Houseplants do more than just brighten up your bedroom decor. Adding specific plants to your bedroom can even improve your sleep by enhancing indoor air quality. Their aesthetic appeal also helps create a calming environment, perfect for promoting a restful sleep.
This guide will help you decide which of these top bedroom plant options might be best for your bedroom based on pet safety and your plant care abilities. I’ve also got a few tips for incorporating some flower-powered aromatherapy to help you drift off into a peaceful sleep every night.
First, here’s why you should add plants to your bedroom.
How Bedroom Plants Can Improve Sleep
Adding houseplants to your bedroom can improve sleep quality by enhancing indoor air purity and promoting relaxation. They offer a handful of benefits:
- Removing indoor air pollutants: Plants naturally filter out toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene by absorbing these chemicals through their leaves and roots, creating a cleaner air environment.
- Increasing oxygen: Through photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, enriching the air you breathe to promote better sleep.
- Adding humidity: Plants naturally release water vapor into the air through transpiration, which increases moisture in the air. This can help with respiratory issues and dry skin, and may offer mild relief for sleep apnea.
- Reducing allergens: Houseplants trap airborne dust particles on their leaves, lowering allergen levels and improving air quality in the bedroom.
Let’s explore some of the best plants that can do all this and more for your bedroom.
10 Best Bedroom Plants That Can Improve Your Sleep Quality
Now that you know how houseplants can improve your sleep quality, I’ll help you pick some out for your bedroom haven. These nine superstars are ready to transform your sleep sanctuary:
1. Snake Plant
Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, the snake plant may be the best houseplant to have in the bedroom. This low-maintenance plant is an architectural wonder with stiff, upright leaves that come in various shades of green.
Snake plants also have a crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). While other types of plants take in most of their CO2 during the day, this CAM plant keeps taking in just as much at night as it does during the day. That means it has more nighttime air-purifying power than other plants!
Pet safe? No, snake plants contain saponins that are toxic to dogs and cats.
Care Tips
- Light: Prefers bright, indirect sunlight but tolerates lower light conditions.
- Water: Water sparingly, allowing the soil to dry completely between waterings.
- Soil: Well-draining cactus mix.
- Humidity: Adapts to average household humidity.
2. Spider Plant
The easy-going spider plant is another champion for bedroom gardeners. This cheerful plant sends out cascading shoots that sprout adorable baby spiderettes. It’s a low-maintenance plant known for its air-purifying properties.
Pet safe? Yes! Spider plants are nontoxic to cats and dogs.
Care Tips
- Light: Thrives in bright, indirect sunlight but tolerates lower light.
- Water: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Use filtered (not softened) water to prevent chemical and salt buildup, which can turn leaf tips brown.
- Soil: Well-draining potting mix.
- Humidity: Enjoys average household humidity but appreciates occasional misting.
3. Peace Lily
Known for its elegant white flowers and lush green foliage, the peace lily is a popular choice for bedrooms. This low-maintenance beauty thrives in lower light than most other houseplants.
Pet safe? No, peace lilies are toxic to cats and dogs if ingested. Keep out of reach of pets.
Care Tips
- Light: Prefers low to moderate light. Avoid direct sunlight.
- Water: Water when the soil feels dry to the touch. The leaves will droop slightly when thirsty. Use filtered (not softened) water to keep tap water chemicals from turning the leaf tips brown.
- Soil: Well-draining potting mix.
- Humidity: Prefers moderate to high humidity. Grouping plants together or placing them on a pebble tray filled with water can help increase humidity.
4. English Ivy
English ivy is a beautiful vining plant with cascading foliage that makes it a perfect hanging plant. It’s an easy way to add a touch of lush greenery to your bedroom and has air-purifying properties.
Pet safe? No, English ivy contain saponins that are toxic to cats and dogs if ingested. Keep out of reach of pets.
Care Tips
- Light: Prefers bright, indirect sunlight. Avoid direct sunlight, which can scorch the leaves.
- Water: Water regularly, allowing the top inch of soil to dry slightly between waterings.
- Soil: Well-draining potting mix.
- Humidity: Thrives in moderate to high humidity.
5. Areca Palm
The areca palm brings a touch of the tropics to your bedroom. This elegant plant features feathery fronds that can grow quite tall. While not a low-maintenance plant, it’s relatively easy to care for and helps purify the air.
Pet safe? Yes! Areca palms are nontoxic to cats and dogs.
Care Tips
- Light: Prefers bright, indirect sunlight. Avoid direct sunlight, which can scorch the leaves.
- Water: Water regularly, allowing the top inch of soil to dry slightly between waterings. Use filtered (not softened) water to prevent chemical and salt buildup, which can turn leaf tips brown.
- Soil: Well-draining potting mix.
- Humidity: Thrives in moderate to high humidity. Misting regularly or using a pebble tray filled with water can help increase humidity.
6. Rubber Plant
The rubber plant offers a touch of modern style to your bedroom with its large, glossy leaves. This air-purifying plant is also super low-maintenance, making it a great choice for beginners.
Pet safe? Some rubber plants are mildly toxic to cats and dogs if ingested, but others aren’t. The baby rubber plant (Peperomia) is safe for cats and dogs, but the rubber tree (Ficus elastica — also called a rubber fig plant) is not. Keep the latter (shown in the photo above) out of reach of pets.
