What’s the messiest room in your home?
According to numerous surveys, homeowners struggle most when it comes to keeping their garage, kitchen, and bedrooms tidy.
Take stock of any untidy room and here’s one guaranteed commonality – there are things in the space that simply shouldn’t be there.
Old tires or broken yard tools shouldn’t be on your garage floor. Cookware you never use shouldn’t be taking up precious storage space in your kitchen.
And when you look at how many things people make the mistake of having in their bedrooms, it’s no wonder keeping them organized is such a challenge.
Assessing the types of things you should never have in your bedroom goes beyond clutter-related issues as well. Keeping some things in your bedroom can also negatively affect your health.
Photo by Bruno Cervera on Unsplash
Get these 7 things out of your bedroom
If any of the following things are mainstays in your bedroom, reconsider their place in a space where you spend about a third of your day.
Getting rid of them will make your bedroom a healthier and tidier space.
1. Pets
A survey by the American Pet Products Association found that almost half of dog owners allow their pet to sleep on their bed. Just under two-thirds of cats sleep on the beds of their owners.
There’s undeniably a distinct comfort in cozying up to your dog or cat as you drift off to sleep. Some pet owners and pets alike also appreciate the extra sense of security.
Every household and pet is different. Be mindful that pets may enhance your sleep, yet other’s may disrupt your sleep. This is very individual as the inconvenience may well be worth a nighttime of snuggles.
2. Clutter
Another of the things you should never have in your bedroom is clutter.
Clutter directly clashes with what should be a serene, relaxing environment where you’re supposed to be recharging your batteries. Just as pets can interfere with the efficiency and quality of your sleep, so too does clutter.
A cluttered environment is an environment that’s constantly reminding you it’s not orderly. That burdens your brain (even if you’re not aware of it) with the feeling that there’s work to do.
It makes it harder to relax and get a good night’s sleep, which can contribute to added stress and deeper health issues.
Visible clutter, such as clutter on your nightstand, dresser, or bedroom floor is naturally more problematic.
Clutter that’s kept behind a closet door, under your bed, or in a bedroom drawer may be out of sight, but it’s clutter nonetheless.
If your bedroom clutter is unmanageable, look for better storage and organization systems to help you out. A closet organizer, extra wardrobe, or a bed surround unit that maximizes your bedroom’s storage space are great places to start.
A clean, clutter-free bedroom is important for getting a good night’s sleep.
3. Electronic devices
Electronic devices are as deeply ingrained into our lives as ever, so keeping them out of the bedroom may be a tall order for many.
There are several reasons why you should make an effort, however.
Most importantly, the blue light emitted from a laptop, smartphone, flatscreen TV, and tablet screens makes it harder for your brain to produce melatonin. As a result, it can become harder to fall asleep and your sleep patterns might be disrupted.
It’s recommended to refrain from using your electronics no later than a couple of hours before going to bed to avoid this problem.
The “night mode” setting on devices, which adjusts the colours on your screen before bedtime to warmer colours that are more sleep-friendly, might help. This operating system feature is very new, however, and it’s still unclear how effective it is.
Making your bedroom a device-free zone is also advisable because it’s not just their screens that can affect how we sleep.
Constant phone notifications, getting stressed out over the news you’re reading online, social media-related worries, and general information overload don’t contribute to getting a consistently restful night of sleep.
Try untethering yourself from your devices for a few hours both before going to bed and after waking up. You might just notice an improvement in the quality of your sleep.
4. Exercise equipment
Keeping exercise equipment in the bedroom is something you should avoid.
It might seem quite convenient to have your elliptical machine, treadmill, or exercise bike easily accessible, right there in your bedroom.
Or perhaps it’s out of necessity simply because you live in a small home or condo. But even if you have a big bedroom, consider relocating your workout equipment elsewhere in your home (or get a gym membership).
Here are some of the reasons exercise equipment is one of the things you should never have in your bedroom:
- exercise machines that stop getting used just become clutter (and a resting place for more clutter)
- working out before bed can make it harder for you to sleep
- workout equipment (even equipment only you use) usually isn’t very sanitary
- if you haven’t been keeping up with your workouts, having always-visible exercise equipment in the bedroom increases your feelings of guilt
5. A workspace or desk
Using the bedroom to take care of work tasks is surprisingly common. One study found that of the 1,000 workers surveyed, half of them admitted to reading and responding to business emails in bed.
Maybe you’re using a laptop or smartphone in bed for work or to pay a few bills. Perhaps it’s a desk in your bedroom that you regularly work from.
Try to keep your work out of the bedroom because boundaries matter. The bedroom is supposed to be a space where you relax and unwind. If you’re not allowing yourself to do that, it becomes a life-work balance problem.
You need a space that allows you to escape from the obligations and commitments that cause stress. Establish a dedicated home workspace, like a home office.
6. Dirty laundry
Accumulating dirty laundry is unavoidable, of course. Just don’t let that laundry pile in your bedroom get too high.
A laundry basket that’s overflowing with dirty clothes adds to the cluttered look of a bedroom. Your space looks even worse when dirty clothes end up draped over a chair or on your closet or bedroom floor.
Like the rest of the room’s clutter, your brain registers it as another task that needs to be taken care of.
Smelly dirty laundry can also affect your bedroom’s air quality. And if you leave damp clothes or towels balled up in your laundry pile, mould can start growing in as little as a day.
Keep your dirty clothes organized and hidden by incorporating pullout laundry hampers into your closet and/or laundry room design.
Avoid leaving unsightly dirty laundry piled up in your bedroom. Hidden laundry hampers in the bedroom or laundry room are a better solution.
7. An old mattress
A lot of people have no idea that the recommended lifespan of a mattress is 8-10 years. And people sleeping on mattresses that are 30 or 40 years old happens more often than you might think.
Many people wait until their mattress begins showing noticeable signs of deterioration before replacing it.
Old mattresses can cause back problems or aggravate existing back issues. Today’s mattresses are more comfortable than ever and simply switching to a new one might result in a more restful night of sleep.
There’s another reason to upgrade to a new mattress if you’re sleeping on one that’s more than a decade old.
Even if you’re washing your bed linens regularly and using bed covers that are allergen-proof, the body oils and dead skin cells on mattresses will still attract dust mites.
An Ohio State University expert estimated there could be up to 10 million of the tiny insects living on an average regularly slept-on mattress.
Want another gross old mattress fact? Experts say a mattress that’s 10 years old or more can have as much as 10 pounds of dead skin on it. Yuck.
While we’re on the subject of what you sleep on, here’s one last thing you should never have in your bedroom (at least for too long) – an unmade bed.
Studies show that making your bed every morning makes people feel happier because it helps them get their day off to a more productive start.
Take charge of your bedroom!
Are any of these seven things you should never have in your bedroom a surprise?
You can improve how your home’s bedrooms function and how well your family sleeps merely by having higher standards for what’s allowed in these rooms.
For expert help to get any room in your house or condo more organized, schedule a free in-home design consultation with us.
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