Bedroom Plants: Nature's Soothing Presence For Better Sleep

There are many benefits to keeping plants in your bedroom. Not only do they add a decorative touch, but they can also improve your sleep, boost your mood, enhance your creativity, reduce your stress levels, and increase your productivity. Plants can help purify the air by absorbing harmful gases and filtering out toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. Additionally, certain plants like lavender can promote better sleep with their calming scent. However, it's important to choose the right plants for your bedroom, considering factors such as lighting, temperature, and watering needs. While some people worry about carbon dioxide levels, studies show that plants produce minimal amounts, and certain plants like snake plants and aloe vera even continue to release oxygen at night.

Plants improve air quality by removing toxins and increasing oxygen levels

Plants are a wonderful way to improve the air quality in your bedroom. They act as natural air purifiers, removing toxins and increasing oxygen levels.

Through the process of photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen during the day. At night, they respire, taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide, just like humans. However, the amount of carbon dioxide released by plants at night is minimal and won't significantly affect your bedroom's oxygen levels.

Some plants, like the snake plant and aloe vera, are unique in that they continue to produce oxygen even at night. These plants are excellent choices for the bedroom, as they provide a constant source of oxygen while you sleep.

In addition to oxygenating your space, plants also remove harmful toxins from the air. NASA's Clean Air Study found that certain houseplants could remove up to 87% of air toxins in 24 hours. Toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene, and ammonia are commonly found in indoor environments and can be reduced by having plants in your bedroom.

For example, the Peace Lily is an excellent air purifier, known for filtering out toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. The Spider Plant is another powerful toxin remover, effective against formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene.

By incorporating plants into your bedroom, you can breathe easier, knowing that you're reducing indoor air pollution and increasing the oxygen levels in your space. Not only do plants improve air quality, but they also add a touch of nature to your bedroom, creating a calming and relaxing atmosphere that promotes better sleep.

They enhance your mood and reduce stress and anxiety

Bedroom plants can do more than just make your shelves look brighter. They can also boost your mood, enhance your creativity, reduce your stress levels, and much more.

According to a study by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, interaction with indoor plants may lessen psychological and physiological stress by inhibiting young adults' autonomic nervous system activity. This is due to the calming and relaxing effects of having plants in the house or bedroom.

Plants not only lessen physiological stress but also psychological stress. The theory is that indoor plants have the ability to inhibit human autonomic nervous system activity. Additionally, plants lower blood pressure and encourage feelings of peace and tranquility.

Lavender is well known for its relaxation-enhancing properties. The scent of lavender promotes deeper sleep, and its calming fragrance helps relieve stress and reduce restlessness.

Peace lilies are a great choice for your bedroom. They are scientifically proven to remove toxins and are thought in Feng Shui to harmonize energy and boost feelings of optimism.

The presence of negative ions, produced by plants, has also been shown to increase psychological health, productivity, and overall well-being.

Plants can help you sleep better and longer

The Calming Effect of Nature

Bringing nature into your bedroom can have a calming effect on your mind, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. This phenomenon is known as "biophilia", the innate human tendency to seek connections with nature. By adding a touch of greenery to your sleep space, you create a zen den that promotes a deeper and more restful slumber.

Air Purification

Various indoor plants, such as the snake plant, aloe vera, peace lily, and lavender, are known for their air-purifying qualities. NASA's Clean Air Study found that certain houseplants can remove harmful toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the air. By absorbing these toxins through their leaves, plants act as natural air filters, ensuring you breathe cleaner, healthier air while you sleep.

Humidity Control

Plants naturally release moisture into the atmosphere through transpiration, helping to raise humidity levels in your bedroom. Higher humidity can prevent congestion and soothe dry throats and skin, making it easier to breathe and sleep comfortably.

Stress Relief

Interacting with plants has been shown to reduce stress hormones and promote relaxation. Some studies suggest that houseplants release negative ions that trigger the release of serotonin, enhancing your mood and reducing anxiety. This calming effect can help you unwind at the end of the day and prepare for a good night's rest.

Soothing Scents

Certain aromatic plants, such as lavender, are known for their soothing scents, which can aid in promoting sleep and reducing anxiety. The scent of lavender, in particular, has long been associated with relaxation and can help you drift off to sleep more easily.

They improve acoustics in a room, reducing noise pollution

Plants are a great way to improve the acoustics of a room and reduce noise pollution. They can help to create a more peaceful and relaxing environment, which is ideal if you're trying to get a good night's sleep.

Sound waves radiate throughout a room and bounce off hard, smooth surfaces. When a sound wave hits something that's uniquely shaped, it can be absorbed or disrupted and is less likely to ricochet back into your ears. This is where plants come in. With their complex shapes, many-layered leaves, and rough bark, plants are perfect for catching and disrupting sound wave patterns. They act as a textural sound barrier, absorbing and refracting excess noise.

Plants are a particularly good option for sound absorption if you're aiming for a clean, minimal, and spacious interior design look. They're often used in office buildings, libraries, and other public spaces to dampen sound without detracting from the aesthetics of the building. In fact, a 2005 study by Hanyang University showed that plants were effective at reducing noise, especially lower-end frequencies like street rumbling, traffic, and sounds from the air conditioner.

When choosing plants for sound absorption, it's best to go for big, dense, and fluffy varieties. While all plants can help a little, large and tall plants will generally be the most effective at reducing noise. Good options include majesty palms, snake plants, fiddle leaf fig trees, ZZ plants, monsteras, philodendrons, and ferns. In particular, a 2014 study by the University of Perugia found that ferns (Nephrolepis Exaltata) can absorb up to 98% of incident acoustic energy.

To maximise the sound-absorbing benefits of plants, place them around the perimeter of the room. This will help to catch noise and prevent it from echoing off the walls. If you have a very large room, you can also use hanging or trailing plants to drape around shelves, cabinets, or stairways.

Plants are low-maintenance and easy to care for

Plants are a beautiful addition to any bedroom, and the good news is that many common houseplants are low-maintenance and easy to care for.

The Snake Plant, also known as Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, is a great choice for those who want a hardy and striking plant. With its long, snake-like, striped leaves, it can grow up to 5 feet tall and is very forgiving when it comes to lighting conditions. It is also one of the few plants that produce oxygen at night, making it perfect for improving air quality while you sleep.

The Peace Lily is another excellent option for those seeking an easy-care plant. With its glossy green foliage, it thrives in both high and low light and is very forgiving if over-watered. Peace Lilies are also excellent air purifiers, known for filtering indoor air and increasing humidity, which can help you breathe better and sleep more soundly.

If you're looking for something that can handle a bit of neglect, consider the Aloe Vera plant. Part of the succulent family, Aloe Vera features fleshy leaves with spiked trim and only needs to be watered once every three weeks in the summer. It is another one of NASA's top picks for air-purifying plants, as it helps rid the air of formaldehyde and benzene.

For a hanging planter, the Heart Leaf Philodendron is a great choice. With its trailing vines and heart-shaped leaves, it is both visually appealing and effective at absorbing formaldehyde. Just be sure to keep it out of reach of pets and children, as it is toxic if ingested.

Finally, the Spider Plant is perfect for beginners. It is non-toxic to animals and helps eliminate toxins like carbon monoxide and xylene. Spider Plants are simple to care for and make a great addition to any bedroom.

Frequently asked questions