Care Tips
- Light: Prefers bright, indirect sunlight. It can tolerate lower light conditions but may grow leggy.
- Water: Water moderately, allowing the top inch of soil to dry out before watering again.
- Soil: Well-draining potting mix.
- Humidity: Adapts to average household humidity but thrives with occasional misting.
7. ZZ Plant
Nicknamed the “eternity plant” due to its seeming ability to live forever, its minimal needs make the Zamioculcas Zamifolia (ZZ plant) a great choice for forgetful plant parents. This low-maintenance beauty features glossy, dark green leaves and is known for its air-purifying properties.
Pet safe? No, ZZ plants are mildly toxic to cats and dogs due to compounds in the leaves that can irritate their mouths, stomachs, and sometimes respiratory systems. Keep this out of reach of pets.
Care Tips
- Light: Very low-light tolerant, but thrives in bright, indirect sunlight.
- Water: Water sparingly, allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Overwatering is a common problem with ZZ plants.
- Soil: Well-draining potting mix.
- Humidity: Adapts to average household humidity.
8. Aloe Vera
The aloe vera plant is a versatile choice for the bedroom, not only for its potential health benefits but also for its air-purifying properties. This low-maintenance succulent stores water in its thick leaves, making it drought-tolerant.
Pet safe? This plant can be toxic to cats and dogs if ingested. Keep out of reach of pets.
Care Tips
- Light: Prefers bright, indirect sunlight. Can tolerate some direct sunlight as well.
- Water: Water sparingly, allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
- Soil: Well-draining cactus mix.
- Humidity: Adapts to average household humidity.
9. Gerbera Daisy
Looking for a pop of color in your bedroom? The Gerbera daisy, with its cheerful blooms, might be the perfect choice. While not necessarily low-maintenance (it needs way more light than some other options here), it can add a touch of brightness to your sleep sanctuary. This could be the best indoor plant for you if you have just the right growing conditions inside.
Pet Safe? Yes! Gerbera daisies are nontoxic to cats and dogs if ingested.
Care Tips
- Light: Needs at least 6-8 hours of bright, direct sunlight daily.
- Water: Water regularly, allowing the top inch of soil to dry slightly between waterings. Avoid overwatering, which can lead to root rot.
- Soil: Well-draining potting mix.
- Humidity: Adapts to average household humidity, but thrives with occasional misting.
10. Philodendron
The philodendron is a popular bedroom plant, thanks to its adaptability and air-purifying qualities. It has lush, heart-shaped leaves and adds tropical flair while removing toxins like formaldehyde from the air.
Easy to care for and ideal for beginners, philodendrons have trailing vines that can create a jungle-like look to your bedroom. Some varieties, such as the heartleaf philodendron, can be trained to climb, adding vertical interest to your sleep sanctuary. Philodendrons can also be grown hydroponically (in water instead of soil), offering a low-maintenance, soil-free gardening option. If you go that route, use a liquid fertilizer in the spring and summer to promote growth.
Pet Safe? No, philodendrons are toxic to cats and dogs if ingested. Keep out of reach of pets.
Care Tips
- Light: Thrives in medium to bright indirect light, but can tolerate lower light conditions.
- Water: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Avoid overwatering, which can lead to root rot.
- Soil: Well-draining potting mix rich in organic matter.
- Humidity: Enjoys average to high humidity and occasional misting.
Floral Scents That Promote Sleep
Beyond the visual tranquility of houseplants, certain plants boast calming scents that can specifically enhance your sleep environment. Here, we explore two popular options, lavender and jasmine, that are well-known for their sleep-promoting aromatherapy properties. While these beauties might not be the best indoor plants because of their needs, there are other ways to reap their benefits for a good night’s sleep.
Lavender has long been revered for its calming scent and sleep-promoting properties. While lavender is a beautiful flowering plant, it’s not the best choice as an indoor plant. A lavender plant only thrives in bright light and well-draining soil, which can be difficult to maintain consistently indoors.
Jasmine plants are another well-known source of calming scents that can promote relaxation and sleep. However, jasmine plants, like lavender, aren’t the best fit for indoor environments due to their specific light and humidity requirements. Their delicate nature makes it hard for them to thrive indoors.
Luckily, there are other ways to enjoy their sleep-enhancing benefits:
- Essential oil diffuser: Add a few drops of high-quality lavender essential oil to a diffuser for a gentle, calming scent throughout the night. Make sure it’s not diluted with a carrier oil, as it might damage the diffuser. Many jasmine essential oils are cut with carrier oils to reduce the high cost.
- Sachet: Place a sachet filled with dried lavender near your pillow for a subtle fragrance. You can crush them with your fingers to release more scent as part of your bedtime routine.
- Linen spray: Spritz your bedding with a lavender or jasmine linen spray before bedtime to create a relaxing, romantic atmosphere.
- Scented candles: Opt for a natural soy candle with a lavender or jasmine scent, but be sure to extinguish it before falling asleep.
Make Friends With Plants for a Better Night’s Sleep
Incorporating plants into your bedroom can lead to better sleep by purifying the air and creating a calming atmosphere. From a snake plant that purifies the air at night to the scents of lavender and jasmine, these plant-powered tips are sure to enhance your sleep quality. Choosing the best bedroom plants for your home and taking good care of them can transform your bedroom into a fresh, clean space to fall into each night, where you can get the deep sleep you need.