Bedroom plants to help you sleep better

In addition to adding a decorative touch to your bedroom, plants also have several health benefits, from purifying the air to helping you sleep, to creating a zen environment to reducing stress. Not all plants however, can thrive in or are suitable for your bedroom. Here are the best plant options for your bedroom.

Lavender

Known for its enchanting fragrance, stunning appearance and numerous benefits, lavender is a perfect plant for the bedroom. Lavender has been scientifically proven to be one of the best plants that help you sleep. A study conducted by scientists at the University of Southampton revealed that people who slept in rooms diffused with lavender oil slept 20 percent better than those that slept in rooms without.

In a separate study, researchers found that lavender improved slow-wave sleep, the deep sleep stage in which the heartbeat slows and muscles relax. When your flowers bloom, cut off at the stems to display in a bouquet or dry for any number of self-care uses.

Jasmine

The sweet scent of jasmine is one of the best scents for aiding sleep. In a study at the University of West Virginia, USA, scientists found that people who slept in a room scented with jasmine appeared to sleep more peacefully than those sleeping in a room with no scent at all. The jasmine group also performed higher on a test of mental function when they woke up.

This means bringing a jasmine plant into your bedroom will not only improve the quality of your sleep, but also impact your daytime productivity too.

Dumb cane plant

Botanically known as dieffenbachia, the dumb cane plant is an ideal bedroom plant because it thrives in warm, humid spaces with bright, indirect light, but will tolerate low light conditions, too. While its uniquely patterned leaves look stunning, they are said to cause swelling, pain, and temporary speechlessness if ingested, which is how it gets its name. Therefore, be careful to keep out of reach of pets and small children.

Monstera

Monstera plants are natural detoxifiers and will tirelessly absorb and strip away indoor air toxins, enabling your lungs to breathe better. They are also popular indoor plants because of their capacity to grow anywhere and under any conditions. 

Gardenia

If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from insomnia, gardenia is the solution you have been looking for. Researchers at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany, discovered that compounds in gardenia’s fragrance have the same effect as prescription-strength mood enhancers or sleeping pills.

Although gardenia is a common outdoor plant, under special conditions it can thrive indoors too. Its beautiful scent is said to have natural sedative properties that will help you fall asleep faster and will also make your entire bedroom smell wonderful.

Because they require about four or five hours of sunlight per day, but will also waste away if they get too much direct sunlight, the ideal spot for your gardenia plant is one that receives morning sun and afternoon shade.

Heartleaf Philodendron

As the name suggests, the Philodendron is a fast-growing and easy plant with graceful, heart-shaped leaves. Its trailing vines are perfect for hanging on the walls of your bedroom or placed on top of a high shelf, as they will naturally spill and trail as they grow. This plant is very easy to care for, as it is incredibly forgiving and will tolerate all kinds of conditions including low light, poor soil and inconsistent watering.

Peace lily

Peace lilies are not just stunningly beautiful plants but were recognised by NASA as one of the top air cleaning plants. The plants are great at breaking down harmful gases such as formaldehyde, benzene, acetone and ammonia while you sleep. They are also incredibly easy to look after.

Rubber plant

Apart from its dramatic presence, the Ficus elastic also known as the rubber tree, is known to reduce mold and bacteria in any room by as much as 50 percent. It is also known to eliminate formaldehyde. This plant is ideal for people with limited gardening experience because it requires minimum attention and can thrive in indirect, bright light and can adjust to low light.

Parlor palm

This dwarf palm can grow up to four feet tall indoors. And unlike many tropical plants, it can thrive in a variety of light situations and tight spaces. This wonderfully graceful indoor plant has air-purifying qualities.

Kimberly Queen Fern

The Kimberly Queen fern is a popular natural air purifier, known to remove numerous toxins from the air while adding healthy oxygen to your home. It is a low maintenance plant that will thrive just about anywhere in your home as long as it is out of direct sunlight and is kept in moist soil.

Peacock plant

This gorgeous plant is also known as the prayer plant because its leaves resemble hands folded in prayer. As a result, some homeowners add the plant to their interior as a sign of devotion. Its bright coloured leaves will add a nice, exotic, tropical feel to your bedroom. It is also an air purifier that will make your bedroom healthier.

Snake Plant

Often referred to as mother-in-law’s tongue, snake plant is known for purifying the air and removing a number of toxins.

It is also one of the few plants that actually convert carbon dioxide to oxygen at night.

This oxygen-rich air is essential for promoting a peaceful night’s sleep by improving the flow of oxygen to the brain.

It is also extremely easy to look after and can handle both bright sunny windows and lower light areas.