7 cozy bedroom ideas recommended by experts

Where you sleep affects how you sleep. And that means coziness is a factor of restful shut-eye.

In honor of Daylight Savings Time beginning on March 13, which means most Americans turn the clocks ahead and lose an extra hour of sleep, we reached out to experts to get some cozy bedroom ideas, from textured bedding and blankets that “hug” to lush greenery and Himalayan salt lamps.

With these stay-in-bed-all-day tips, you can create your perfect sanctuary.

1. Create mood lighting

As days grow shorter, make sure you have a variety of lighting, says Los Angeles-based interior designer Ashley Scott. The ideal combination is three sources at varying heights.

“Something above, something at eye level (think floor lamp or wall sconce), and something close to your bed,” she says. “This will help you control the mood and function of your bedroom.”

Check your light bulbs for a lower lumen count (around 450), which offers a soft warm light in the evening hours.

Ready to take lighting to the next level? Install a dimmer switch.

“It’s a cozy vibes game changer,” Scott explains. If you don’t want to commit to the hard-wire, the C by GE Tunable White bulbs can be scheduled on an app to wake up with cool light in the morning and warm light to wind down the evenings.

2. Freshen the vibe with plants

Studies have found that greenery reduces stress, blood pressure, and heart rate, and improves your sense of well-being.

Girish Nebhwani, Boston-based sleep expert, explains, “Indoor plants, such as pothos, monstera, and anthurium, are easy to maintain and help create a peaceful environment. These plants also add an element of life.”

Fill your bedroom with plants, and hunker down.

3. Sleep better with scents

Aromatherapy oils help promote tranquility, making them perfect bedfellows to a relaxing room.

Choose subtle fragrances that calm, such as mind-balancing, anxiety-soothing lavender.

Abigail Cook Stone, CEO and co-founder of home brand Otherland, says, "I make my bed every morning and spray a few spritzes of lavender at night to help signal that it’s time to go to sleep."

You can also wear Goddess Garden Organics aromatherapy bracelets all night, with porous lava rocks that capture and hold the scent of pure essential oil blends.

There are many top essential oil diffusers on the market, including ones from Airomé and Asakuki, which rank number one and two on our best diffusers roundup. You can also try incorporating those healing scents into your décor—the CHI Egyptian Aromatherapy Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser builds ambiance using a whisper quiet, ultrasonic cool mist feature (the light wood design and soothing LED color-changing light don’t hurt either).

If you think you’d enjoy blending olfactory and visual senses, try the PureGlow Crystal 2-in-1 Salt Lamp. It combines a traditional Himalayan salt lamp with an ultrasonic essential oil diffuser to help you relax in a warm, reddish-pink glow.

4. Research the right mattress

Nebhwani says, “We spend one third of our lives sleeping, but put very little attention to the mattress that we sleep on.” He notes that the wrong choice can have a significant impact on your life (think severe back and joint pain). This is why we at Reviewed are so interested in finding the best mattresses on the market.

Getting fewer than the recommended daily zzz's can impact your immune system, increase chances of diseases, stress, and anxiety, and lead to weight gain and mood swings.

According to Nebhwani, who co-founded the Drumi mattress brand, there are several types of mattresses in the market, but the two most common are foam and spring. A third option is the popular hybrid (the category Drumi falls in), which incorporates springs and layers of foam that allow for better airflow, reduced pressure relief, and decreased motion transfer.

Think about your comfort when choosing the right mattress. Are you a hot sleeper? Do you get easily disturbed at night? What side do you sleep on?

“It is usually recommended that back and stomach sleepers get a firmer mattress, compared to side sleepers,” he adds.

5. Play with different fabrics and textures

Bedding plays a major role in creating a cozy experience, especially as cooler weather starts rolling in.

Stone says, “The bedroom is the most important room when it comes to beginning and ending each day. Embrace your nesting instincts and look for textures that help you relax. Whether it's soft cotton, silk, or down, it's crucial that you find something that you look forward to sleeping in when it comes to your sheets and bedding.”

As an interior designer, Scott suggests, “Our go-to bedding is always linen,” noting the fabric is anti-static, antibacterial, heat-regulating, and safe for even sensitive skin.

Her best tip as the temperature drops is layers. Double up with a linen quilt—Scott loves an earthy tone like the Parachute box pattern quilt. Then, top it off with a chunky knit blanket to achieve a cozy space with tons of visual texture.

Our favorite sheet brand Brooklinen also makes a great set of linen sheets to keep you cool but still cozy year round.

Veering from cotton and linen to a different type of material, bamboo is the newest sheet textile that boasts sustainable softness and stays three degrees cooler than cotton. According to sleep experts, the best air temperature for sleep is 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, so this is a great option for hot sleepers.

Pom Pom At Home, originally known for their Belgian flax linen bedding, has expanded to include a 100% bamboo line. And, Caribbean-based brand Cariloha uses bamboo in all its sleep products, including sheet sets, mattresses, pillows, and weighted blankets. The company even has a Resort Comfort Bed Frame, with a "zero gravity" position to alleviate back and neck pain, and an anti-snore adjustment to improve breathing during sleep.

For true beauty sleep, Celestial Silk's pure mulberry silk pillowcases not only regulate body temperature, they prevent wrinkles and hair breakage during slumber.

6. Add some weight

Weighted blankets are designed to provide a gentle pressure that mimics the feeling of being held (known as Deep Touch Pressure). This type of pressure has been shown to increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of sleep that has a calming effect.

We’ve tested a few highly rated ones at Reviewed, including our favorite, the Gravity Blanket—which also offers a weighted robe (another must!)—and the BlanQuil Chill.

Many companies have also added weighted blankets to their lines. There’s a collaboration between Gravity and the Calm sleep and meditation app for a limited-edition weighted blanket and Calm subscription combo.

7. Rest your head right

"The proper alignment of your neck and spine throughout the night can surely result in a more peaceful night's sleep,” says The Pillow Bar’s President Merrimac Dillon. But, she warns, one size does not fit all.

“Side sleepers need a firmer pillow than back sleepers, who need a more medium density pillow to keep the head in natural alignment with the spine,” says Dillon. “For stomach sleepers, we recommend a softer pillow, so the neck isn't bent backward in the night resulting in neck and shoulder pain.”

With the vast majority of people sleeping in a side position for most or all of the night, The Pillow Bar created a boomerang-shaped, down-filled pillow for proper neck and shoulder support. The other groups (back sleepers and front sleepers) also have their own unique Pillow Bar designs. Bonus points for hidden sachet pockets and custom monograms on the 300-thread-count covers.

If you aren’t sure of your nighttime position, our choice for best pillow is the Coop Home Goods Original Pillow which allows you to adjust the fullness to to your exact liking.

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