The Importance of Sleep

We all know that to live a long life, we need to make healthy food choices and exercise regularly. But according to the National Institute of Health , the quality of your sleep is just as important for your health as diet and exercise. So why do we treat healthy sleep as a luxury rather than a priority?

The research is abundantly clear that the quality of our sleep impacts all areas of our lives—from how long we live to our likelihood of encountering numerous diseases. Here are just a few of the latest studies:

• Longevity: According to the Mayo Clinic, women who get adequate sleep live about two years longer on average than those who are sleep-deprived—for men, it’s five years longer!
• Cardiovascular health: Researchers from the medical school at Columbia University tell us that not getting enough sleep can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, and inflammation. In addition, the American Stroke Association reminds us that those who struggle with sleep are at an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Dementia: Researchers from Harvard inform us that adults who struggle with getting enough sleep are twice as likely to develop dementia after retirement. The most likely reason for this is that our bodies use every minute of our sleeping time to flush away toxins that accumulate in our brains during the day.
• And more: If all of the above reasons aren’t enough, researchers have also connected poor sleep to weight gain, diabetes, kidney disease, car crashes and even lower perceptions of relationship quality.

The verdict is in. The quality of your sleep is too important to leave to chance. It’s time to get serious about improving your sleep health—and the best place to BEEgin is in your own bedroom.

Your Sleep Quality Depends on Your Sleeping Space

There’s no two ways about it: People sleep better when they sleep in a space designed for their sleep needs! As we’ve discussed before in our blog, several research studies have shown that nighttime sleep is shorter and less restful when the sleeping space is cluttered or disorganized. Dr. Pamela Thacher, a psychologist at St. Lawrence University, found in her research that people who slept in cluttered bedrooms were more likely to experience a sleep disorder.

Research published in the journal Sleep noted that when people try to sleep in cluttered rooms, they can have lower sleep quality because the clutter causes anxiety. Neuroscientist Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib explains that a messy bedroom will overstimulate your brain and cause it to associate your bedroom with stress, making it more difficult to fall asleep in the space.

So if we know that we need quality sleep to live our best lives and we know that the state of our bedroom directly impacts our ability to get that sleep—how do we get from Point A to Point B? Read on for the Bee’s roadmap for whipping your sleeping space into shape!

How to Organize Your Sleeping Space

Your poor, neglected bedroom. If you are like most of our clients, your bedroom is the space that needs the most TLC. The primary bedroom is often the place that collects the most cast-offs from other areas of the home and becomes the default storage place for things that you don’t have the time or energy to deal with. Your bedroom is the last space to get much-needed attention, whether it’s new paint, a deep cleaning, or a complete makeover. We get it that most of your visitors never venture into your bedroom—and that spaces used by all members of the household can take priority—but there’s no time like the present to commit to better sleep!

• Organize Your Routine: You’ve heard a million times that little kids need routines. But adults need routines too! Having a bedtime routine helps organize your brain and helps prepare you for deep sleep. Dr. Marishka Brown, a sleep expert at the National Institute of Health, notes that one key to quality sleep is building a consistent sleep schedule. And the University of Chicago strongly recommends “developing a bedtime routine that helps you wind down for the evening.” The internet is full of great bedtime routines for adults—you can start with these bedtime routine ideas from Psychology Today!
• Organize Your Nightstand: The space closest to your bed is prime real estate for helping you sleep fully and deeply. Do not give up the space to clutter. Instead, think carefully about what items you need by your side as you settle in for a good night’s rest: your phone charger, sleep mask, lip balm, book, ear plugs, retainer, and more. Make sure every item has a place to live and you’ve removed the items that will just get in your way.
• Organize Your Bedroom: Ready to put the time and effort into organizing your sleeping space? Follow our step-by-step guide for decluttering any space on our blog. And if your bedroom is jam-packed with excess stuff, begin with our famous Power Purge!

You deserve a functional, peaceful space for sleeping—in fact, your health depends on it! And if you get stuck along the way, you know you can always reach out to the closest Bee Organized location for the compassionate, confidential, and judgment-free support we are known for!