There are so many things that can keep you awake at night. An upcoming meeting with your boss, an uncomfortable conversation that you can’t stop reliving, a snoring bedmate, a streetlight coming in through your curtains… The list goes on, and on and on. Your bedroom walls should not be one of the offenders. The best bedroom paint colors for sleep are soothing, not stressful. 

Why Soothing Bedroom Paint Colors Matters for Sleep 

When you’re choosing a shade for the room that should be your sanctuary, think about how you want to feel before you go to bed. Color psychology is a fascinating concept that studies the way color affects perception, and it’s a foolproof way to choose the hues in your home.

The Best Bedroom Colors for Sleep and Relaxation 

For those who want to feel calm, your best bet is blue. This soothing bedroom color creates feelings of peace, and its cool temperature is conducive to better sleep. That’s because part of your body’s natural process before snoozing is to lower its internal temp. Blue will tell your brain to kick that process into gear.

@grayoakstudio

Light, airy shades are much more relaxing than more pigmented hues — intensity is not a quality you want surrounding you before bed — so we recommend our fan-favorite soft blue-green, Headspace, as one of the best calming paint colors for your bedroom.

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Frozen, our icy, pale blue, is another tranquil color pick for a sleep-friendly bedroom. Try pairing it with warm woods and beige linens for balance.

@lexandhudson

Another option to create a zen vibe is the most popular calming paint color: pale green. Grayish, our soft, greenish-gray, will encourage feelings of tranquility and a connection to nature. 

Calm isn’t the only option for your pre-sleep mood, of course. If you’re looking to doze off feeling happy, try a pale yellow. Yellow is an energizing shade, so it may seem counterintuitive to put it in your sleep space, but as long as you keep the color super muted, you’re good as gold.

@victorialeejones

Timeless is actually an off-white, but the creamy undertones give a subtle nod to the happiest hue. Nothing says nighttime more than moonlight, and a silvery purple will recreate that shimmering, otherworldly atmosphere. Wink is a light, lovely purple with a hint of gray, and it pairs beautifully with classic, soothing navy.

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And if you’re just not a color person, that’s okay, too. Feel free to go neutral: Just make sure that it’s a muted, peaceful shade. Chill is our soft, cool, barely there gray with a slightly green undertone, and yes, we gave it that name for a reason. If any room should be chill, it’s your bedroom. 

Tips for Choosing the Right Shade 

Before you commit, test your color in the actual space. Bedrooms can look wildly different from morning to night. Look at our peel-and-stick swatches and live with it for a few days to see how your color feels in natural light, lamplight and total darkness. The right shade should make you exhale a little deeper every time you walk in. 

Pay attention to undertones, too. A blue with too much gray might feel moody, while a green with too much yellow could skew energizing. Keep things soft, muted and slightly complex. Remember, the goal is calm, not chaos.  

Sleep Better with Zero VOC Paint 

Your bedroom air should be as clean as your color palette. Zero VOC paint means no harsh fumes and no lingering smell keeping you up at night — just fresh walls and even fresher sleep. Because the only thing that should be floating around your bedroom is a good dream, not questionable air quality. 

All our paints are zero VOC and low odor, so you can refresh your space without disrupting your routine. Paint today, sleep soundly tonight. 

As far as finish goes, skip the gloss. You want your walls to fade into the background and absorb light, not reflect it back at you. All of our paints are sold in Perfect Eggshell — a soft, barely-there sheen that gives you a smooth finish without losing that all too important wipeability. 

While you’re redecorating with sleep in mind, take this opportunity to upgrade your bedding and invest in quality pillows. Say it with us: My bedroom deserves the best. Sweet dreams!

Related: 7 Bedroom Paint Colors to Suit Any Space