stable (so it doesn't creak and wake you if you roll over in your sleep) and have a decent headboard. Air needs to circulate around the whole bed, so if you are storing things underneath keep this in mind. According to Feng Shui, sleeping on top of clutter or emotive items such as photos and old clothes can affect our sleep too, but well-packed spare bedding, blankets and pillows are acceptable items to store under your bed.
The next piece worth investing in is a quality mattress - the most important item in your whole bedroom. We love the range from Vispring, and in terms of manufacturing processes, theirs is elite. Every aspect of the Vispring mattress construction has been fine-tuned to offer a truly luxurious night's sleep, from fillings, to ventilation, to the way the mattress holds your body. These mattresses are crafted from the finest quality, award-winning wool and cotton, the perfect cloud-like backdrop to your bedsheets. Vispring mattresses utilise an incredible amount of springs which guarantee optimum comfort and durability.
The story of Vispring’s beginnings is enchanting; in 1901, English engineer James Marshall wanted to offer his wife the most precious gift – a perfect night's sleep. Marshall created a mattress that incorporated both a respected tradition and future development. He handcrafted a mattress using only natural materials, containing individually pocketed springs for maximum comfort - his token of love still stands today, and it has changed the way we sleep forever.
The Supporting Act
In 2020 French Bedroom conducted a sleep survey to discover what makes the most significant difference to our sleep, and it seems that choosing the right bedding is paramount. Data revealed that feather and down duvets are more strongly associated with a long night's sleep. Sixty-one percent of people with feather and down duvets reported that they get more than seven hours of sleep a night, compared with just 55% of people with synthetic duvets. People with synthetic duvets are also 12% more likely to wake up frequently during the night than people with feather and down duvets. This may be due to overheating, as synthetic fillings can't regulate body heat in the same way that natural ones do.
Pillow choices garnered similar results too, with feather and down pillows reigning supreme. Synthetic pillows do not offer the same level of neck support as those made of other fabrics; an argument supported by those with feather and down pillows who are 66% more likely not to report sleeping difficulties or daytime tiredness than individuals with synthetic pillows.
Cotton, Silk & Linen Are The Natural Choice
Another contributing factor to a good night's sleep is your bed linen. Sixty-five percent of people who own cotton blend bed linen reported getting at least seven hours of sleep on an average weeknight, while also being less likely to report any sleeping difficulties or daytime tiredness. Of the most common bed linen types used by people in the UK, polyester was most frequently associated with getting fewer than four hours of sleep a night (polyester offers poor body temperature regulation during the night).
If you are looking for something with a more luxe aesthetic, Mulberry silk might be for you. Supremely soft silk bed linen is widely recognised for its inherent beauty benefits; leading dermatologists have confirmed silk's anti-ageing benefits because it helps skin retain its natural moisture, keeping it soft, supple, and helping reduce fine facial lines and wrinkles. Because silk contains the same naturally occurring proteins as hair, sleeping on luxuriously soft silk reduces friction and moisture loss, preventing hair from becoming dry and brittle, so you wake up with healthy, sleek and shiny hair. Silk is also hypoallergenic and breathable as it works to regulate your body's temperature, so you sleep soundly all night long.
We'll never stop praising the virtues of linen as the ideal fabric for a perfect night's sleep. Being a natural and breathable fibre and enzyme washed for extra softness, it's gentle against your skin and improves in softness wash after wash. Pure linen has anti-allergic qualities and low maintenance (no ironing required for a relaxed bedroom vibe). Because air can permeate the loose 'slub' fibres, linen also keeps you cool and fresh in the summer and warm and toasty in the winter months.⠀⠀
The Right Light
As the sun sets and it starts to get dark, our internal body clock triggers the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. We don't want to stand in nature's way so, creating a soft ambience with table lamps, dimmed wall lights, and luxury scented candles will help.
To The Mind
Once you have perfected your environment, it is time to get into the right mindset. Unlike the !Kung; hunter-gatherer tribe in Botswana, who only sleep when they're tired (no matter what time of day it is), it seems we perform better with a good sleep routine. Setting a regular bedtime that ensures you have enough sleep before your alarm goes off in the morning and then following that pattern night after night, will instil a pattern that your body will begin to recognise.
There Are A Number Of Things You Can Do To Help Induce Slumber;
A restorative bath with mineral salts offers the most relaxing of experiences. Epsom salts contain magnesium, a mineral that promotes feel-good serotonin by reducing adrenaline effects - brought on by stress. Magnesium can give the feeling of rejuvenation, without restlessness and anxiety and easily absorbed into the skin during a bath.
A cup of relaxing herbal tea can also help, chamomile is renowned for making you feel sleepy. The plant extract contains apigenin, a chemical compound that induces sleepiness when it binds to the brain's GABA receptors. Valerian Root is another popular herb to help aid a restful night’s sleep, but there are many blends out there with a combination of herbs to help you reach a sleepy state.
Lighting an essential oil candle or burner can infuse your space with a relaxing scent and give the healing properties of plants too. The following oils can all be good choices for helping you relax and ready for sleep.
Lavender for its calming and relaxing properties - for a peaceful sleep and to ease feelings of tension.
Bergamot for its ability to be both uplifting and calming, making it ideal for helping with anxious and sad feelings. Ylang Ylang can lessen tension and stress and to promote a positive outlook. Rose will uplift your spirits and bring about feelings of love, care, and comfort.
Clear Your Mind
The worry of insomnia is enough to keep your mind racing and as the minutes or hours pass by the increasing anxiety lessens your chances to drop off. When it starts getting dark, and you begin winding down, your brain produces melatonin, a hormone that tells your body when it's time to head to bed. If you are stressed, this can affect production and make it harder to drop off. It can be a good idea to avoid things that cause tension in the evening; television, news, video games can all get you worked up, so start thinking about ways to ensure a relaxing period before heading to your luxury French bed.
Write It Down
If you find your mind is fixed on a particular thought, or if you are keeping things in your head that you have to remember, write them down and let them go. Then complete the following:
1: Your winning moment of the day - some achievement, some interaction you handled well, just one moment that deserves a pat on the back.
2: Three things that you are grateful for: your children/family, fantastic friends, your home, your car, your health, the sun shining on you, the place you live…. whatever it is, write it down and take in how it makes you feel.
3: Lastly, one goal you wish to achieve the next day. This is not an opportunity to compile a massive to-do list, just one thing, however small, that is manageable for you to complete tomorrow.
This routine can be something that you complete every evening. Going to bed feeling good about things is an excellent way to wake up positive about the day ahead, but it is more sciency than that. Feeling good about past achievements releases more serotonin, to help regulate your mood and sleep-wake cycles.
We hope this guide will help you create a bedroom of your dreams where you can find a peaceful and restorative night’s sleep and a haven where you can feel safe and rested.
To search, discover and shop French Bedroom's classic French style for your home, simply click here.
For more style inspiration to create your perfect home, follow us on Instagram and Pinterest, or to search and discover over 100+ furniture retailers across the entire market, simply click here.
