While keeping houseplants used to be something associated with the elderly, more and more younger adults are getting into this “plant parenthood” lifestyle. It’s a trend partially fueled by social media, as well the desire to care for something, have a healthy hobby, spruce up the way your home looks, and improve the air quality in your home. Keeping plants in doors is really, really good for you! In fact, there are plants that do more than the benefits listed above; they actually help you sleep too. Before we get into good plants for a bedroom, let’s look at why it’s so beneficial in the first place.
Is it Good to Have Plants in Your Bedroom?
In a word- yes! One of the greatest benefits of keeping plants in the bedroom is that they have the ability to improve indoor air quality. Your bedroom is the place you consider to be your sanctuary. It is a place where you rest and relax, getting a good night’s sleep and waking up happy in the morning.
What you don’t realize is that your bedroom has a scary secret. There are chemicals present in your room you may not realize, such as formaldehyde coming from insulation and carpet backing, trichloroethylene from your recent dry cleaning, and benzene from the solvents and paints on the wall. All of these can redistribute into the air that we breathe when we sleep, which can affect the quality of our sleep as well as our overall health. You can reduce this risk by adding one, two, or a few good plants for a bedroom to your sleeping space.
How to Choose the Right Plants
Not all plants are created equal! While they may all be pretty, they aren’t all going to clear the air the way you want. What you’re looking for isn’t just a plant but the best plants for bedroom oxygen. The right plants will absorb carbon dioxide, as well as other nasty stuff, from the environment and produce oxygen during the day that can then be released at night. When choosing plants, you’ll want to keep a few key ideas in mind. For instance, how much care are you able and willing to give to the plants? Does your bedroom have a lot of natural light? How much extra room do you have? Would you prefer hanging plants for the bedroom to save floor space? There’s no wrong answer to these questions, but you’ll want to narrow down your options to what is reasonable and desirable for your specific situation.
The Best Plants for Your Bedroom
A quick Google search will tell you that when you’re searching for bedroom plants, you have a lot of options- even when keeping the information mentioned above in mind. There are hanging plants for the bedroom, air purifying plants for the bedroom, and so much more! How can you ever decide? We put together a quick list of what we consider to be the best plants for your bedroom. This includes:
Peace Lily
This is probably one of the most popular bedroom plants that you’ll find as it grows fairly well in high or low light areas. Peace Lilies bloom beautiful white flowers that are perfect for indoors, because they are known to clean the air of formaldehyde, benzene, acetone, alcohols, and trichloroethylene. You can place it near the windows to help encourage blooming.
English Ivy
If you’re looking for the perfect hanging plants for the bedroom, this is it! The English Ivy can spread easily, even in low light. Place it in a hanging basket in one corner of your room, or near the windows, and you’ll see it trailing new leaves reaching your windows and curtains. They can do well even with minimal watering, so this plant is easy to maintain.
hilodendron
Philodendrons have been popular since the 1970’s, especially in bedrooms, because they are a no-fuss, easy plant to grow. You can pot them, hang them, or place them anywhere you like. Just make sure that it does get a good amount of light. These plants won’t thrive in no- or low-light situations.
Areca Palm
You may not realize it, but certain species of palm trees are actually some of the best plants for bedroom oxygen. The Areca Palm is a tropical plant that adds a lush aesthetic to any indoor environment. There is more though because these palms are well known for their air purifying abilities. They remove harmful toxins and one study even found that the Areca Palm is one of the best plants for removing carbon dioxide from the air.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera releases oxygen at night making it perfect for your sleep environment. This succulent is also one of the easiest plants to care for, because you can go three weeks without watering it and it will be okay.
Hopefully, this list gave you quite a few bedroom plant ideas. Plants are a great way to turn your bedroom into a healthy slumber oasis! After you outfit your bed with the essentials, like a new mattress, supportive pillows, and comfortable sheets, you can get to work making the rest of your room perfect too.