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We all know what a wonderful thing a good night’s sleep is and what it can do for us. You may not know tho, that your bedroom and what’s in it can be a hindrance to that wonderful good night’s sleep.
As a professional organizer, I see alot of things. But one of the hardest for me to see is the stress-inducing master bedrooms that have too many functions going on in the space. If you are ready to make some changes, the first thing to do is have a good look around at what is in your bedroom and how it makes you feel. When you walk into your bedroom does it feel peaceful and serene? Do you get a ‘quiet’ feeling when you are in your bedroom? If not, you probably have too much going on in your bedroom that could be hindering that peaceful feeling.
One of the most common things I see, is the bedroom has also become the office. Piles of paper, bills, receipts, etc. whether you think it does or not, sub-consciously this pile is like a huge weight that causes stress when you walk in and see it there. That’s the last thing you want when you are ready to go to bed. If your bedroom has become the home office for paperwork, electronic devices, office supplies - the first thing you need to do is find a new home for all of that. If you work from home, find a closet that you can convert or even your dining room would be better than your bedroom.
Another common thing I see is the exercise equipment in the bedroom. Be honest with yourself, is this really the only place where you can get your reps in? If possible, find another location for your work outs. And, while you are being honest, are you really using that equipment? If not, put it on Craig’s List or bring it to 2nd Wind to collect some cash for it.
The other problem I notice is the laundry being stored in piles in the bedroom. Whether its waiting to get folded and put away or its waiting to get washed, subconsciously this is a huge stresser when you walk in and see this pile of undone work. If you can’t get it folded when you take it out of the dryer leave it in the laundry room until you have time to fold it and put it away. If you live someplace where that’s not possible, its better to leave it in your kitchen or living room where you will see that it needs to get taken care of. Don’t put it off any longer than necessary, it will only take a few minutes to fold up the basket of clothes and put them away. And it feels so good when its done.
You want your bedroom to feel like a peaceful retreat from the hustle bustle and noise of our everyday lives. To accomplish this, have only what is necessary in your bedroom for the things you may like to do (well not all the things!).
- Sleeping: The main event! As soon as you get out of bed in the morning, make your bed. Your room immediately feels more inviting and relaxing.
- Reading: If you enjoy reading in bed as a way to relax and fall asleep be sure that you have good lighting next to you. Turn off any overhead lights. A book light is a great solution if you don’t want to bother your partner with the light. Clear off your bedside table so that you only have one or two books. Not a whole stack, again this leads to a feeling of stress because it subconsciously makes you feel like you have to get around to reading all of them. A bedside caddy tucked between the mattress and box springs works great to hold a few of your reading accessories like your book light, glassess, remote control and your favorite magazine and keeps the clutter off the surface of your nightstand.
- Dressing/Clothing Storage: Closets seem to be one of the biggest organizing challenges I run into. People seem to have more clothes than closet. The first thing to do is make sure that only the clothing that you are wearing right now is in your closet. If your closet is overflowing and you have 3 sizes of clothing, formal wear, out of season clothing find a different place to store the things that you aren’t wearing right now. A garment rack on wheels is a great solution. An underbed storage container for off-season items works well. Installing a second shelf above the first one also works great for storing out of season clothing. I recommend that twice a year you do a full closet purge - take everything out of your closet and lay it on your bed. Seriously consider each item before you put it back. If you love it and know you will wear it, it goes back in. If you haven’t worn it in over a year...it goes to consignment or in the donations bag. Store your out of season clothes elsewhere and save your valuable closet real estate for only the things you are wearing regularly now.
- Media and Electronics: There is always the debate about whether or not its ok to have a TV in your bedroom and watch TV as you are falling asleep. Many experts say that watching television is not the best way to promote restful sleep. (Try these 25 tips for sleeping better here at GoodHousekeeping.com!) I personally like to watch TV before I fall asleep, so you know where I stand on that debate. The thing is that you can end up with media clutter if you don’t have adequate storage for remotes, CDs/DVDs, etc. Find a way to store all of it so that its easy to access but you don’t have to look at it everytime you walk in the bedroom.
- Child care: With a newborn, it can be practical to have a cradle in the master bedroom for a period of time, but having a playroom's worth of toddler toys to step over in the middle of the night is not a recipe for a romantic retreat. Are the toys there because you are watching TV or folding laundry in the bedroom? If you moved those functions elsewhere, the toys would follow. If you must, have a basket by the door to quickly corral the toys before retiring for the evening.
- Hobbies: Something simple like needlework or puzzles can be restful, but a jewelry-making or painting studio probably should be relocated.
If you take the time to do a good, honest assessment of your bedroom and relocate and store the clutter, you will be amazed at how it can help you to find a more restful night’s sleep!
Read more: Peaceful Bedrooms - Organize Your Bedroom - Good Housekeeping |
