Declutter Your Chaotic Nightstand For Better Sleep With These Simple Tricks

Perhaps you've heard the age old wisdom "A clean room is a clean mind" in your lifetime. This old saying really holds up, especially when it comes to clutter and how it impacts your sleep. Maybe the rest of your bedroom is spick and span, but your nightstand table is a beacon of chaos that's filled with old receipts, half-empty tubes of lip balm, and magazines from years ago. As a result, your nightstand may look more like a household junk drawer than a functional space, and you may even find yourself unable to fully close the drawer anymore. This is not only unappealing visually, but can also really damage your sleep, according to sleep experts. To avoid this, purge unnecessary items from the stand, then only keep one of each necessary item on or in the furniture piece.

Susan Rubman, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and sleep medicine at Yale University, says, "It's important to make sure that the environment in the bedroom really sets the stage for getting into bed and going to sleep. Clear clutter away and reserve the nightstand for items that are helpful for sleep" (via HuffPost). Decluttering your bedroom, and specifically your nightstand, can be an important part of what's known as sleep hygiene, which are routines we take to ensure consistent rest. Here's more details on some of the best strategies to declutter your nightstand so you can catch some very deep Z's. 

Before you worry about perfecting your nightstand nighttime routine, you need to purge all the things taking up space in and on your furniture piece. Consider what you reach for just before you fall asleep, in the middle of the night, and when you first wake up. As a general rule, anything that doesn't fall into one of those categories does not need to be in your nightstand, as anything else only keeps you from having a peaceful bedroom and a good night's sleep.

To start, take everything out and put it on a separate surface. Before you start reorganizing it, take stock of what can go to another home in your house. Extra chargers, lone pieces of mail, and (most) pens can make their way to your office or stationery drawer. It's easy to put daily jewelry and accessories such as rings, watches, sunglasses, and so on in our nightstands when we arrive home or take them off before bed, so those items can stay. Additionally, be realistic — if you like to read before bed, keep one book on your nightstand, not five. 

You might also find a lot of other bits and pieces of trash like spent tissues and wrappers left over from midnight snacks. Be sure to throw these out and recycle what you can. It's also a great idea to give your nightstand surface and drawers a nice wipe down to set yourself up for a fresh start. 

On the functional side, there are a few items that you can keep on and in your nightstand to help you to have better sleep. However, to prevent things from becoming cluttered again, try to only keep one of everything. For instance, many enjoy having a notepad and pen at their bedside to jot down their to-do lists for the following day or to log their dreams, so this can be a helpful addition, but you don't need dozens of pens and notebooks. 

Also, only store what you actually need in the nightstand. A few items sleep experts recommend for a good night's sleep are an eye mask and noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs. If you're someone who hates falling asleep with dry lips and skin, add a tube of lip balm and a small bottle of lotion to your nightstand drawers. Finally, if you're trying to get off your phone before bed, try some old fashioned physical media with a book or magazine. Since these don't come with backlights, opt for a table lamp that projects a warm but low light. 

It's also best to keep the top of your nightstand pretty minimalist. Aside from the lamp, you can still decorate your nightstand with a bowl, candle, plant, or other small item. You might also enjoy other sleep aids like an tabletop fan, essential oil diffuser, or white noise machine, which can all be helpful for relaxing at night.