Can't sleep at night? Yes, we can blame terrible news events, worries about the economy, the mistake of Googling your "weird headache," the pet that drapes its body over your head or your loudly snoring significant other. And then there's the color of your boudoir. It's probably the last thing you'd think of when it comes to disrupting your slumber, but a recent study found a connection between bedroom paint colors and sleep quality.
Reported by that august news source The Daily Mail, the study (which was conducted by Travelodge), found that those who slept in a blue room slept the longest (7 hours, 52 minutes, to be exact), compared to folks who rested in rooms of all other hues. Why's that? Well, Chris Idzikowski, Edinburgh Sleep Centre's Sleep Expert, offers this explanation:
‘[...] there are specialised receptors called ganglion cells in the retina part of our eyes, which are most sensitive to the colour blue. ‘These receptors feed information into an area deep in our brain that controls 24 hour rhythms, and affects how we perform and feel during the day. That interaction between light, sleep and wakefulness is supremely important.’
OK, then.
But what about the absolute worst color for a bedroom? That would be -- wait for it -- purple. Those poor souls reported only sleeping 5 hours, 56 minutes in a room painted in that royal shade.
We've got our skeptical hats on, of course. But we do buy the idea that color could impact one's mood in some ways, based on personal preference. We've all been to that office, restaurant, lounge or friend's home where the shade of the walls jarred the eye. Think: Electric green. Not exactly the most soothing hue out there.
To see the full list of colors that impact sleep for better or worse, visit the Daily Mail.
Click through our slideshow of nine other things that may be stressing you out in the bedroom.
9 Ways Your Bedroom Is Stressing You Out
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