‘Waking Up On The Right Side Of The Bed’ – Improving Mental Health Through Better Sleep

Synopsis

It may be said that someone in a bad mood, “woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” There is some truth behind this saying as research shows there is a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Sleep is closely connected to mental and emotional health and has demonstrated links to depression, SAD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, paranoia and other conditions all of which may mean people have problems with their day to day lives.
Bad sleep can be the first indication that something is wrong in a person’s life and if corrected can improve their outcomes for both physical and mental health.
Sleep hygiene can be improved by cultivating good habits and providing bedroom settings that create dynamic environments where individuals can self-regulate depending on their specific needs however providing these dynamic bespoke spaces is difficult in settings outside of the home.
Students living in halls or rental properties find there are limits on what elements can be changed, travellers staying in luxury hotels may discover their room has difficult to control heating with noise and light pollution resulting in a bad night’s sleep. Ultimately these people can make the decision to leave and find somewhere better. In mental health and secure accommodation the user cannot leave and is reliant upon the building and staff to provide a good sleeping environment. Choice and control over the environment is said to be given to users but there are key elements of the standard mental health bedroom which do not give sufficient choice and control to create an optimal sleep environment.
This talk will explore new approaches to bedroom design which will enhance the sleep outcome experience of users through innovations in room layouts and components to help get people waking up on the right side of the bed.