Sleep is super important for our bodies to repair themselves and to keep us healthy mentally and physically. We spend over one-third of our lives sleeping so it makes sense to make your bedroom a stress-free place where you can relax and feel comfortable. Here are 5 things to remove from your bedroom today and my tips to get better sleep:
THINGS TO REMOVE FROM YOUR BEDROOM
When you wake up in the morning, you want to feel refreshed and start your day off right. If you have a cluttered or disorganized space, you may feel stress or anxiety. Transform your bedroom into a perfect sanctuary by getting rid of these 5 things.
Random Mess / Clutter
Having clothes all over the place, knick knacks on a dresser, or just general mess in your room can affect how you feel when you go to sleep. You may wake up feeling fatigued and overwhelmed with clutter all around you. Deal with whatever clutter you have and purge it from your space. Come up with a system to prevent new clutter from creeping up. For example, if you have a lot of laundry that needs to be put away, make it a rule to fold the laundry right when you pull it out of the dryer. Creating a method to keep the clutter out of your bedroom will help to reduce any stress/anxiety when you wake up.
Uncomfortable Mattress
Most mattresses last 8-10 years, but if your mattress is sagging in the middle or is too soft/firm, then you may need to ditch your old mattress and invest in something new. Mattresses can be expensive, but it’s important to invest in yourself and get a good one. We bought our current mattress online and we love it. We were able to test it out for 120-days to make sure it was right for us. Be sure to test out whatever mattress you buy since you’ll be having it for years to come.
Uncomfortable Sheets
If your sheets are worn or scratchy, you may need to replace them. There are so many sheet options with different thread counts and made of different materials; how can you know what’s right for you? To avoid spending too much money, I like to focus on the material first rather than the thread count. We use these bamboo sheets which are super breathable, soft, and affordable.
Television
Your bedroom is your sanctuary. If you have a tv in your room, it invites things from the outside world into your place of relaxation. Watching the news, random shows or movies can be enjoyable or informative, but do you need it in your bedroom? Personally, I choose not to have a tv in my room because I don’t want any outside stress or distractions. I love winding down and having a quiet room. If you usually watch tv in your room, take a break for a week and see if you feel better.
Things Stored Under The Bed
If you have a small space, you may need to store some items under your bed. Of course that’s fine and it’s a great way to utilize all of your available space but if you have forgotten what’s under there or you rarely use these items, it’s time to let them go. Your bed shouldn’t be a secret hoarding place for random things you never use. Take some time to go through what you have and decide if it’s worth keeping.
TIPS FOR GETTING BETTER SLEEP
Now that you’ve gotten the clutter out of your bedroom, here are a few tips to help you get better sleep:
Sleep in a Cooler Temperature
Cooler temperatures can help you get better sleep. When you are hot, you may have trouble sleeping and wake up feeling tired. By turning the thermostat down a little bit, you’re more likely to have a deeper sleep.
Sleep in Complete Darkness
Your body goes through cycles during sleep from REM, to light, to deep and external light can disrupt those cycles. Sleeping with blackout curtains or with a sleep mask will help block out any light to help you sleep better and not wake up in the night. I wear my Fitbit Versa to bed every night and I really love how it analyzes my sleep to let me know how much time I spent during each sleep cycle. I definitely notice that I sleep better with my sleep mask and now I don’t go anywhere without it.
Set a Sleep Schedule
If you work inconsistent hours, it can be hard to get on a sleep schedule. Having a consistent, sleep routine will help your body get better sleep. If you go to bed at 9pm every weekday but don’t go to bed until midnight on the weekends, your body gets confused. You’re basically giving yourself jet lag at home. Get in the habit of going to bed and waking up at the same times to help your body get better sleep.
Limit Screen Time Before Bed
Spending time watching tv, on your phone, laptop or other electronic device an hour before bed can trick your body into thinking it’s day time. The light from the device disrupts the body’s natural rhythm and messes up your melatonin production. It’s recommended to put the screens away an hour before you go to bed. If that’s not possible for you, some phones have a “night mode” that adds a yellow filter to your screen to combat the bright artificial light. The iPhone’s night filter is called “Night Shift” and can be set in the Display & Brightness setting. I’ll admit that I sometimes use my phone right before bed, but in addition to night mode, I have changed the accessibility settings to reduce my iPhone’s overall brightness to 8%. This way my phone is super dim and yellow-tinted which I feel helps a lot in reducing artificial light.
Here’s how I reduced my screen brightness with a shortcut:
- Settings > General > Accessibility > Zoom
- Toggle “Show Controller” on
- Reduce “Idle Visibility” to whatever you want — I use 8%
- Settings > General > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut
- Click “Zoom”
At night when I want to use my phone, I’ll reduce my brightness to 0 and it’s still usually too bright, so I triple-click the home button (I have the iPhone 8 Plus) and this shortcut reduces the brightness even lower. It’s great. Another triple-click on the home button to return it to normal.
Exercise
Exercise is a great way for our bodies to relieve stress and exert some of excess energy. When you do moderate aerobic physical activity, you are more likely to sleep better. I know that some people can feel more awake immediately after exercise, so maybe a morning workout is best for you. But others, like me, may feel relaxed and ready to shower and then go to bed.
I hope you found these tips for getting better sleep helpful, and that you feel inspired to purge your bedroom of things that don’t relax and comfort you. ♡
