Creating a blissful sleeping area.

I think your bed and your sleeping area are so important for your personal well being. Your bedroom is truly your sanctuary for relaxation and getting a good night's sleep. Here are a few tips and some beautiful pictures on creating that special place. This picture is from one of the bedrooms at the Rose Farm Cornwall Bed Breakfast http://www.rosefarmcornwall.co.uk/. I just love how bed and breakfasts decorate.

Lighting

Lighting is so important to me in my room. Low level lighting like a night light, small night lamp (perhaps a small Tiffany lamp or some wall sconces) can create a calming effect on your well being and can amazingly de-stress you. Candles can create a great effect as well but I'm so terrible at remembering to blow them out my low level lighting might turn into a 4 alarm fire! Ha! Here are a few examples of some calmly lit rooms to create this blissful effect.

Fresh Air

Even in the winter, fresh air is so important for a sound night's sleep. Stuffiness can remind you of your day or unsettle you preventing your mind from clearing. Believe it or not, when I have the window opened a crack and I'm in a warm toasty bed with my down comforter, I sleep so much better. If I leave the heater on I just get hot in the middle of the night and it's so uncomfortable. Also, the best thing my mother ever taught me was that cooler air is so much better for keeping your skin looking young. :)

Dream Pillow

A dream pillow is a small pillow or sachet filled with aromatic herbs. I typically like lavender. It's a very calming herb. Here are some instructions from Martha Stewart's website to make your own. Below are pictures of pillows from her website as well.

Cut two pieces of fabric to the same size. Sew the fabric pieces together, right sides facing, leaving a 2- to 3-inch opening on one side. Clip the corners diagonally, and turn the fabric right side out. Fill the pillow with dried lavender and, if you wish, flax seeds (available at health-food stores), which have a nice texture and weight. Hand-stitch the opening closed. Make pillows in several shapes and sizes to use as neck rolls, small throw pillows, or sachets.

Good book or magazine and some nice music

I typically like to read a good book or a magazine before bed. It helps me wind down. I also play a little classical music in the background. It's very calming.

Last but not least, some soft fur to lay your head down on. :)

I would put more pictures of Mocha on here but she's a little paparazzi shy. She knows right when I'm going to snap the picture and she also knows that bright light will follow and she turns away. Of course she has 10 years on Quincy so she's gained some knowledge through the years. ;)