The five things you need to remove from the bedroom for a better night’s sleep – and how often to replace pillows to avoid getting sick
- Your pets, work station and general clutter contribute to a poor night’s sleep
- You also need to replace your pillows every two years to avoid dirt and allergens
Sleep experts have revealed the five things in your bedroom that are wreaking havoc with a good night’s sleep, including your pets, general clutter and a work station.
The team from the Australian bedding company Bed Threads said many of us are guilty of keeping things in our room that we shouldn’t – and your bedroom should be more of a ‘sanctuary’ than any other room in the house.
‘There are a few things in your bedroom that could be impacting you and subsequently making you feel average throughout the day,’ Bed Threads’ experts said.
Sleep experts have revealed the five things in your bedroom that are wreaking havoc with a good night’s sleep, including your pets, general clutter and a work station (stock image)
1. Your workspace
Top of the list is a remote workspace.
While many work from home (WFH) a couple of days during the week, the Bed Threads team said that having a desk in your bedroom ‘blurs the line between work and rest and can disrupt the mental association between your bedroom and sleep’.
If you have a designated work station in your room, it can become more difficult to fall asleep as your brain won’t be able to switch off and it’ll think it’s in a place of work.
The team said the same applies if you use your laptop in bed, and you’re far better off setting up your work space in the kitchen or living room if you don’t have a designated study or office.
2. Your mobile phone
Many of us are guilty of keeping our mobile phones in the bedroom.
But if you try and keep yours out – or at least off – in the bedroom, then it can be very helpful with improving your sleep.
‘Unfortunately, light stimulation may fragment sleep as small amounts of artificial light from our screens may cause a delay in the circadian rhythm,’ Bed Threads said.
If you’re always relying on your phone, you could try a bedside alarm instead and set reminders on your phone to turn your tech off an hour before bed.
Having your work station in your room signals to the brain that it’s not necessarily a place for rest and relaxation, and it can make it hard to switch off (stock image)
3. General clutter
Clutter isn’t a good thing in any room, but never more so than in the bedroom.
Bed Threads explained that your room needs to be ‘calming’ and a space of ‘sanctuary’ – and having lots of clutter around is not conducive with this.
‘A study conducted by the Princeton Neuroscience Institute found that having multiple visual stimuli present within range of one’s view can result in those stimuli competing for neural representation,’ Bed Threads said.
In simple terms this means that the more clutter you see, the more you’ll get distracted.
Clear out as much as possible to keep your space hygienic, and you’re less likely to struggle with dust and bacteria as well.
4. Pets
While many love the idea of having their dog or cat snuggle up with them in bed, the reality is they will not help with sleep.
If they constantly get up or move around in the middle of the night, they won’t be letting you get the quality slumber you need or deserve.
You’re far better off setting them up a cosy station in another room of the house.
Rxperts advise against having your pets sleep in your bedroom with you as it interrupts your sleep; they say the same with pillows, which need to be replaced every two years (stock image)
5. Old pillows
Finally, according to the National Sleep Foundation, pillows should be replaced every one to two years – as your pillow comes into direct contact with your hair and skin.
‘It’s one of the most likely items to absorb and retain sweat, oils and dead skin cells from your face and hair,’ Bed Threads said.
All of this leads to general discolouration, odours and even mould – which might make you sick.
If you wake up with any neck or shoulder pain, the experts also said it’s time to replace your pillow as it’s not doing the job it needs to do.
Replacing your pillow every couple of years helps to ensure that you’re using pillows that are supportive, clean, and free of allergens.
It might also be time to look into new pillows when you notice excessive yellowing, or if your allergies are acting up at night.
Three things you should never have in your room:
1. TV – the energy radiating from the screen can cause health problems, poor sleep and intimacy problems.
2. Plants – they have too much active yang energy.
3. Aquariums or open sources of water – they have yang energy, and open sources of water can activate negative energy.
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