A much discussed topic, sleep is extremely important for the body as well as the mind. Our bodies heal themselves when we sleep, so it should be no surprise that if we don’t get enough sleep, we can fall into disarray and sometimes even illness. I am not here to offer how much sleep a person needs because this is very personal and subjective, but what I do plan to do is offer some tips on how to set up for a successful night sleep - declutter style!
It should be no surprise to anyone that if our minds or our surroundings are cluttered, it may be more difficult to fall and stay asleep, so I will give some tips on how to create some successful habits for a good night’s sleep.
Tip #1 - Straighten up your bedroom before bed - declutter that room!
A cluttered environment can sometimes wreak havoc on our mental states, so I always suggest what we call in our house an “S & T” (straighten and tidy) prior to getting into bed for the night. Having piles of stuff around and maybe even on your bed is not conducive to a good restful sleep, so take a few minutes to tidy and perhaps even lay out clothes and other things that you are going to need in the morning.
Tip #2 - Declutter your next day
Sometime in the evening before you retire for the night, it may be a good idea to check on what you have coming up for the next day - this can help you settle in for a restful sleep without having your mind wander to “what did I forget I have to do for tomorrow, if anything??” When we settle into stillness and quiet, often the mind will start to move into overdrive thought - thoughts that can prevent us from falling asleep. A simple check in with what your next day has to offer can prevent this overthinking, and help you relax into the blissful sleep you need and deserve.
Tip #3 - I have woken in the middle of the night now what?? Declutter that wake up
It is more common than not to wake up in the middle of the night, and this is nothing to worry about or fear. However, the important thing to remember is not to clutter this “wake up” with unnecessary computer time or multiple looks at our phones which can actually activate the mind and prevent us from falling back asleep. We are likely all ‘guilty as charged’ on this one, but when we wake up at 3 am we need to go back to sleep in order to be functional the next day, so I encourage you to return to slumber with the mind still in that sleepy state and not be tempted to reactivate the mind with what may be on our phones or tablets.
The less clutter we have to deal with, both in body and mind before bed, the more we will be able to sleep easily and peacefully knowing that all is well so I encourage you to try some of these decluttering tips…and on that note GOOD NIGHT!!