Sweet Dreams and a Decluttered Bedroom

Written by: Lisa Clement

Good night ...

Sleep well ...

Sweet dreams ...

Get a good night’s rest ...

 How many times have you heard these expressions? Through the centuries people have been wishing these sentiments onto others for good reasons. Sleep, good sleep, is like medicine. It restores and renews the body and soul. Along with eating and exercise, sleep is one of the most important parts of the health equation.  Without good sleep you will sacrifice optimal health. 

There is much research on the benefits of a good night's sleep. 

“Poor sleep is known to compromise cognition generally. So, if hoarders have cluttered/unusable bedrooms (and less comfortable, functional beds), any existing risk for cognitive dysfunction, depression, and stress may increase as sleep quality worsens,” explains Pamela Thacher, study researcher and associate professor of psychology at St. Lawrence University. 

The sleep industry, according to Market Research, is forecasted to grow at a 4.7% average annual growth rate. What does this research tell us?  It tells us we spend a lot of money trying to get a good night’s sleep!  

Articles and publishings suggesting where to spend our money to achieve a good night’s sleep are everywhere!   

“How to set up your bedroom to achieve the best nights rest.” 

“Best mattresses and sheets to purchase for sleeping like a baby.”  

“What is the perfect ambient lighting to install in your bedroom?”  

“What apps help you achieve better sleep?”  

These are just a few titles of articles telling us how best to spend our money for a good night’s sleep, but perhaps the key to a good night’s sleep is less instead of more. Here are three things you can do to have a more restful bedroom.

Clear the clutter from the flat surfaces on your bedroom.  

Studies have shown higher cortisol (the Stress hormone) levels in people who live in cluttered homes. Researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute published the results of a study they conducted in the January issue of The Journal of Neuroscience that relates directly to uncluttered and organized living. 

How is one supposed to feel calm and at peace when their mind is racing with thoughts like, 

“Now I lay me down to sleep, 

with 45 things on my to do list 

that will not keep.”?

Cluttered side tables and dresser tops can leave the mind busy and cause restless thinking about what needs to be done.

“Notice how you can relax in a hotel room.  Quiet, dark, cool and clutter free spaces are optimal for rest” says organizing expert, Martha Carol Stewart.

“One of the constant themes throughout much of the research I have studied is the thought to creating a comfortable environment. I’m sure most of us immediately think of our mattress and bedding, but we should think deeper.”

You cannot achieve comfort if you are stumbling 

over your clutter to get into and out of bed.  

Clutter is a thief. We have preached about this before and will continue to preach about clutter because it is so important to understand. Physical clutter seeps into mental clutter and sabotages everything with which it comes into contact. Clutter will affect your sleep, affecting your productivity in the following days and weeks.  Lack of sleep impacts your health, your ability to function in your job which can have adverse consequences for other areas of your life.  

All of this because of CLUTTER!  

Make your bed every morning

 According to Charles Duhigg, the author of “The Power of Habit,” daily bed making can become a keystone habit kickstarting a chain of other good decisions. Beginning your day with this simple habit can instill you with "a greater sense of well-being and stronger skills at sticking with a budget." 

Put your phone away

This is a tough one for me because as a small business owner, time off isn’t a thing. A missed call or email could result in a lost organizing opportunity and lost income. I have read that the blue and white light emitted from electronics, can be harmful to your sleep as it suppresses your melatonin (sleep hormone). So, join me in my attempts to put away my phone and commit to better sleep because what I have learned over the last few years is that a tired organizer benefits no one.     

Clutter is the antonym of PEACE. Let’s seek PEACE in this hectic world we all coexist within. Let’s start with a GOOD NIGHT’S REST.

Dream sweetly 

Sleep peacefully 

Wake happily