Look hue’s talking

Interior designer Misbah Kapadia remembers the time a client requested that the walls of her house be painted a shade of emerald. "I was unsure at first," says Kapadia, "Especially since emerald green is very, very bold, full of expression and could also overpower a space and bring in an element of fatigue after a point." The end result was quite the contrary. According to her, the colour uplifted the space, and not only became a signature for the residence's design, it has been a conversation starter for guests since.

Colours have a deeper impact on our mind, mood and sleep than we imagine. A recent survey carried out by Sleep Junkie, a sleep and review platform, reveals how your bedroom colour could be playing a role in affecting your sleep schedule. While certain colours are known to induce relaxation, others stimulate your mind and leave you more awake. The survey, conducted on 1,000 participants, revealed that those who have purple bedroom walls are more likely to have a better night's sleep. Eighty four per cent of people who dozed off in a purple bedroom said they typically slept well, with just 12 per cent who slept poorly. "Blue took a relatively distant second, with 76 per cent respondents reporting frequent, high-quality sleep. And while green-hued rooms yielded the lowest rate of restful sleep [58 per cent], the number of people who typically experienced poor sleep in a green bedroom did not rank highest overall," the study reads.

Designer Sravanya Pittie says in addition to paying attention to colours, we should also focus on our natural sleep patterns. Pic/Shadab Khan

Typically, cool colours help calm the body and mind, observes Kapadia, who is the founder of Mumbai-based Design Konstruct. Green is reminiscent of nature and a green east facing wall in the bedroom is preferred for good sleep, according to Feng shui. Blue, again, invokes tranquillity and is effective in inducing good sleep. Muted tones of both these colours are ideal for the bedroom," she shares. As a rule of thumb, overly vibrant colours such as loud orange and reds should be avoided in bedrooms since they can stimulate the brain. "Bright pink and purple are also too vibrant and hence, not ideal for the bedroom. Use light and pastel shades of these colours if you prefer to use them where you sleep."

While beige and yellow walls ranked worst when it came to getting a good night's sleep in the Sleep Junkie survey, they are the most preferred shades among most Indian families, notes interior designer Sravanya Pittie, founder of Soka Design Studio. Eggshell, mushroom and off white colours come out tops followed by torque, in her experience. In addition to paying attention to colours, we should also focus on our natural sleep patterns, she says. "Human beings did not have one sleep cycle; the Romans didn't sleep for eight straight hours. They had a two-sleep cycle."

Misbah Kapadia

Biphasic sleep is a pattern in which a person splits their sleep hours into two main segments per day. She says monophasic sleep, when a person attains all of their sleep in one block of time, became the dominant sleep pattern during the industrial era, when artificial lighting began enabling people to stay up past sunset. "Although when we wake up with daylight exposure, it helps our circadian rhythm, fundamentally human beings are meant to have two sleep cycles. There's growing research suggesting naps can have important benefits for memory and learning, and improving mood states." Pittie who has attempted segmented sleep makes it a point to eliminate distractions, which includes cutting off screen time one hour before bed and using blackout curtains. "They say, you should avoid sleeping in front of a mirror and that's because it can be distracting; it will make you aware of any movement. It's reflections could startle you, and your brain will register a false sense of movement in that area."

Kshitij Mirania helms Mirania Luxury Living, a design boutique whose clientele comprises royal families, industrialists and the political elite. He says colours and trends are constantly evolving. "Previously, people enjoyed adorning their walls with bold, vivid colours such as red and orange. Over time, this has evolved into a preference for muted tones and minimalistic walls accompanied with stand-out decor and funky furniture. While blue is the highest ranked colour for a bedroom, the most interesting and beautiful combination I have seen is using three different shades of blue in one bedroom. Each adjoining wall was painted in a different shade, going from a sky blue to a brighter blue and finally to a dark navy coloured blue. The shading made it very calming and it felt like I was staring into a painting of the ocean."

Teal and torque although strong colours for the bedroom, can have a calming effect, say experts. It can be balanced by neutral tones, like white, black, and wood

When it comes to children's bedrooms, think beyond baby pink and blue. "You can opt for a light, paler green that can help your child's room feel bigger, brighter and still invoke feelings of comfort and joy. Lilac is another great option. It brings a natural brightness to the room and invokes happiness. Colour blocking with two-toned wallpapers - say, light green and blue - can add a slightly more sophisticated look while still retaining a sense of calm."

84
Percentage of respondents part of the Sleep Junkie survey who said they slept well in a room which had walls painted in some shade of purple

Hue and try

. Grey is a safe colour for the walls due to its versatility, and with all the different shades of grey available, it makes sense that the colour is used so often in homes, says Kshitij Mirania. "Minimalist, easy on the eyes and naturally calming, the colour plays well with other shades."

. Pink is another top choice for bedroom colours. "A soft, natural pink tone is calming."

. Purple is a beautiful colour, but one of the least used for a bedroom in India, notes Mirania. "While its vibrance is great for the daytime, it may be hard to sleep around bright solid purple."

. Yellow may be a good colour for bedsheets, the kitchen or bathroom. It invokes positivity and sunlight. Since it can generate a sense of energy, don't use it for a bedroom. It may make you feel restless.

. Black is usually not the colour one would choose for their bedroom, says Mirania. "It can occasionally bring about negative feelings surrounding fear, anger and death."