Neon sign for a bedroom: size, color, sleep, safety

A neon sign in a bedroom is usually the one light you look at most, last thing at night. That makes a few choices more important than in other rooms: how big it is above the bed, what color it glows, how dim it can go, and how the power and cable are set up. This guide covers each in turn.

The bedroom and living room project lists the sign, mounting and power parts together.

Ideas for a bedroom wall

• A name or two. Your name, or both your names in script. A wedding sign often ends up here too. Start with a custom name neon sign.
• A shape. The crescent moon with stars in warm yellow, or a red heart outline.
• A word or short phrase. “love”, “Good Vibes”, “dream big”, or a line that means something to you.

See all room neon signs, or type your own words in the neon designer.

Size above a bed

A common rule for art above a bed is about two thirds of the bed’s width. Here is what that means for standard US mattress widths:

Bed	Mattress width	Two thirds	Sign width to pick
Twin	38 in	about 25 in	24 in
Full	54 in	36 in	36 in
Queen	60 in	40 in	36 or 42 in
King	76 in	about 51 in	48 in

For height, hang the sign so its bottom edge sits roughly 8 to 10 in above the headboard. Too high and it floats away from the bed; too low and you will bump it.

Check the words fit as well. Each letter or space on the longest line needs about 2 in of width, so a name of 8 letters fits from 20 in. The designer shows the estimated height of your text. For walls above a sofa or dresser, the same two-thirds rule works. Our neon sign size guide has more.

Warm or cool colors for sleep

Light of any color in the evening can affect the body clock. Research summarized by Harvard Health and the Sleep Foundation finds that blue light at night does this more strongly than other colors, and both suggest dim red or orange light for night use. Harvard notes that even quite dim light has some effect.

What that means for a bedroom sign:

• If the sign stays on near bedtime, choose a warm color: warm white, golden yellow, orange or red. Keep it dim.
• Blue, ice blue and purple look great in the evening, but switch them off well before sleep rather than using them as a night light.
• Two colors in one sign cost nothing extra. A warm moon with a small blue star is a fair compromise.

A neon sign is decoration, not a sleep aid. If you are sensitive to light at night, switch it off when you go to bed.

Dimmers and night-light use

Every sign comes with a dimmer, in-line or remote.

• The in-line dimmer knob sits on the cable and turns down to a soft night-light glow.
• A remote dimmer lets you dim or switch off the sign from bed.
• Color-changing (RGB) signs have their own touch remote with brightness control.

The crescent moon design was drawn with this in mind: a soft night light with the dimmer turned down. Our guide to dimmers and RGB compares the controls.

Power and safety in a bedroom

The sign itself runs on 12 V DC. The plug-in adapter takes 100 to 240 V from the wall outlet and turns it into 12 V. The power supply is cULus Listed (E466625), Class II double insulated, fully encapsulated and has no fan. Only the power supply and the LED light source are certified parts. Our guide are LED neon signs safe? explains what that means.

How you install it matters most. In a bedroom:

1. Keep the adapter in open air. Not under the bed, behind pillows or under blankets. Adapters get warm in use.
2. Keep cables out from under rugs and the mattress. A covered cable cannot shed heat, and safety groups warn against running cords under rugs.
3. Route the cable neatly. Run it down the wall behind the headboard or along the skirting with adhesive cable clips, without pinching it behind furniture.
4. Plug straight into the wall where you can. If the outlet is far, use one DC extension cable, not a chain of extensions.
5. Check the cable now and then, especially where it bends. If the adapter is lost or damaged, we can send a replacement adapter matched to your sign.
6. Switch the sign off when you are away for the day or longer.

The LED tube is rated for 50,000 hours and draws about 8 to 12 W per meter. Every sign has a 2-year warranty with free repair.

Mounting above a bed

A sign above where you sleep should be held at all four corners.

• Wall standoffs float the sign about 1 in off the wall. Each comes with a screw and a plastic wall anchor. On drywall, use the anchors.
• No-drill adhesive mounts suit renters. One at each corner, on a smooth, clean, dry wall, left to set before the sign goes on. Textured or freshly painted walls hold less; adhesive makers usually say to wait at least a week after painting.
• On a dresser or nightstand, a clear acrylic stand holds a sign with a straight bottom edge.

Our guides to hanging a neon sign and hanging without drilling go step by step.

Ordering

Every sign starts with a free design proof and unlimited revisions, and nothing is made until you approve it. Production takes 15 to 20 days after approval, plus 3 to 5 days in transit. Ready-made designs start at $99.99 and custom text signs at $189.99 for 20 in wide.

Planning a room for a child? See our kids’ room neon guide for mounting and cable advice specific to children.