Research shows that a messy bedroom can have a big impact on sleep. Even if you close your eyes before falling asleep, knowing that the clutter hasn’t gone away can make you anxious and take longer to fall asleep.
This is confirmed by a study of American Academy of Sleep Medicinewhich states that a messy bedroom can compromise sleep quality, leading to associated problems of cognitive dysfunction, depression and stress.
To coincide with Sleep Awareness Week 2024, we spoke to Claire Davies, editor of Jugo Mobile and certified sleep science coach, to find out how decluttering your bedroom could help you fall asleep faster.
How does a messy bedroom disrupt your sleep?
You may wonder how a messy bedroom can cause problems when it comes to falling asleep because we don’t fall asleep with our eyes open. However, it plays a role in our subconscious.
“For most people, a messy bedroom contributes to an underlying sense of stress that can weigh on your mind whether you’re awake or asleep,” explains Davies. “So even if you’re not aware of how the clutter affects you, it can prevent you from getting a deep, restful sleep at night.”
The period before going to sleep causes the underlying problem of how being surrounded by clutter affects our mental state by preparing our body for sleep. “If you’re walking through clutter just to go to bed, you’ll start to fear your bedroom and might even delay going to bed at night. Do it long enough and you’ll start to disrupt your natural sleep/wake rhythm,” says Davies.
“Feeling stressed about a messy, cluttered bedroom will also increase your cortisol levels at night, which is the exact opposite of what your body needs to relax for sleep and fall asleep faster,” she adds.
Bedroom Clutter Affects Brain Function
Research has shown that a messy bedroom increases cortisol levels, as clutter can make a person feel stressed about their sleeping environment. When you feel stressed, your cortisol levels increase, making it difficult to fall asleep. “You may end up thinking you have a sleep disorder, such as insomnia, when in reality you don’t,” Davies says.
Those who tend to hoard are more at risk for negative impacts on sleep and overall daily function. In a study on how hoarding affects hoarders’ sleep, lead author Dr. Pamela Thacher, a psychologist at St Lawrence University in New York, says: “Hoarders often have problems with decision-making and function. executive; Poor sleep is known to compromise overall cognition. So if hoarders have cluttered or unusable bedrooms and less comfortable and functional beds, any existing risk of cognitive dysfunction, depression and stress may increase as sleep quality worsens.”
It seems that the bedroom needs to be tidied up.
When a messy bedroom leads to delaying tactics
When you are faced with the thought of sleeping in a messy environment, you may delay going to bed at night. “Some people delay bedtime to avoid clutter in their bedroom because of the way it makes them feel,” says Davies. “This type of behavior can be included in postponing bedtime out of revenge, but it is completely unnecessary and, if it continues long enough, will eventually interfere with your natural circadian rhythm (body clock) and cause sleep problems.”
To overcome this problem, Davies says the best approach is to tidy your bedroom earlier in the day: “Don’t leave it too close to bedtime, as it can increase your stress levels, and always tidy your bed in the morning.” “.
Tip Sleeping on clean sheets can also promote a restful night, eliminating the uncomfortable feeling of sleeping on sheets that are not fresh. Davies recommends washing your sheets regularly to reduce the buildup of dust mites, dead skin, and other unpleasant substances from finding their way onto your mattress.
Tidy up your bedroom
When you’ve been busy all day, the last thing you want to do is tidy up your bedroom before turning in for the night, but this can reap big rewards. Take a look at your room and start with the small things. Below are some clutter solvers you can try.
Dirty plates
Remove dirty plates and cups before going to bed. In addition to the physical mess, Davies explains that they can also leave behind “odor mess.” “Odors in his bedroom that can prevent him from falling asleep easily; for example, the stale smell of old milk from days-old bowls of cereal. Worn fitness equipment, such as sports shoes, is another common source of “odor mess.”
So instead of leaving your clothes strewn on the bedroom chair or your shoes scattered on the floor, organize them. Put them back in your closet, put them in a laundry basket, or let them air out.
Blue light
Another way to declutter your bedroom is to eliminate the blue light emitted by devices. “These can be too stimulating for the brain close to bedtime, making it harder for you to switch off and fall asleep quickly,” Davies says. “Studies show “Blue light pollution also alters the production of melatonin, a very important hormone for sleep.”
Instead of checking your phone before trying to fall asleep, pick up a book to calm your mind. A good habit is to leave any devices in another room at bedtime, which eliminates the temptation to scroll and the negative impact of blue light.
When your bedroom has a dual purpose
Without the luxury of having a large house, where there is a separate room for each function, sometimes rooms have to be joined together, and the bedroom is a prime example. However, this can cause a real problem when trying to separate different parts of your life for a quiet night.
Home Office With the rise of remote and hybrid work, more and more of us are having to designate space in our homes for working. And when this happens in the bedroom, it can cause mental clutter as you try to catch forty winks.
“Working from home can remind you of your stressful job and huge to-do list at night, a time when you should wind down for sleep,” Davies says. While it may not be possible to move her home office to another space, to help restore calm at night, make sure the area is tidy and paperwork is out of sight.
Playroom For parents with young children, Davies says their bedroom will most likely serve as a playroom with stuffed animals and books strewn throughout the room, with a “clutter of smells” from used diapers and still-milk bottles. to clean. Removing these items will create a sleeping sanctuary rather than a dual-purpose room.
color disorder
Your bedroom should be a calm oasis that encourages sleep and relaxation, but your chosen color scheme could prevent you from relaxing. Since color psychology theory suggests that color influences our emotions, moods, and behavior, it also influences sleep.
Certain colors should never be used in a bedroom, as they overstimulate our mind and have the opposite effect of helping us fall into a deep sleep. It is best to avoid red, purple, yellow, brown and dark gray, while Sleep Foundation recommends blue as the best color to create a calm environment.
Objects that fall on you at night
Are you worried about something falling on you at night? Davies explains that it can be a real problem that can agitate your mind when you are trying to fall asleep. “A piece of furniture that is too large placed near your bed could also cause subconscious stress, as you may worry that it will fall on you at night.”
Perhaps you have a heavy picture, mirror, shelf or canopy placed above your headboard. If any item worries you, simply reposition it or remove it from your room completely. You may also find it helpful to rearrange your furniture to create a calmer, sleep-inducing environment.
If the position of your furniture causes you stress, you may want to figure out how to balance the items in your bedroom; These 9 Feng Shui tips for the bedroom could very well be your answer. As Davies suggests, “a simply decorated, calm, dark, quiet and tidy bedroom is best to help you fall asleep quickly.”
- Discover how to sleep better at night naturally, according to experts
- And how to fall asleep in 2, 5 and 15 minutes
- Plus, experts share 7 symptoms of lack of sleep
