Your sleep environment can strongly impact your sleep quality and quantity. Sleep environment is not just the triad of cool, dark and quiet. Although that is extremely important, it is the entirety of which sleep environment consists. 

Sleep environment also includes the accessories in your room, the colors, and the furniture and accessories you have. If they are too stimulating and overwhelming, then that can be antagonistic towards your sleep efforts. One of the aspects of your environment that you may never have thought of, but that is important, is the pillow color. 

Certain colors are very stimulating for the brain, which can be antagonistic towards sleep efforts. Therefore, they should be avoided. Your pillow is what you lie on, so you brain may actually be being stimulated if you have one of the five colors listed below. 

Purple 

Purple may seem like a very regal and beautiful color. However, it is actually a very stimulating color. It is associated with creativity, which is actually stimulating your brain while you are trying to go to sleep. 

If you have purple pillows, then make sure to get some with blue undertones, or mix blue in with them. Blue is a very calming color that is great for aiding sleep. 

Red 

Red is the color of excitement, passion and sensuality. It may seem like a great idea to make the room sexy with red lights and red pillows, but it actually is disrupting your sleep. It is a very active hue, that does not entice sleep like it does for more intimate bedroom activities. If you have red pillows, they are more likely to induce feelings of restlessness and stress, which can make sleep harder to come by. 

Bright pink 

Bright pink combines some of the stimulating elements of both red and purple. Therefore, it is easy to feel both stimulated and restless, which is not conducive for sleep at all. The social media influence of bright pink bedrooms and decor may look very chic, but can actually be interrupting your sleep efforts. 

It's important to note that not all pinks are disruptive to sleep. Pastels, and neutrals with pink undertones can actually be very relaxing. But bright fuschias and neon are far too stimulating to encourage positive sleep quality. 

Brown 

Browns are a very common color, especially in tones such as tan or beige. They are neutral and create a very clean aesthetic. However, as pillows, they may be a little too bland. In low light, they can often look uninspiring and drab. This is not very inviting at night, and uninspiring in the morning. Certain browns may work if they are incorporated with other colors, but uniform brown across the bed is probably not the best option. 

Gray 

Gray has some of the same pros and cons as brown. It is great on the walls and creates a very neutral and clean look. But, again, it can be so unappealing and uninspiring in the bedroom, that it makes for a very stale sleeping environment. Silver is a good shade as it illuminates when the light hits, adding a hint of peace without the drab. Gray also works if it is intertwined with other colors, but if it is not, then it probably isn't the best color to stand alone. 

Of course if any of these colors provide you with peace and comfort, then please leave them. But if you are having trouble sleeping, the colors you use in your room could be a part of the reason. Try making some of these changes, and if you are still not improving, then please click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk with one of our sleep health professionals. 

https://www.homesandgardens.com/interior-design/bedrooms/pillow-colors-to-avoid