5 Things You Should Get Rid Of In Your Bedroom

At the end of a long day, there’s no better feeling than heading off to hit the hay for a good night’s rest. But if your bedroom is cluttered up with ancient artifacts and “denial piles,” your bedroom may not exactly be a restful retreat that supports healthy sleep habits!

But if your bedroom could use a good decluttering, you’re in luck! Because today I’ll be sharing a list of five items to get rid of in your bedroom. This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but removing these unnecessary items will go a long way toward making your nighttime sanctuary a tidier, less cluttered, and more restful place!

5 Things You Should Get Rid Of In Your Bedroom

1. Old Pillows

If you manage to get the recommended eight hours of sleep each night, that’s a third of your life you’re spending in bed! So why spend that precious time with resting your head on an old, lumpy, and likely dirty pillow?

Not only do a lot of pillows get lumpy and less comfortable over time, but they also collect dust mites, body oil, and bacteria too! Experts say most pillows have a lifespan of two to seven years, so if you can’t remember the last time you replaced your pillow, it’s safe to say you should do so ASAP!

Any time your pillow isn’t providing enough support or is infringing on your ability to sleep, it’s time to look for a new one. If your pillow is still relatively new but is looking a little dingy, give it a good wash to clean it up.

2. Nightstand Clutter

For many of us, it’s hard enough to fall asleep as it is, and lying next to a nightstand that covered in clutter, dust, and debris probably isn’t helping! To make your surroundings more calming, try decluttering the area next to your bed.

Clear out any water glasses, dusty knickknacks, notes, toiletries, and anything else that may have accumulated within arm’s reach. Pare your bedside items down to the essentials, like the book you read before bed, a box of tissues, etc. You’ll likely feel better and notice that a clear space encourages a clear head!

3. Candles You Never Light

There’s really no reason to keep candles in your bedroom unless you actually use them! Candle wax attracts dust like crazy, so unless you’re lighting those candles from time to time, they’re just serving as glorified dust collectors.

Move your candle(s) to another room where you’ll be more likely to actually use them, or clean them up and pass them along to a candle-loving friend!

4. Forgotten Items Under Your Bed

While some may actually be utilizing the space under their bed for functional storage (perhaps with the help of under-the-bed storage bags), others may not even know what’s lurking under there!

Is it last week’s half eaten pizza? Last season’s knee-high boots? Who knows! Either way, it’s time to investigate and toss out anything that qualifies as trash or something you don’t actually need or use. Better to part with the forgotten items before they start spilling out into the open!

5. Reading Material You’ve Already Read (Or Never Will)

If there’s a stack of books and magazines you’ve already read taking up space in your bedroom, find a new place for them. You don’t have to get rid of them entirely, but it makes more sense to keep them on your bookshelf than taking up space in your bedroom!

The same goes for stuff you haven’t read—if you’ve had the same book on your nightstand since 2019 and you’ve never made it past page 10, replace it with something more engaging! There’s no point in giving up your limited nightstand real estate to a book you aren’t that interested in reading.

Once you’ve addressed these five sources of bedroom clutter, you may want to address the closet next! :-)