9 Ways Your Bedroom Setup Could Be Ruining Your Sleep

How’s your sleep been lately? Has it ever been good? There’s a chance your bedroom setup could be ruining your sleep.

It could be big changes needed or simple, small changes that make a big difference so you can sleep well!

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Check out these simple hacks to create a calmer bedroom and environment for peaceful, deep sleep:

1 – Clear off your nightstand 

Clear off your nightstand to create a tidy spot next to your bed.  Nothing is more irritating than reaching for your water in the middle of the night and knocking five things off the nightstand when doing so. 

Then, the loud thud of stuff hitting the ground not only wakes you up but everyone else within earshot. 

Having a clear nightstand also creates a sense of calm in the place closest to your bed and likely the last spot you see before turning out the lights. 

I like to keep my nightstand pretty basic. 

I keep a small lamp on it, an alarm clock (old-school, but I love it) and my water. 

I keep any books I’m reading in the drawer of the nightstand or right under the bed at the edge. 

2 – Charge your phone away from your bed

Nothing can rob your sleep faster than checking your phone “for just a minute” and then two hours later you realized you have fallen down the Facebook, TikTok, email, etc rabbit hole.

Don’t do this!

There are even people that wake up in the middle of the night and start checking their social media because “they can’t sleep”.  (My husband.) 

Letting you in on a little secret, checking your social media will not help you go back to sleep.

In fact, looking at your phone before bed or in the middle of the night will likely prolong your insominia. 

If your phone isn’t sitting next to your bed charging but is instead sitting on top of your dresser six feet away (or better yet, in another room), you will most likely leave it alone. 

3 – Position your bed in a way to support sleep

Feng shui often suggests putting your bed against a main wall, diagonal from a door, so as you have a clear view of the door but aren’t directly in front of it.

If feng shui isn’t your thing, there are still practical reasons to consider when placing your bed to encourage good sleep.

For example, try to place your bed against a wall that isn’t full of plumbing pipes.  Hearing the noise of water swooshing through the walls in the middle of the night isn’t conducive to good sleep!

4 – Choose paint colors that encourage good sleep

If your bedroom walls are super bright, even if you love the colors, they may not be helping you get good sleep.  In fact, they may be making your sleep worse.

If you are wondering, blue is one of the best colors that will help you get good sleep!

If you still want bright colors, it seems yellow is a close second, as it helps you wake up cheerful and excited to conquer the day! 

More than anything, choose a flat finish, rather than glossy, as the glossy paint reflects light.  Save those bright, exciting colors for the rooms where you need more stimulation!

5 – Remove any unnecessary lights

If may seem obvious, but too much light may be ruining your sleep. 

Of course, start with the easy light eliminators, like your blinds or curtain choices.  I

’ve always been a huge fan of curtains, as I LOVE the sunshine coming through my windows. However, when I’m sleeping, I do like a dark room.

Invest in some pretty but effective blackout curtains.  In the past, blackout curtains were either super expensive or super ugly.  You can now get some pretty ones for a decent price. 

Blackout curtains allow you to keep the sun out while sleeping but still let the sunshine in once opened.

Other lights that may be acting as sleep interrupters are your electronics (yes, even the single power light on your computer), alarm clocks, phones, etc. 

Try to keep any unnecessary electronic devices out of your bedroom area. 

6 – Keep your work out of the bedroom

Nothing says “Don’t go to sleep!” like unfinished work staring you in the face. 

Try to keep your office and work out of your bedroom.  I promise, you will sleep better. 

If you can’t get to sleep until you finish your thoughts, consider keeping a small notepad and pen near your bed.  (Don’t use your phone, or you will fall into problem #2.)

The work will be there in the morning, and you can’t do it AND sleep. 

7 – Remove the TV

Like the phone, the TV is another electronic that can quickly ruin your sleep.

Having the TV on for background noise will not help you get good quality sleep, even if it is what you are used to doing. 

I challenge you to try a little experiment.  Remove the TV for one month, and see how you feel.  Chances are, your sleep will improve!

8 – Consider a meditative sleep app or white noise machine

If you insist on having your phone near the bed, at least consider a meditative sleep app or white noise app.  There are plenty of great ones out there. 

Some of my favorites are Headspace, Calm, and Relax Melodies app.  They all have free versions you can test out and see if they are a good fit for you. 

We use the Relax Melodies app for my kiddos.  It works like magic!

9 – Clear the clutter

Clutter can make you anxious. Anxiety can prevent you from having solid, restful sleep.

One way to make your bedroom more friendly to sleep is to declutter your bedroom.  The bedroom is the spot where I encourage all of my clients to start, as it creates a space where you can retreat to every single day, regardless of the state of the rest of your home.

You can clear the following areas to make a big impact on clutter:

• Clear off the tops of any furniture
• Put away any clothes
• Remove any unnecessary collectibles, decorative items, etc.
• Clear any floor space of unnecessary furniture, office equipment or exercise equipment

While you can’t always control your ability to get a good night’s sleep, you can control a lot of the ways your bedroom is setup to contribute to healthy, restful sleep. 

Try out these tips and tricks to ensure you are doing everything in your power to encourage a good night’s sleep.