Researchers who also evaluated whether encouraging people with sleeping difficulties to organize and declutter their bedroom could improve sleep found that decluttering and self-care habits predicted fewer sleep related problems and improved sleep quality.
One study looked at 1052 participants with insomnia and found that tidying improved their sleep quality as much as regular bedtime self-care, resulting in fewer sleep-related problems. The trick is the routine: Make decluttering easier by breaking it down into smaller habits and steps. Start with getting a better view.
I heard that rearranging your furniture can stimulate your brain in new ways. So I turned my bed 180 degrees and was shocked at the results. Moving my bed gave me a different perception of the space and a new view to fall asleep to. Doing this increased my spatial awareness and made the room feel new to me.
Routine and Comfort: Maintaining a clean space can be part of a calming bedtime routine, signaling to your brain that it's time to sleep. While individual preferences vary, many people do report that a clean room enhances their overall sleep experience.
The National Sleep Foundation has found that washing sheets once a week may help people sleep better because of the fresh smelling scent. (HealthDay News) -- Making sure that your bedsheets smell nice may help you drift into a sweeter sleep. Wash sheets and pillow cases at least once weekly, so they always smell fresh.
Watch Your Diet: Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol close to bedtime, as they can interfere with deep sleep. Relaxation Techniques: Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga to reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
The air quality in your bedroom is a major factor in how well you sleep. Poor ventilation, dust, and moisture can lead to mould build-up, which can cause allergies, asthma, and respiratory issues—disrupting your sleep and affecting your overall health.
How a messy bedroom affects sleep. A cluttered bedroom can affect you more than you might think, especially when it comes to bedtime. In fact, a study, conducted by New York's St. Lawrence University, revealed that a cluttered, messy bedroom can lead to a poor night's sleep and increased anxiety.
Ultimately, you should aim to clean your room weekly. The task can be made heaps easier if you make a point of decluttering consistently. The American Cleaning Institute suggests a quick pick-up before bed—just a couple of things off the floor before tucking in.
Sleep divorce involves couples sleeping in separate beds or bedrooms to improve sleep quality. This practice helps avoid common sleep disturbances like snoring, insomnia, differing sleep schedules, and restlessness, which can lead to fatigue and relationship tension.
The Benefits of Fresh Décor and Furniture on Mental Health
Reduced anxiety: Redecorating and rearranging keeps you busy and distracted from what is causing you concern. You can see your progress, so it's hard to feel like you wasted your time.
Sleeping lower to the ground can also have some potential health benefits. For example, sleeping on a low platform bed or futon can help to reduce back and joint pain by promoting proper spinal alignment. This can be especially beneficial for people with chronic pain or mobility issues.
The 20/20 rule is a genius invention by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus from The Minimalists. This simple rule is if you can replace something you are decluttering in less than 20 minutes for less than $20, you can declutter it.
“The entryway into one's home should be the first space you organize above all others, whether that is a foyer, long hallway, or just an entrance area,” according to Jane Stoller, founder of Organized Jane and author of “Decluttering for Dummies.”
Take it room by room: Start decluttering one room at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Focus on a specific area before moving on to the next. Sort methodically: Divide items into categories (keep, donate, sell, discard) and work through each category systematically to prevent decision fatigue.
Whatever the size of your bedroom, keeping it tidy can make it a sleep-friendly sanctuary. Untidiness is linked to higher cortisol levels (the stress hormone) – which can affect your ability to nod off, so it makes sense to declutter.
The Impact on Physical Health
When you spend all day lying in bed without any movement, it can have a significant impact on your physical health. Movement energizes your body and gives you a sense of vitality and well-being. Without movement, your energy levels can plummet, making you feel lethargic and drained.
Experts recommend leaving your bed unmade all day and make it in the evening if you enjoy the feeling of crawling into a freshly made bed. This gives time for the bedding to naturally dry out. Don't forget to change your sheets weekly for a hygienic sleep environment – more often if you sleep in the buff.
Real-life and many studies show that messiness is actually a very common personality trait. In some cases, people are simply uninterested in cleaning up the mess they are living in. The fact that they are not bothered by it is a sign they simply got used to living that way.
⁵ Some people with dust mite allergies experience symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, an itchy nose, a cough and watering eyes. Most exposure to dust occurs while sleeping and when it's disturbed, such as when bed-making. Dust mite allergy symptoms can all affect the quality of our sleep.
Apart from soiled sheets, the air in your bedroom can also get contaminated due to dust. This dust buildup can circulate in the air and even clog your vent ducts, triggering allergies and other respiratory issues. If you suddenly feel sick for no obvious reason, this might well be it.
Cut out caffeine 10 hours before bed. Don't eat or drink alcohol 3 hours before bed. Stop working 2 hours before bed. Get away from your screens 2 hours before bed.
Also called nonrestorative sleep, shallow sleep syndrome occurs when you are able to sleep but you wake feeling unrefreshed. It is common in people with conditions such as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Pink noise is a constant sound in the background. It filters out things that distract you, like people talking or cars going by, so they don't interrupt your sleep. You may hear it called ambient noise. Like white noise, it's a steady background hum that may give you a better night's sleep.