Create an Anti-Anxiety Guest Room

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Sleeping away from home can be super stressful, and so you really want to make sure your guests feel comfortable in your house. There are so many great ways to make them feel at home, but here are a few tips that will make your guest room into an anti-anxiety haven.

Layers of Blankets

For me, one of the main reasons I have trouble sleeping is temperature changes. I recently heard that when you’re sleeping, your body is more susceptible to these changes. That’s probably why I often wake up hot or cold in the middle of the night.

When making up the guest bed, keep in mind that not everyone likes to sleep the way you do. The best thing to do is provide options, so your guests can create their own perfect combination of blankets. I like to include a top sheet, a light blanket for each guest, and a bedspread or comforter. I also always keep a few extra blankets in an ottoman near the bed.

When picking out light blankets, be sure you’re buying ones that are long enough to sleep with, and not just throws. It’s just the worst when you pull a blanket up to wrap around your neck and your toes freeze!

Make Some Noise

In your own home, you have had time to get used to the idosyncracies of creaking and settling. You can easily tell the difference between sounds that are a cause for alarm and those that aren’t. However, sleeping in an unfamiliar house means you are surrounded by those noises you don’t understand.

Even at home, I prefer to sleep with the white noise of a fan blowing. It covers up any other strange noises, and allows my brain to settle. So having a fan or other white noise generator around is my number one suggestion here.

For an upgrade, consider a sound machine, radio, or phone speakers. Each of these will allow your guests to create the audio atmosphere that is most comfortable to them. And if they do prefer silence, that’s an option too. Just make sure there are no ticking clocks around!

Privacy and Security

In most modern homes, bedroom doors have simple locks, but it’s not a guarantee. If your guest room doesn’t have a lock on the door, adding one is a small update that can make a big difference when it comes to feeling more secure.

For an upgrade, you can add a lock with a key or remote entry. This way your guests will have the ability to lock the room even when they aren’t inside. This gives them a secure place to store valuables without worrying about kids or repair people rifling through their belongings.

Pet Free Zone

My chihuahua has free reign of our house, in most cases. The guest room is one place that we limit her. While we let her in there supervised, we make sure that she can’t hop up onto the bed or get into the linen closet where we store all our guest blankets and towels.

There are two good reasons to keep pets out of your guest areas. First is fears. While you love your cat or dog, your guests may not be as comfortable. They shouldn’t have to worry about whether a pup will jump on them in the middle of the night.

The other reason is allergies. Many people suffer from severe or even just moderate pet allergies. Keeping pets off the guest room furniture full time helps ensure there won’t be any fur or dander. It gives your allergy-prone guests a safe place in your otherwise pet friendly home.

Keep Them Hydrated

When I wake up in the middle of the night, I instinctively reach for my water bottle. A few sips of water can help to calm my dream-fueled brain and allow me to roll over and sleep again easily. But not all guests are in the habit of bringing water bottles with them.

A simple solution is that you can provide a water glass on the bedside table. If your tap water is drinkable, they can easily fill it up each night. Or if you prefer, you can stock a few water bottles within easy reach.

For some upgrades, you can add a mini fridge where your guests can store their own water or other beverages. You could also provide a selection of teas, like lavender or chamomile, and a simple electric kettle. This gives your guests even more options for calming drinks to have bedside.

Most of these upgrades are simple and inexpensive, but they can make a huge differences to your guests’ comfort level and anxiety. Think about all the ways you’ve set up your own bedroom to be a comfortable refuge. Then, be sure your guests have that same luxury.

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