We’ve all had nights when we just couldn’t fall asleep.
But what if certain colours in your room could help offset poor sleep?
Influencers have recently taken to social media, recommending colours they say promote better sleep — but how accurate are those claims?
Influencer GoodDreamsOnly claims rooms painted in soft colours like light blue, sage green, and lavender can reduce heart rate and blood pressure, ultimately helping you sleep better.
Along the same lines, SleepIsTheFoundation posted a TikTok video claiming that red light helps people fall asleep faster, but some scientific studies say otherwise.
Research debates colour as a factor
A 2018 study conducted by Italian researchers found that among students who lived in residence halls for 13 months, blue wall colour was the most preferred interior colour, followed by green, violet, orange, yellow, and red.
The research, however, did not identify room colour as a factor influencing improved sleep quality.
On the other hand, a 2025 study concluded that cool colours, which are usually associated with calmness — such as blue — can increase light exposure by suppressing melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep, and negatively affect sleep physiology.
Additionally, a study published last year examined the effects of red LED light on melatonin levels and found that, while red LED light is less effective for nighttime illumination than blue LED light, it still reduces melatonin levels.
But should you paint your room light blue to get more shut-eye?
Wall colour enhancing sleep is ‘just speculation’: Sleep expert
Dr. Charles Samuels, a Calgary-based sleep specialist certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine, says existing research on colour and sleep is “just speculation.”
“The idea that you could paint your room a certain colour and then turn off the light and that would improve your sleep…makes no sense,” he said in an interview with the Calgary Journal.
As medical director of the Centre for Sleep & Human Performance in Calgary, which has six locations across the city, Samuels says these theories are difficult to test because during sleep people’s eyes are closed and lights are typically off.
The sleep expert acknowledges that some studies — such as the 2018 Italian study — examined the psychological or emotional responses to room colour.
But, Samuels cautions that those research findings cannot be extended to improved sleep.
There is no direct evidence that specific rooms or light colours improve sleep.
While perceived benefits may exist, studies attempting to justify these claims face significant limitations.
Colour claims vs. reality
While influencers such as GoodDreamsOnly and SleepIsTheFoundation claim certain colours promote better sleep, Samuels says those assertions are misleading and fail to acknowledge gaps in current scientific understanding of sleep.
There are evidence-based ways to improve sleep, Samuels stresses, including using a preferred pillow, keeping the bedroom temperature comfortable, keeping meals close to bedtime, and limiting light exposure, such as using blackout curtains, which generally support better sleep.
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