For many of us, the bedroom is our haven. The place we go after a long day to relax and unwind, and get much needed beauty rest. But did you know that the color of your room can affect how well you sleep? After doing some research for Archtober (architecture and design month here in New York), we were fascinated to learn that decor choices can influence how much (and how little) shuteye you get each night.

Among the sea of paint chips and designer color palettes available, the color that’s best for lulling you off to sleep is blue. That’s according to a study by Travelodge, which tracked bedroom colors and how many hours of sleep people got at night. The survey found that people sleeping in blue bedrooms not only slept a full eight hours, but also woke up feeling happier on a regular basis. Maybe it’s because blue reminds us of the sounds of the ocean or of staring up at a cloudless sky, but blue has an incredible calming effect and even helps prevent nightmares.

Other wall colors linked to better sleep are yellow, green, silver and surprisingly, orange. Even though it’s often seen as an energizing color, orange has a warm and relaxing effect, aiding in the process of falling asleep.

On the other end of the spectrum, the number one sleep-disrupting color to avoid is deep purple. Hues like eggplant and violet are stimulating in the “my brain won’t turn off” kind of way and may even cause you to have more nightmares. But if you really love the look of a regal purple room, muted hues like lilac and lavender are more sleep-friendly.

Rounding out the list of colors bad for sleep are brown, grey, gold and red. While both brown and grey can affect your mood negatively, gold and red may make you feel jittery with anxiety. Perhaps the best revelation that may influence your decision? Couples who opted for a caramel color in the bedroom had more sex.

On that note, it appears there’s no better reason to redesign your bedroom!

Photo by James Ransom