Is Clutter Costing You Your Sleep?

The more clutter you have the more sleep problems you'll encounter.

People spend 1/3 of their lives in their bedroom. Are you getting enough zzz's when you're there? If your room is cluttered chances are you're not. Research has proven that the messiness of a room leads to affected sleep patterns.

A study done by the Academy of Sleep Medicine showed those at risk of hoarding disorder may have serious complaints about sleep. Basically the more clutter you have in the bedroom, the more likely you will develop a sleep disorder.

Ultimately cluttered bedrooms:

• overwhelm our minds with extreme stimuli causing our senses to be on overdrive

• prevent us from relaxing both physically and mentally

• cause us to have increased feelings of anxiety

• create feelings of guilt and frustration around how and when we will tackle the mess

So as our sleep decreases, our risk for stress, depression, and slower thinking increases. People with hoarding disorder typically have poor decision-making skills and weak executive functioning, factor in poor sleep and it further compromises the cognitive processes in general. 

Now I know, from having worked with people struggling with hoarding and chronic disorganization, that they report they don't even notice the clutter and it doesn't bother them much and that may be true. They may be so acclimated to it, they've become "clutter-blind." But in actuality, our brain unconsciously recognizes the mess and wants to complete the task and it can make us feel anxious and unsettled, which in turn makes it difficult to fall asleep. 

So what does one do? The answer is to work on de-cluttering the bedroom as much as possible. Your sleep space should be your sanctuary.

I've outlined some tips in a previous post about ways to unclutter your bedroom as a guide. Then again, you could always call a Productivity & Organizing Professional to help you!

Is it time to make getting more sleep a goal this season? We can help!