At the end of a long day, thereโs no better feeling than heading off to hit the hay for a good nightโs rest. But if your bedroom is cluttered up with ancient artifacts and โdenial piles,โ your bedroom may not exactly be a restful retreat that supports healthy sleep habits!
But if your bedroom could use a good decluttering, youโre in luck! Because today Iโll be sharing a list of five items to get rid of in your bedroom. This isnโt 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, thatโs a third of your life youโre 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 canโt remember the last time you replaced your pillow, itโs safe to say you should do so ASAP!
Any time your pillow isnโt providing enough support or is infringing on your ability to sleep, itโs 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, itโs hard enough to fall asleep as it is, and lying next to a nightstand that covered in clutter, dust, and debris probably isnโt 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 armโs reach. Pare your bedside items down to the essentials, like the book you read before bed, a box of tissues, etc. Youโll likely feel better and notice that a clear space encourages a clear head!
3. Candles You Never Light
Thereโs really no reason to keep candles in your bedroom unless you actually use them! Candle wax attracts dust like crazy, so unless youโre lighting those candles from time to time, theyโre just serving as glorified dust collectors.
Move your candle(s) to another room where youโll 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 whatโs lurking under there!
Is it last weekโs half eaten pizza? Last seasonโs knee-high boots? Who knows! Either way, itโs time to investigate and toss out anything that qualifies as trash or something you donโt actually need or use. Better to part with the forgotten items before they start spilling out into the open!
5. Reading Material Youโve Already Read (Or Never Will)
If thereโs a stack of books and magazines youโve already read taking up space in your bedroom, find a new place for them. You donโt 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 havenโt readโif youโve had the same book on your nightstand since 2019 and youโve never made it past page 10, replace it with something more engaging! Thereโs no point in giving up your limited nightstand real estate to a book you arenโt that interested in reading.
Once youโve addressed these five sources of bedroom clutter, you may want to address the closet next! :-)
Struggling With Clutter In Another Room?
- If your bedroom isn’t your biggest concern when it comes to clutter, check out the links below for more useful decluttering tips for other areas around the house:
- 9 Things To Get Rid Of In Your Closet
- 6 Things To Get Rid Of In Your Pantry
- 7 Things To Get Rid Of In Your Bathroom
- 11 Things To Get Rid Of In Your Kitchen
- 7 Things To Get Rid Of In Your Garage
Whatโs the biggest source of clutter in your bedroom?




























About those candles…if it’s in a tin as the one in the photo appears to be, be especially careful when they’re almost burned down to nothing. I let one burn “down to nothing” and it burned a ring on the wooden table it was sitting on and was shooting flames up several inches high when my husband noticed it! Thankfully he was able to put out the fire and we had to refinish the top of the table. Usually candles in glass jars/containers will burn themselves out “self-extinguish” when the wax is gone, but the ones in tin containers don’t necessarily do that.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow Sue! I’m happy to hear that there wasn’t any further damage! Thanks for sharing this with us. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, at my first sleep study, 15 years or more ago, they led me to the bedroom I’d be sleeping in. From the doorway I looked in and was paralyzed. I stood there for a few moments trying to fathom why I was so profoundly struck, and meanwhile I was tearing up. The lab monitor person asked me if something were wrong. I replied No, it’s just that there’s no clutter here. The room was so inviting! Cozy! and it was a sleep lab! Obviously, I haven’t forgotten this moment. Yeah, there’s usually kleenex, crumpled up tissues, a pile of books, the lamp, chapstick, and a few lozenges, at least, on my nightstand. Accompanied by a nice layer of dust. I’m trying to dust the room at least every two weeks, and clean up our nightstands, because, you’re right, it makes a difference!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes Louise, it really does make a difference! :-)
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