Sleep is vital to our physical and mental health and well-being, and is just as important as diet and exercise.

Although individual needs may vary, adults typically need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. But few of us are getting that much. Our technology- focused culture with 24-hour internet access, chronic cell phone use, and bedrooms buzzing with TVs, just doesn't encourage long, restful periods of sleep. Additionally, the economic fluctuations of the past year are enough to disrupt anyone's sleep.

According to the Harvard Women's Health Watch, chronic sleep loss can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and a decrease in the immune system's power. It is safe to say that sleep is too important to shortchange. So how can we ensure a good night's rest?

Both the National Sleep Foundation (www.sleepingfoundation.org) and the Better Sleep Council (www.bettersleep.org) agree that your sleeping environment has a major impact on quality and quantity of sleep. The bedroom should be an inviting oasis used only for sleep and relaxation.

Transforming your bedroom into your personal sleep sanctuary should be a top priority. On the following pages you'll drift through dreamy bedroom spaces created with rest and rejuvenation in mind. These bedrooms provide inspiration to create your own peaceful sleep retreat.

"Your bedroom is a retreat," explains Betty Greenway, designer and owner of Island Paint and Decorating Center in Merritt Island. "It should be tranquil and cozy. This is the place you go to rest."

For many people, quality bedding and accessories make for a restful bed. Price and quality for items such as sheets, comforters, pillows, blankets and accessories such as decorative throw pillows and coordinating draperies can vary widely. "There is nothing wrong with a bed-in-a-bag," Greenway insists. "The goal is to dress your bedroom with a design you find appealing and relaxing."

When selecting bedding, you want something that feels right for you and your wallet. However, there are some basics to know. First of all, measure your bed. Don't rely on standard Queen, King, Full or Twin descriptions. Next, measure the thickness of your mattress. Some mattresses today can be up to 18 inches thick and standard sheets will not fit them.

The next thing to consider is thread count, which refers to the number of threads per square inch. In general, the higher the thread count, the more luxurious bed linens feel, but bedding should also be chosen for fabric composition and finish.

The best combination of softness and durability can be found in the 200 - 600 thread-count range. Many people prefer 100% cotton sheets and Egyptian cotton has the longest cotton fibers available, which become softer with each washing.

Supima cotton is also desirable for this reason. To get the feel of satin or silk, without the slippery finish, choose 100% cotton sateen weave. If you want the warm feel of flannel, choose a brushed cotton or flannel finish. A good choice for Florida, Percale, remains elegant and cool, and softens as it is used and washed.

Most importantly, look for features, feel and style that are appeal to you.

In one Merritt Island home, designer Greenway opted for practical luxury, ordering semi-custom bedding to outfit the queen size bed.

"Semi-custom allows you to choose from select patterns, but you can change the length of the bed skirt, add decorative elements, get deeper sheets to fit the mattress and mix and match fabrics," explains Greenway. "It (semi-custom) gives a custom feel at a reasonable price."

The Craftsman-style bed frame is a sturdy solid cherry wood made by Durham furniture (www.durhamfurniture.com) and has a transitional style that works well with the tropical décor. For the bedding, Greenway collaborated with the homeowner to choose a palm tree and coral motif in green, blue, brown and beige.

"There is a great amount of detail in the construction of each piece of bedding," said Greenway. "There is mother of pearl trim and embroidered detail on the pillows. It is luxurious, but still practical."

Coordinating sage green drapery panels in an easy to care for faux silk hang from a bamboo rod, adding softness to the window seating area. The brown woven wood roman shades are lined to add privacy and block light.

This bedding from Eastern Accents cost approximately $2,000; which includes the duvet cover, bed skirt, pillow shams and decorative pillows.

The soothing green wall color, Timothy Straw, by Benjamin Moore, was chosen to complement the bedding. All of our designers suggest that when choosing colors for your bedroom it is best to choose the bedding first, and then choose a paint color to coordinate with the bedding.

Near Cocoa Village, at Whitley Bay condominiums, designer Kathy Wilkerson of Island Paint and Decorating Center worked with the owners to create bedrooms that reflect their tastes and eclectic collections from their travels. Kathy transformed the master suite, with views of the Cocoa causeway, into a serene destination.

"Contemporary seaside," is how Wilkerson explains the blue, grey and white bedroom. The main focus of the room is the four poster bed with a rich Cabernet finish and contrasting brushed nickel hardware. The shell-themed fabrics were selected for the bedding. Window treatments and pillows were customdesigned and fabricated by Island Paint and Décorating Center.

The deep-pleated coverlet was made specifically to fit the thick, king size mattress and has a cream-on-cream matelasse scallop shell pattern. The large area rug from the Masland Translations Collection echoes a similar shell border. Benjamin Moore paint in Woodland Green was painted on the walls to continue the soft color palette.

