Can’t get to sleep at night? Doing this tidy room sleep hack before bed can keep you organised, lower your stress levels and help you sleep better.
Sleep plays an important role in our health and wellbeing, but it can be elusive for many people. Having the most comfortable and supportive sleep set-up with the best mattress and best pillows can put you one step closer to getting the perfect night’s rest. But what about the space around your bed?
It turns out if you’re struggling to get to sleep, one of the easiest hacks to try is… tidying your bedroom. Yes, that’s right, studies have shown that those who sleep in a messy and cluttered room are more likely to experience disrupted sleep.
With this in mind, here’s why tidying your room can help you get a better night’s sleep and what to prioritise when you start to declutter.
Why a messy bedroom can disturb your sleep
The main reason people find it harder to get to sleep in an untidy room is because of your cortisol levels. Cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone, and when you experience higher levels of cortisol, you’re likely to feel more stressed and anxious. Studies have found that messiness is linked to increased cortisol levels as being in an untidy bedroom can make you feel guilty and like you haven’t properly finished your day.
Having heightened feelings of stress and anxiety can seriously disrupt your ability to wind down, relax and fall asleep. Those who feel stressed before bed can experience bouts of insomnia and wake up more frequently in the night. Not only does this disrupt your sleep-wake cycle, but it can also affect your sleep quality, quantity and feelings of grogginess in the morning.
Another reason a messy room can impact your sleep is due to allergens. If your bedroom is dirty or dusty, this can trigger and exacerbate your allergies which can make you feel uncomfortable, itchy and sneezy when you’re trying to sleep (see how to stop allergies from ruining your sleep for more tips).
5 tips to declutter your bedroom and improve your sleep
To avoid a bad night’s sleep, giving your bedroom a quick tidy can decrease your stress levels and calm your allergies. You don’t have to do a deep clean every night but by following these five tips, you can keep your bedroom organised and create a relaxing sleep environment.
1. Declutter your bedside table
As your bedside table is right next to your mattress, it’s typically the last thing you see before going to bed so if it’s untidy, it can increase your feelings of stress and guilt. To avoid this, it’s important to keep it as tidy as possible so remove anything from it that isn’t catered towards sleep. Once you’ve done this, add items that can help support your nighttime routine. For example, if you enjoy reading before bed, keep a book on your bedside table or if you use the best sleep headphones, make sure they’re accessible to you.
2. Keep work supplies and thoughts outside of the bedroom
Keeping work out of the bedroom is my biggest rule when it comes to sleep. Calendars, documents, work laptops and phones should be kept away from your bed at all costs. Your bed is the place where you should rest and relax, but if you add work to it, you’re more likely to experience stress and start to worry that you haven’t finished a project or replied to an email. Regardless of whether you work from home or in the office, create a designated space for work in a different room of your house, and leave your work bag and other supplies there. Out of sight, out of mind!
3. Avoid the floordrobe
The floor of your bedroom can quickly become a dumping ground for unwashed laundry, clean clothes waiting to be put away, blankets that you throw off the bed, and much more. All of this culminates into the dreaded ‘floordrobe’. If you get into bed and look out to a sea of mess on your floor, this can cause heightened feelings of anxiety, so make sure to declutter to keep everything organised, clean and calm.
4. Set the tone
Once you’ve tidied your room, it’s time to start your nighttime routine. It can take a while to find that perfect schedule that helps you wind down but a good way to kick off your evening is by setting the tone. Dim the lights, light a candle, use the best essential oils or anything that gives you a sense of relaxation.
5. Make your bed in the morning
If you come back to an unmade bed, this can make you feel overwhelmed, especially if you’ve had a long day. You might think having an unmade bed makes it easier for you to get back under the covers, but it can have the opposite effect, and make you feel more stressed due to the mess. Experts suggest letting your bed air for a few minutes before making it to ensure your best sheets don’t smell or collect bacteria, so what I do is get out of bed, pull the covers back, take a shower and make my bed afterwards, before I start getting ready for the day.
For more sleep advice, check out these tips for good sleep hygiene and learn how to Feng Shui your bedroom for better sleep.
