What Bedroom Color Actually Helps You Sleep Better? We Asked the Experts

Ideally, you want your bedroom to feel like a safe haven for unwinding, relaxing and recharging at the end of a busy day. You can (and should) put considerable effort into picking the best mattress, pillow, sleep tracker and other components of your bedroom, but that's not all there is to creating a peaceful place for you to sleep. There's one crucial part that could also affect your sleep quality: the color of your walls.

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You don't usually get to pick the colors that go onto the walls of a rental home or apartment. However, if you get the choice, you should opt for colors that help promote relaxation and potentially lead to better sleep, according to Jamie Gold, a wellness design consultant and the author of Wellness by Design: A Room-by-Room Guide to Optimizing Your Home for Health, Fitness and Happiness.

Ensuring your bedroom is a serene environment can significantly improve your sleep quality. For some people, specific colors can help create that ideal sleep environment. Wondering about the connection between colors and sleep? Read on for everything you need to know about selecting the best colors for sleep.

What colors are best for sleep?

When I chose the colors for my bedroom, I based them on my personal preference and style. But you can be even more strategic with your bedroom since "some colors stimulate your senses, while others help you relax," according to Gold. 

There's nothing wrong with selecting colors for your home that you simply enjoy. But if you're looking for ways to connect color to wellness, you can be even more intentional when you choose. "Comfort and joy is one of my five facets of wellness design, and including your favorite color in your home can certainly enhance that. You do want to be strategic about it, though, and understanding color properties can help," Gold says.

Again, you'll want to select colors for your walls and decor or bedding that you truly enjoy, but, "according to color scientists, conducive colors that invite tranquility to your bedroom include light blue, purple, soft peach, soft green, pink or apricot.Neutrals likebeige, brown and taupecan also work," Gold says. 

If you can't paint your walls, bring in calming colors with decor, such as bedding, rugs, art and curtains.

Colors to avoid in your bedroom

You may want to think twice about using bright, bold colors in your bedroom and save them for other rooms like an office where you want to feel stimulated. "I painted my office a brick red for both its creative, stimulating properties, and because the room opens onto a private patio with brick red walls and I wanted the indoor-outdoor visual connection," Gold says.  

"I wouldn't have put that color in my bedroom even if it also opened onto the patio. That room is painted in soft, deep plum, which I find relaxing; plus it reminds me of my favorite wine country trips for happy memories," he explains. 

Again, the colors you ultimately find comforting or stimulating can vary based on your own personal experiences. But in general, you want to "avoid stimulating colors like red, orange and bright yellow. These are known to generate energy, so you want to keep those out of a room where downshifting into sleep is the goal," Gold says.