My mother had just moved into a new apartment and was pretty excited to show it to her best friend. But instead of being excited about it, her friend saw my mother’s bedroom and the way it was laid out and literally freaked out. The bedroom has one of those large mirrored sets of closet doors that slide back and forth, and directly across from the mirrored doors is a large window overlooking the parking lot.
She insisted my mother should cover up those mirrors as soon as possible and was very adamant about it. The mirrors, according to her, were deeply disruptive to sleep and were draining the energy out of the room. As it turns out, her friend is deeply knowledgeable about the traditional Chinese art of Feng Shui.
This lead me to do a little bit more research about it. I was curious: How can the way you arrange your bedroom help you sleep? Can the objects and layout of your room actually disturb your sleep and keep you awake? Turns out it can. If you’re on a quest to sleep better and feel more energized without resorting to pills or chemicals, these 5 feng shui tips for arranging your bedroom are worth checking out.
- Furniture Placement
- Make sure your bed is placed in a commanding position in your bedroom – that is, a position in the bedroom where you can see the door without any obstructions.
- Your headboard must be backed by a sturdy wall, and placed in a centered position avoiding wall corners.
- Keep nightstands on either side of your bed for a grounding effect.
- Place mirrors in a way that they do not directly reflect your bed so they don’t drain your energy while you sleep.
- Avoid directly aligning your bed with any doors. Feng Shui experts say that position resembles a coffin taken away feet first. (Strange, but true.)
- Pick Your Colors
- Figure out what element your personal energy comes from – wood, fire, earth, metal, or water. Here’s a useful resource to find out which one of these elements resonate with you.
- Certain colors will support your personal energy – this is slightly different for everyone, so do your research.
- All elements can benefit from incorporating a cream-colored element to the bedroom, to bring in the earth element comforting vibes.
- Put Junk In Its Place (Hint: Not Under Your Bed)
- Keep the area under your bed clear of clutter.
- Even though it may look like a great place to store things, the area under your bed is important to keep your energy flow going, and clutter can actually stop or slow down that flow.
- Clutter and messes in other areas of your room can also have a negative effect and keep you from feeling peace and relaxation.
- Clean it up – toss it or donate it if you don’t have a use for it. Make space for new and better energies.
- Turn Them Off!
- This is something both modern medical science and traditional feng shui practitioners can agree on – keep those electronics out of your room.
- Not only can your smart device’s screen give off blue light that disrupts your brain’s ability to power down, but feng shui experts also say electronics and other gadgets add fire energy to your room, making it a less-than-relaxing place to wind down and sleep.
- Power down your electronics and keep them in a different room of the house.
- Resist the temptation of bringing them into your room.
- Pick The Right Bed!
- Solid wood beds with wooden headboards or upholstered ones are best for promoting a comforting vibe.
- Steer clear of metal beds that have cutting energy and can amplify electromagnetic waves and disrupt your sleep.
- If you cannot replace your bed at the moment, make sure your mattress is not placed directly on the metal frame – adding a sheet of plywood or wooden slates between the bed and the mattress can be a temporary fix.
- Consider getting a bed and a mattress made with natural, non-toxic elements and 100% metal-free. We love the Samina Sleep System! You can read more about them here.
These tips are worth trying if you are looking for a natural solution to help you sleep better. And yes, I am happy to report that after reluctantly covering up the closet door mirrors in her bedroom, my mother reported a noticeable difference in the quality of her sleep – she was able to sleep longer without waking up every hour all night long. What small fixes can you do today to arrange your room for better sleep?
