10 Surprising Things You Should Never Keep in Your Bedroom
If you want a relaxing room, remove these common household objects ASAP.
In most households, the bedroom is a safe space intended for resting and relaxing. It’s the place you likely retreat to when you want to recharge, unwind, or simply turn your brain off, whether that’s before making dinner, after putting the kids down, or while catching some shuteye. You might even go so far as to curate a collection of wellness-focused décor like lavender candles, weighted blankets, and soft lighting. But no matter how hard you try to cultivate a cozy and calming sanctuary, there are a few everyday objects that might be sneakily sabotaging your efforts.
While bedrooms are best reserved for intimacy and sleep, they’re too often the setting of stimulating tasks and activities, like responding to emails, scrolling through social media, oe rewatching your favorite sitcom. On top of that, you might use your bedroom to store all those miscellaneous items that you tell yourself you’ll deal with later but that you never seem to get around to. As a result, your bedroom might be home to a lot of bright lights, work-related items, and closet clutter that could be increasing your stress levels, disrupting your beauty sleep, and inviting chaos into your safe haven.
To help you create a truly relaxing space, here are 10 surprising things don’t belong in the bedroom. By removing these common household items from your room, you might just notice an improvement in your energy levels, stress levels, and sleep quality!
Other household objects you could be storing in the wrong place:
Personal Electronics
It might seem like a foreign concept in our digital world, but phones, laptops, tablets, and TVs have no place in the bedroom. These electronic devices emit blue light, which makes it difficult for your brain to signal to your body that it’s time to sleep. Even if you aren’t actively scrolling before bed, seeing your phone light up with notifications can quickly pull you in. To sleep more soundly, make your bedroom a technology-free zone.
Dirty Laundry
Keeping a laundry hamper in the corner of your bedroom or throwing your dirty clothes into a pile on the floor can easily detract from the cozy feel of your space. Plus, dirty garments, especially ones drenched in sweat, don’t have the most pleasant odor. Instead of letting your dirty laundry pile up in plain sight, keep it to your closet, bathroom, or a designated laundry room.
Leftover Food
You might be tempted to climb under the covers with a bag of chips or a bowl of popcorn, but eating in bed can leave behind a trail of crumbs—and no one wants to sleep on a pile of food particles! If you choose a particularly pungent snack or even a meal, the smells can get trapped in the air. During mealtimes or whenever you’re feeling peckish, keep your plate at the kitchen table.
Sharp Objects
According to Feng Shui principles, sharp objects like scissors, nail cutters, and pocket knives should be kept out of the bedroom. These items are said to carry negative energy, which can offset the calming environment that’s essential for sleep. Storing sharp items in the bedroom is also a safety hazard. Your bathroom is a better spot for nail clippers and cuticle scissors, while an office caddy is preferred for larger scissors.
Home Desk
If you have a desk in your bedroom, it could serve as a reminder that your to-do list is still pending. Whether you use your at-home desk to work remotely, pay the bills, or file away your paperwork, it belongs in a designated workspace outside of your bedroom. Build a home office, or move your desk to the living room, and watch your sleep quality soar!
Paperwork
Even if you don’t have a desk, your bedroom isn’t the place for paperwork, either. Stacks of bills, work notebooks, and reminder notes piling up on your bedside table can make your bedroom feel like a mini office, not a restorative retreat. Move your documents to a home office or a command center, so your bedroom stays calm, clutter-free, and sleep-friendly.
Sheer Curtains
Gauzy curtains might make your bedroom look peaceful, but since they aren’t effective at blocking out light, you won’t feel all that peaceful the next morning. For your bedroom, invest in thicker curtains with a blackout liner, and move sheer curtains to another room in your house where sleep isn’t a priority, such as your living room or kitchen.
LED Lighting
Although LED light bulbs are common in bedrooms, they won’t do much for your sleep. Since these kinds of bulbs are brighter, harsher, and cooler in temperature than their incandescent counterparts, they tend to make winding down before bed tricky. To protect your precious slumber, swap in incandescent lightbulbs (or warm-toned LEDs), which are softer, dimmable, and more inviting.
Exercise Equipment
Turning your bedroom into an at-home gym might seem convenient, but when dumbbells, yoga mats, and exercise machines are out in the open, they can cause an eyesore and create pressure to break a sweat. Instead, relocate bulky machines to your basement, garage, or guest bedroom. If you live in a small space, store your gear in bins under your bed or in your closet.
Excess Pillows
Throw pillows give any bedroom a decorative boost, but if you have to climb over a massive heap to reach your sheets, you could probably benefit from a smaller collection. An overload of pillows can quickly turn into clutter, especially if they end up on the floor, where they’re more likely to pick up dust and allergens. Keep a few of your favorites, and donate the rest.
Lilly Blomquist is the associate editor at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes lifestyle stories across a wide range of topics—including news, entertainment, holidays, food, and more.
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