{"id":624976,"date":"2026-08-07T07:55:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T07:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/624976\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T07:55:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T07:55:18","slug":"experts-reveal-how-to-design-a-home-for-better-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/624976\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts Reveal How To Design A Home For Better Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years, we\u2019ve been obsessed with maximising productivity in the home; between home offices<\/a>, home wellness rooms<\/a>, home gyms<\/a>, and more, our spaces have never had to work as hard as they do now. But amidst all this productivity-maxxing and overextending of our home\u2019s capabilities, the one thing we all forgot was that homes are meant to be a sanctuary, a place where we can unwind, relax and reset away from the world. But in an age when homes, and their residents, are trying to do it all, designers warn us we need to take it back to basics and focus on sleep-friendly home design and architecture that better supports sleep, rest, and recovery. <\/p>\n

The experts have noticed a growing desire among Australians for home sanctuaries. Interior designer Louise Walsh<\/a> tells us many of her clients are requesting dedicated calm spaces that \u201cfocus on health and wellbeing, peace and quiet, [that are] away from daily noise.\u201d Kim Williams, founder of Frequency Lab in Sydney\u2019s Newtown, agrees: \u201cPeople are realising that wellness<\/a> isn\u2019t a luxury, it\u2019s essential. We\u2019re learning that our homes, profoundly influence our mood, sleep and wellbeing.\u201d <\/p>\n

So, how can you design your home for better sleep? We asked award-winning architect, Sharlene Browning, known for creating homes that are closely tied to their natural surroundings, for her take on sleep-friendly home design.<\/p>\n

\n

How to design a home for better sleep<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Prioritise circadian-friendly lighting<\/a> with ambient and soft lighting<\/li>\n
  2. Bring in fresh air<\/a> through windows and operable skylights<\/li>\n
  3. Connect with the night sky<\/a> for mindful sleep and wake cycles<\/li>\n
  4. Create wind-down spaces<\/a> free from work laptops and other screens<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    What is sleep-friendly home design?<\/p>\n

    A concept we\u2019re calling \u2018rest-first design\u2019, it is a sleep-friendly home design approach that focuses on shaping the whole home, not just the bedroom, around features that actually help you sleep better. \u201cHomes should support the transition from energising mornings through to restful evenings,\u201d Sharlene tells us, encouraging us to consider designing homes around rest. <\/p>\n

    \u201cGood design should support how you live across the whole day,\u201d she says, referring to the full cycle from waking in the morning to falling asleep at night.<\/p>\n

    \"HomeDesigning a home for better sleep is possible. (Photography: Renee Odgers | Architect: Sharlene Browning)<\/p>\n

    How to design a home for better sleep<\/p>\n

    There are four main ways Sharlene employs rest-first design in spaces designed for recovery and improved sleep quality<\/a>. <\/p>\n

    1. Prioritise circadian-friendly lighting<\/p>\n

    The way you light your home can directly impact your circadian rhythm \u2013 your body\u2019s natural 24-hour internal clock, which is heavily influenced by light. Morning light tells your brain to suppress melatonin and increase alertness<\/a>, while dim, warm light in the evening helps your body wind down and prepare for sleep. Blue light \u2013 the kind emitted by phones, laptops, and TV screens \u2013 is especially disruptive at night, since it can delay your body\u2019s natural sleep signals. And even bright, cool-toned ceiling lights can delay sleep, since they confuse your body\u2019s receptors.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI like to explore beyond and to avoid downlights, where possible,\u201d Sharlene says. \u201cGlare is offensive to the naked eye, and homes are littered with it in the form of terribly positioned and over supplied downlights.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cIn my own home I have selected fittings to facilitate a soft winter\u2019s morning rise and a year-round soft evening\u2019s retreat. This is in the form of uplighting, the use of dimmers, Bluetooth timers, sensors, and low-level tread lights along the hallway for the kids still journeying to our bedroom or the bathroom in the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

    2. Bring in fresh air<\/p>\n

    A home filled with stagnant, stale air works against you, as a build-up of CO2 and heat has been shown to prevent deep, uninterrupted sleep.<\/a> The best way to solve this is by bringing in fresh outdoor air every day \u2013 which can be done by burping your home<\/a>, or through architectural features like ventilating skylights. Some skylights \u2013 like the VELUX range \u2013 even offer a built-in ventilation setting, opening to fill the room with a quick flush of fresh air and, after a set time, closing automatically. <\/p>\n

    \u201cWhen you bring in fresh air\u2026you create a healthier home that will support how you live through the day and rest at night,\u201d says Sharlene.<\/p>\n

    \"NightSkylight at night. (Kleen Cut Paining | Image: VELUX Australia)<\/p>\n

    3. Connect with the night sky<\/p>\n

    Exposure to darkness promotes sleepiness, and ambient light, even a subtle glow from outside, can disrupt your rest. To solve this, Sharlene recommends designing your sleep space around achieving true darkness, positioning windows and skylights away from potential light pollution, including streetlights, neighbouring security lights, and car headlights. In addition, automated motorised blinds<\/a> can be added to allow you to wake with the morning sun.<\/p>\n

    In Sharlene\u2019s own home, she designed window size and placement to capitalise on the local diurnal cycle, mapping the summer and winter sun paths with a mix of skylights and high-level windows. \u201cI wanted to wake up with the sun, and for a decent part of the year I do, but I also get to go to sleep watching the stars, the moonlight, and occasionally Aurora Australis<\/a>,\u201d says Sharlene. \u201cThat is a real treat if I\u2019ve been up late working.\u201d<\/p>\n

    4. Create wind-down spaces<\/p>\n

    While designers would prefer we avoid bringing work into our homes, as blurring the divide between productivity and relaxation is a recipe for disaster, they\u2019re well aware home offices<\/a> are here to stay. By way of compromise, they suggest planning your spatial flow to create a divide between work and rest, physically separating offices from other areas of the house, and at the very least removing all screens in bedrooms<\/a>. <\/p>\n

    \u201cWorking from dining tables and lounge rooms might feel comfortable in the moment\u2026but it completely removes any boundary between rest and work, which people really start to feel over time,\u201d say Elle and Alanah, co-founders and creative directors of interior design studio, Twostyle. \u201cVisually, being able to \u201cclose away\u201d work (with cabinetry or styling) makes a huge difference to how a space feels at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \"CountrySleep-friendly home design, according to interior designers. (Photography: Rhiannon Taylor | Styling: Sophie McCabe)<\/p>\n

    \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Danielle\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

    \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWriter
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\tDanielle Grover\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

    \t\t\t\t\t\tSenior Content Producer\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

    Danielle is a Senior Writer for Homes To Love, writing for some of the country’s biggest homes titles including Australian House & Garden, Belle, Country Style, Inside Out and Real Living. With PR experience working with homes and travel brands including Airbnb and Winning Appliances, and events experience within Brisbane\u2019s home renovation and interior design space, it\u2019s safe to say she lives and breathes all things homes. When she’s not busy researching the latest interior design trends, you\u2019ll most likely find her tasting wine in the NSW hinterland or obsessing over her next purchase for her home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For years, we\u2019ve been obsessed with maximising productivity in the home; between home offices, home wellness rooms, home…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624977,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[267],"tags":[365,362,363,364,366,18,117,135,22460,235050,19,17,543,2555],"class_list":["post-624976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-eire","tag-entertainment","tag-health","tag-home-design","tag-home-sanctuary","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-sleep","tag-wellness"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117053157604216997","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}