COME HOME TO CALM

Make smart decor choices that are like a cozy hug for your brain.

- DEANNA PAI

IF YOU'VE EVER tossed and turned through the night, preoccupied with thoughts about work, your family, the state of the world, or all of the above, you might not need a study to tell you about the intimate connection between stress and sleep. But there is ample science to back it up, with the latest research finding that stress can actually activate the brain cells that contribute to interrupted sleep cycles and shortened stretches of sleep. That in turn can affect your mood, your memory, and even your overall health.

The good news is you can dial down your body's stress level just by walking in your front door. We know from environmental psychology the field exploring how our space impacts our mind and mood-that everything from our art choices to wall color can influence how we feel. "One of the basic things in environmental psychology is choice and control," says Mardelle McCuskey Shepley, a doctor of architecture and professor in Cornell University's Department of Human Centered Design. They're closely linked: If you have choices, you feel a sense of control. "And when you're in control, you have a greater sense of safety," she says. With that in mind, here's how to organize your space to create a haven that calms your sympathetic nervous system and just feels like a cozy hug.

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