The guest bedroom has a serene Asian-inspired theme and features artwork and photographs from the homeowners' travels abroad. Two twin beds get extra stature from the 17-inch mattresses and the tall custom-made raffia upholstered headboards. The beige and green bamboo motif on the bedding and pillows, and the soft sage green, fringed bed skirts add luxurious detail. Sheer, shimmery green drapes on the bedroom window help to soften the natural light, and complement the wall color, Benjamin Moore, Hampton Green. Lamps, made by Pacific Coast, create cozy pools of light perfect for reading in bed.

The custom bedding in each bedroom cost approximately $3,000. Ready made and semi-custom bedding is available to fit any price range.

A short drive from the condominiums of Cocoa, in south Cocoa Beach, designer Josselyn Dolenshek of Shore Design, transforms the Magnolia Bay condominiums' models into alluring living spaces. She has furnished each unit with designs that appeal to a broad range of styles and tastes.

Dolenshek selected the clean lines and dependable quality of companies such as Pottery Barn and Havertys to outfit the condominiums. She has created such inviting bedroom spaces that owners have purchased the furniture from the models.

In "The Signature," model Dolenshek decorated the master bedroom with a tropical-style king size bedroom set from Havertys. The headboard and footboard have an open lattice design.

"It's a little Bahamian," said Dolenshek, "with the rattan and leaf detailing on the side."

The opulent silk bedding from Neiman Marcus seems to change from burnt orange to desert red in different lighting.

In the "Plantation Model" Dolenshek made the most of a small bedroom by painting the walls a cool, soothing Dove Grey. The white, queen size bed and dresser from Havertys' Cottage collection fit snugly in the room without feeling crowded. To add some interest, she chose black and white bedding in a bold print. The reversible 100% cotton comforter from Macy's is plush, yet still light enough for Florida summers, and is reversible.

The bedroom in the "Savannah Model" was painted a soft blue, Buxton Blue, from Benjamin Moore. The bedroom is clean, simple and soothing. The queen-size bed is the Caldwell Bed from Pottery Barn, ($799 for queen); in an antique nickel finish with ball-topped bed posts. The white coverlet with blue framing is clean and crisp. The elegant toile bed skirt coordinates with the wall paint.

While colors may have dramatic affects on mood, it may take more than a soothing hue to help you sleep. For optimal sleep conditions, you must start with the right foundation: the mattress.

We have been experimenting with different materials to use as beds for thousands of years. Our ancestors used reeds, rope and straw long before water, cotton or the coiled spring came along. Today, mattresses use high tech body-conforming latex foam, air chambers, and thick pillow tops to provide support and comfort. Regardless of materials, The Better Sleep Council suggests getting a new mattress every five to seven years.

The Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort™ uses an adjustable air chamber support system. Users can adjust the firmness of the mattress to meet their support needs by adjusting the amount of air in the chambers. There are 21 levels of support, ranging from 0 to 100, with 0 being the least firm.

"Most people fall in the 25 to 65 range," said Richard Lehman, Store Manager at The Avenue Viera Select Comfort store. Each side of the bed adjusts independently and can be controlled by the user while lying in bed.

To further enhance the custom bed experience, consumers can choose from a variety of foams and fabrics that cover the air chambers. A queen mattress set from Select Comfort can cost between $999 and $4,300 and has a 20- year warranty. They also offer a 30- night in- home trial for complete satisfaction.

Kane's Furniture in Melbourne offers their clients an in- home comfort trial on their Sealy, Serta and Tempur-Pedic mattresses. Sealy and Serta mattresses use coil springs to provide comfort and support while Tempur-Pedic uses latex foam that conforms to your body. This gives the user a completely different feel than traditional mattresses.

Instead of lying on top of the mattress you sink down into it. For some people, this means less tossing and turning and better rest.

Pillow top mattresses are also different from standard mattresses in that they are made with extra layers of cushioning on top for an extra soft feel, but with a firm layer of support underneath. This eliminates the ability to turn the mattress over.

"Flipping is a thing of the past," said Tim Stanley, Sales Associate at Kane's Furniture, "just turn the mattress 180 degrees from head to feet." All mattresses from Kane's Furniture have a 10- year warranty.

Don't take your mattress purchase lightly. It can make all the difference in getting a good night's sleep. Be sure to test drive as many mattresses as possible before buying.

So whether you're catching ZZZ's for seven or eight hours on coil springs or air chambers; on top of Percale or 600-thread-count sheets… Creating your ideal sleep-conducive space should be a top priority.

You may not be able to control the economy, but you can control your sleep environment.

Sleep tight.