Want a better night’s sleep? A simple place to start, is to look at your bedroom. Is it cluttered, with books, clothes, and miscellany? If so, it could be impacting your sleep.
New York’s St. Lawrence University found that a messy bedroom can lead to a poor night’s sleep and increased anxiety.
The study found that the more clutter taking over the floor and surfaces of our bedrooms, the longer it takes us to fall asleep, compared to people with neat and ordered rooms. The less sleep we have, the more tired we are, reducing our chances of productivity the following day. So, our homes stay a mess.
Mess has and probably always will be my natural inclination. But since going through my own decluttering, de-owning journey, I relax and rest better than before. Reading a book in bed is calmer, as my chest of drawers isn’t piled with unsorted papers.
We all want to go to sleep rested and wake up refreshed. Starting the day with piles of disorganised mess, isn’t good for anyone’s wellbeing.
So start with your bedroom!
- If you have more clothes than storage for them, de-own enough so they fit comfortably. Try not to buy anymore unless you have space.
- Pick up anything on your floor and put it away.
- Recycle your half read newspapers and magazines. Give yourself a day to read a daily newspaper, a week for a Saturday/Sunday paper and monthly magazines get one month!
- Put books away on your bookshelves, except the current read.
- Find somewhere else to store your paperwork. We used to live in a maisonette, where you walked past our bedroom to get to the living area. So our bedroom was a dumping ground for post and papers, it would really overwhelm me.
- Aim for your surfaces to be clear. I use my top drawer to store all my face creams and lotions!
- Find a home for any miscellaneous bits and pieces. Your bedroom is your sanctuary, not your storage room.
I know these tips will be harder than they sound. But it’s worth a try.
Even if your bedroom is small, you can still achieve a tidy, restful room. A while ago, I asked my husband for a four-poster bed. He pointed out that our bedroom is a four-poster bed! It is small by modern, western standards, 8 x 11 ft. So, we have to be organised to make it work. But I actually love that! It forces me to be intentional with clothes. Under the bed is one lidded plastic box, with 4 pairs of shoes in it. We share one chest of drawers and a small wardrobe and I store a few extra dresses in my girls’ wardrobe. It works just fine.
So book in a slot with yourself to sort your bedroom this weekend and see if it makes a difference!
I always love to hear from you. Get in touch with me if there is a topic you would like me to cover at kate@declutteringdr.com.
