RAINBOW REMEDIES

HOW colour can affect us. This week: It can alter our sleep PAINTING your bedroom walls blue may help you sleep better, according to a 2013 survey that analysed the decor and sleeping habits of people in 2,000 homes.

Those who slept in rooms painted blue, yellow or green had the best-quality sleep, while those in purple, brown, or grey rooms had the worst, found the survey for hotel chain Travelodge.

In blue bedrooms, people averaged seven hours and 52 minutes’ sleep a night, compared with just five hours and 56 minutes in purple rooms.

It’s thought our ganglion cells, specialised receptors in the eyes which control our body clocks, are most sensitive to the colour blue. The researchers suggested the colour also helps to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which are essential for sleep.

A previous study from the University of Graz in Austria found that just ten minutes’ exposure to blue light slowed the heart rate and reduced stress.