The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Angie at Echoes of Laughter.
Did you know that we spend one third of our lives in bed? Yes. It’s true.
And many experts agree that the quality of our sleep affects everything in our lives…stress levels, moods, eating habits, coping abilities and productivity…to name a few.
A girlfriend and I had a very productive and revealing chat on the phone the other day. We were discussing how we are tired of the typical New Year’s resolutions of eating healthy and fitness goals. Yes…those things are important, but do you know what affects the motivation to commit to those things? Sleep~a good night’s sleep!
We talked about the things that affect our sleep. And that got us confessing about the state of our bedrooms, our beds and what things belonged in the bedroom and what did not. We both had a realization that we needed to start with organizing our bedrooms for good quality sleep and then the other things…the healthy eating and exercising…would stem more easily from that one goal.
I am here to share with you that the one best resolution that I think you can make is this:
Get a good night sleep! Set up and organize your bedroom so that it allows you to get the best sleep possible so that you can tackle the day with energy and purpose!
How do we start?
Let me get you started with a list for organizing your bedroom. Bedrooms should be places of sanctuary….set up for sleeping and relaxation. The items in your bedroom, ideally, should make you feel calm and peaceful and support good sleep. Bedrooms should feel like a calm oasis, not like a tornado of mess and clutter.
Here is a list of things you can do today that won’t cost any money:
- Vacuum and dust your bedroom. Give it a super good cleaning.
- Clean out underneath the bed and remove things that can be stored elsewhere. Vacuum.
- Clear off surfaces. Get rid of papers and clutter.
- Go through each and every drawer and remove unused items. Organize drawers.
- Clean out the closet. Get rid of unused clothing and shoes. Organize clothing.
- Hang artwork or pictures that make you feel good.
- Make sure night stands are clutter free.
- Put fresh sheets on the bed.
- Remove any other piles of clutter on the floor.
- Remove old magazines and books you are not currently reading.
- Leave yourself ‘treats’ or ‘luxury’ item on the nightstand….hand cream and a book you have been meaning to read. {Light reading only of course!}
Here is a list of things that could help to improve your sleep that will require some investment:
- New pillows if the old ones aren’t supporting a good sleep.
- Comfortable and cozy sheets.
- Adding room darkening shades or draperies.
- Adding lamps to the bedside if you don’t already have some. Lamps not only provide light for bedtime reading, but help to create a relaxed atmosphere.
I know that as parents, one of the biggest stumbling blocks for getting a good night’s sleep is the thing that we love the most…our children. Young children often need night time parenting. And sometimes there is nothing we can do about that other than wait for the children to grow older. But in the meantime, we can strive to make our bedrooms COMFORTABLE, COZY & RELAXING.
I have an 11 year old son who still often wanders into our bedroom at night and I wake up to find him beside me…lanky arms and legs everywhere. I think sometimes he just likes the comfort of a body beside him. This was really affecting my sleep and as I was telling my mother about this, she suggested that I purchase a body pillow and add that to his bed. So I did….and surprise…it worked! He has 2 regular pillows on his bed and a body pillow. When I tuck him in at night, I tuck the body pillow in beside him {like a person…we call the pillow ‘Cushy Mommy’. haha.} and now my son shows up in our bedroom a lot less often!
I think that investing in good quality sleep is the best resolution you could make for 2013! It is the key that will make everything else in your life better…whether it be eating healthier, having energy to exercise, being more productive or feeling happy.
Wishing you all the best for a wonderful 2013!
Does your bedroom need some TLC to make it more of a sanctuary for rest and relaxation?
Angie’s blog, Echoes of Laughter, is all about filling your home with love and laughter. She loves creative projects, organizing & decorating, cooking, baking, and all things domestic. Angie lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband and two great kids.
Megan says
Thank you for the encouragment! My bedroom is a place of stress because of the mess!
My husband is on board with going through papers that are piling up on the desk, but it’s my gift to really organize. I will be back for more ideas and tips!
Elizabeth says
I know what you mean by losing sleep because of the kids ending up in bed with you, but since mine are older I sure wish we could cuddle in bed again. 🙁
Candice says
Thank you for the inspiration! Our master bedroom has been on my “To Do” list for 4 years now! Can you believe that? I am always so focused on the rest of our home that our bedroom becomes a hiding place for all the things that don’t have a home yet. I can’t wait to plan out a perfectly relaxing room & get it done in 2013!
Kari says
Candice I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one! We built our house 4 years ago and still have not done anything with it! This is the year!! I want an oasis!! I bought a bedding set that I love last year at Marcy’s (marked down to $50!!), now to get nice sheets, paint the walls and tame the chaos! Good luck to everyone!
Kim Jemmott says
Laughing at Cushy Mommy. My 20 yr old was much the same at that age. Thanks for the post,I have already started the work on a clutter free bedroom,this will motivate me to keep going…
Claudia says
I Love to read your blog!!! I am also an organize freak.LOL
http://blog.petitjoujou.ca/
Claudia
Nadia@Loveliveandgarden says
Its nice to hear I’m not the only one who has kids piling into bed with me and hubby.. Its nice sometimes, but I ALWAYS wake up feeling like a zombie after being so squished and asked to ‘scoot over’ all night long…
Elaine says
I really enjoyed this post! It was so refreshing to read about a New Year’s goal that is not about weight loss. I plan to take a good look at my bedroom tomorrow to see what I can do to make it more conducive to relaxation.
Lauren @MomHomeGuide says
I totally need to make our bedroom more restful. Right now, it tends to get filled with books, magazines, and laundry that needs to be put away!