How Decluttering Your Bedroom Helps You Sleep

Minimalism is a trend that’s been a mainstay on Instagram, Pinterest, and every home decor inspo page for the last few years. From the joy sparking methods of minimalist icon Marie Kondo to the hyper organised Kardashian homes, less is definitely more. We know the trend looks good, but what benefits can it bring other than a stylish background for pictures?

It’s actually been proven that minimalism is a brilliant way to ease stress, reduce cortisol levels, and get you off to sleep. Many studies have shown that less clutter leads to calmer headspace that’s better suited to a relaxing nights sleep, and this concept has been around for much longer than you’d think.

It’s national simplicity day, a holiday in honour of naturalist Henry David Thoreau who advocated for a simpler way of life that allows people to reach their full potential. In this weeks blog, we’re getting into the spirit of the day and discussing how simplifying your room can help improve your sleep schedule.

“As you simplify your life the laws of the universe will be simpler”

-Henry David Thoreau

Can Decluttering Your Bedroom Help You Sleep?

It might sound odd, but it’s actually a well-studied fact that a cluttered and chaotic bedroom can negatively impact your sleep! The main issue with having too many bits and bobs swamping your bedroom is that our brains see piles of clutter as a task. Even if you don’t really feel like a good clear-out, your brain sees piles of clothes, paper, or any other muddles as something to check off.

This isn’t something we can switch off and can lead to a lot of unnecessary stress, especially if there’s no room to put our knickknacks away. To put it in more sciencey words, the sight of clutter actually affects the chemicals in your brain.

 We produce a chemical called cortisol in response to stress, which (normally) dips towards bedtime so we can sleep. Studies have shown that lots of clutter results in the levels of cortisol not dipping as they should and keeping us awake. So the only question is, “how to declutter my bedroom?”.

Clear Out Old Clothes

Unless you’re very lucky and have a walk-in wardrobe, clothes are the biggest pain to store neatly in any bedroom. Whether you’re trying to organise by colour and losing your favourite tops, attempting to get your shoes in order, or struggling with containing your winter gear it can be a serious challenge.

It’s no wonder that between a lack of storage and mounds of washing, clothes are the number one contributor to bedroom messes. But how to tackle it? Well, the first step is to have a good old fashioned clear out. Organise your clothes and really be harsh with them, decide which ones you’ll definitely need and wear again and say goodbye to anything you know you won’t.

 

 

       

 

Once you’ve thinned out your collection you can get to work organising the rest of your storage. We recommend rolling your clothes as it takes up less space and looks much neater. Another big no-no you should avoid when it comes to clothing cluttering up your room is the old chair storage. Everyone has a chair full of clothes but it’s something you should nip in the bud for a more calming space.

Get Rid Of Demanding Decor

We know, decorating your room with all of your favourite things is one of the most fun parts of having your own private space. However, it’s important to make sure that the decor you choose doesn’t just look good, but is also good for you. When it comes to decorating your bedroom, creating a calming space should always be priority number one.

So, if you have a lot of intense artwork on the walls or attention-grabbing bits and bobs around your room it’s definitely worth swapping them out for more soporific alternatives. Also, if you have lots of jewellery or any kind of loose items dotted around your room, an organiser will not only look good but keep you feeling more put together.

Kick Out Any Bedroom Non-Essentials

Like we said, your bedroom should always be a calming space where you can escape the world and simply enjoy some peace and quiet. So, if you want to get away from the stress of day to day life, it’s important to not let other parts of the house spill over into your room. 

With the past year or so turning our homes into offices, cafes, cinemas, and even hairdressers when we felt brave, it’s no surprise if you’ve found your bedroom taken over. Now that things are getting back to normal though it’s so important to keep the rest of the world and your home out of the bedroom. 

Walk through your room and pick up anything that doesn’t belong, whether it’s kids toys, paperwork, toiletries or plates, and put them back where they belong. It sounds simple, and it is! It makes a huge difference to not only the tidiness of your room but also of the mind and lets you fully relax.

How To Store Your Clutter

It’s all well and good giving you (pretty good in our humble opinion) advice on decluttering your bedroom, but where should you store it? Luckily we have plenty of storage solutions ideal for keeping your bedroom organised. One way to keep your bedroom looking fantastic is to invest in a storage bed. Whether it’s an ottoman or a divan bed base, storage beds are a fantastic way to add storage to your bedroom without taking up too much floor space. 

 

Out of sight, out of mind is a great way to look at clutter and a bed with storage takes care of that problem. Even better it gets rid of under the bed messes that can often be a nightmare to clean and can make stress worse. A simpler way to add quick space to your room is with a blanket box. Stylish and easy to coordinate with your home decor, blanket boxes are an amazing way to elevate your room as well as your storage space.

Living Simply

No matter what method you choose, getting in touch with your minimalistic side is a great way to reduce stress and your life and improve your sleep schedule. So why not give living simply a try this national simplicity day?