It’s that time of year again, folks! You’ve been cooped up all winter and now your bedroom is starting to look cluttered and dusty. What you might not realize is that the growing disorder could be affecting your stress level and keeping you up at night. It may sound cliché, but it’s time to spring clean your bedroom!
According to a sleep study published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, individuals at risk for hoarding can have increased difficulties falling asleep. Why? Because the more cluttered your room, the harder it is to fall asleep. Another study, published in Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, describes the link between a cluttered home environment and higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Clutter not only makes your space uncomfortable, but also raises feelings of stress that can leave you lying awake at night. So, if you’re finding empty water bottles underneath your pillow or you need to move piles of clothing just to find a spot to sleep, please spring clean for the sake of your sleep health! Struggling with ideas? We have you covered.
Trash everywhere? Put a small trash can in your room! Even if you don’t snack in bed, everyone gets colds and everyone drinks water. You don’t want to wake up and be surrounded by a million used tissues and empty plastic water bottles. Similarly, put a laundry basket in your room or closet so you have a place to immediately throw those dirty clothes that you’re too lazy to bring to the laundry room. Finally, if you drink water out of cups, get in the habit of taking your glass to the sink every morning. Nothing is more disgusting than when you reach for one of those dirty glasses, half full of stale old water, in the middle of night.
Are you lying awake at night smelling something funky? According to polls taken by the National Sleep Foundation, most people prefer to sleep in a pleasant-smelling environment. Wash your sheets, blankets, and pillow cases. Keep your bedding smelling fresh and clean. While you’re at it, invest in some incense, candles, room spray, or wax melts. Nothing is more relaxing than a pleasant aroma while you’re trying to catch some zzzs. Some stores even sell pillow sprays that give your bed a pleasant and relaxing smell.
Finally, spend some time and deep clean your room. Organize the closet so it is easier to put clothing right away. Dust all surfaces so that you can breathe better at night. Clean the floors so you don’t feel disgusting when you walk to the bathroom barefoot at 2am. Move the furniture and clean underneath your bed, desk, and nightstand. Clean out and organize your nightstand so you don’t spend twenty minutes searching for your nasal spray in the dark. Dust the blinds, windows and curtains and even the TV. You would be surprised at how much better you feel breathing in fresh air while you’re trying to get to sleep.
So, get down and dirty this spring and clean your bedroom! Take a day or even a couple of hours and make your bedroom a safe, clean and relaxing space. You will thank yourself later that night!