Top 12+ Things in Your Bedroom That Could Be Disrupting Your Sleep

Your Phone Charging Station is Actually a Sleep Thief

Electronic devices like smartphones, laptops and TVs emit an artificial blue light that mimics sunshine. Sunlight signals the body to wake up.

But here's what most people don't realize: even when your phone is supposedly "sleeping," it's not. Sounds and blinking lights can cause unwanted awakenings when sleeping next to electronics.

The blue light emitted by many devices disrupts the natural production of melatonin, a hormone that facilitates sleep and can throw off your circadian rhythm. That tiny LED light from your charging cable?

It's telling your brain it's morning. "I feel most rested when my bedroom is pitch-black at night, but because my husband and I have various chargers and a TV in our room, there's blue glowing light everywhere you turn," she says.

Cue these light-blocking stickers, which offer a simple solution to a common nuisance.

The Clutter Pile That Your Brain Never Ignores

"A messy area symbolizes unfinished business and keeps your mind in an anxious state," says Jayme Barrett, the author of Feng Shui Your Life. Think you can ignore that pile of laundry in the corner?

Your brain can't. When you're surrounded by a mess, you may be able to ignore it, but your brain will always register its surroundings.

On a subconscious level, your brain will believe it needs to complete a task, such as sort laundry or clear away piles of books. "Researchers have found a direct correlation between sleep deprivation and high levels of clutter in one's sleeping environment.

Eliminating bedroom clutter isn't a cure-all for getting a better night's sleep, but it can certainly help." Every messy surface is essentially a to-do list your brain can't turn off. One study looked at 1052 participants with insomnia and found that tidying improved their sleep quality as much as regular bedtime self-care, resulting in fewer sleep-related problems.

That Perfectly Placed Mirror Reflecting Your Restlessness

While mirrors are great for making a room look larger, they're a no-no in Feng Shui if placed directly facing the bed. It's believed that mirrors reflect energy, disrupting your sleep and causing restlessness.

Beyond ancient wisdom, there's practical science here. Mirrors bouncing energy can disturb sleep and create stress.

When you're half-awake at 3 AM, catching a glimpse of movement in that mirror creates a startle response that can jolt you fully awake. Your subconscious brain interprets reflections as potential threats, keeping you in a lighter sleep state.

Position mirrors where they can't catch your bed's reflection, or cover them at night.

Work Papers and Tomorrow's To-Do List Staring Back at You

Business Documents:Create a boundary from your work life. Seeing bills, to-do lists and papers you have to deal with can distract from sleep.

That stack of invoices on your dresser? Not only should you keep books out of the bedroom, but keeping your work away from your sleep environment is non-negotiable in Feng Shui.

This lets you step away from the day's stress and unwind peacefully. Whether it's your desk, home office, or even workout equipment, keep anything associated with non-restful activities away from your bedroom for better positive energy flow.

Your bedroom should be a sanctuary, not a satellite office. Even a single visible work document can trigger your brain's problem-solving mode when you should be winding down.

Create a "worry window" earlier in the evening to handle these thoughts, then physically remove work-related items from sight.

The TV That Makes Your Bedroom a Living Room

A TV in the bedroom is also considered bad feng shui because electronics can disrupt your sleep and bring in negative energy. Watching TV in the bedroom before going to bed, will negatively impact your sleep quality.

Screen time exposes your eyes to blue light that can disrupt your circadian rhythm, and it can also activate your mind, making it harder to wind down for sleep. But here's the kicker: it's not just about the light.

Watching a movie or responding to emails may feel harmless, but they stimulate your mind and make it harder to relax and ready yourself for sleep. Your brain needs time to settle down and unwind to switch into sleep mode.

Every show conditions your brain to associate your bedroom with entertainment, not rest. The bedroom should signal one thing to your nervous system: it's time to sleep.

Books Stacked Like Caffeinated Thoughts

Perhaps surprising to hear as many of us rely on them as part of a calming wind-down routine, but books are considered another form of distraction in Feng Shui. They are said to contain active energy; therefore, bookshelves can be counterproductive to your energy.

Try moving books out of your bedroom for better energy flow or keeping only the one you're reading within reach. This will help minimise disruption as you try to sleep.

Think of each book as a different story your mind could dive into instead of sleep. Bookshelves Full of Books:Each book represents ideas – content you've already read or a pull toward something you haven't read but feel you should have – all of which can create mental noise.

Keep one book for bedtime reading, store the rest elsewhere.

Your Bedroom Temperature That Fights Your Biology

Keep your bedroom thermostat set to 65°F, give or take a few degrees. A cooler room and bed can reduce nighttime sweating and improve sleep.

Your body naturally drops in temperature as it prepares for sleep. Some people run hot in bed while others sleep somewhat cool.

However, any healthy adult will experience a drop in body temperature as part of the circadian rhythm. Tanya Christian, a senior home editor who has reported on sleep staples like CR's best pillows and mattresses for side sleepers, prefers going to bed in a cool environment.

Her Google Nest learning thermostat makes it effortless to achieve the perfect temperature for sleep. "I have it on a schedule to turn down to 65 degrees at my bedtime so I never have to worry about being disrupted by a too-hot room in the middle of the night," Christian says.

Fighting your biology with a too-warm room is like swimming upstream all night.

Storage Under Your Bed Blocking Energy Flow

If possible, completely clear the space under your bed so that the qi (life force energy) can flow freely and evenly around the energy fields of your bed as you snooze, rejuvenating you overnight. If you can't keep the area completely clutter-free, be conscious of what you put under there.

Love letters from your ex aren't a good idea, and neither are shoes, which can subconsciously make you feel like you're moving instead of resting. The same goes for luggage—keeping your carry-on under your bed projects a feeling of being on the go, never feeling quite at home.

Storing soft, sleep-related items, like linens, blankets, and pillows, is a better option. From a practical standpoint, under-bed storage also restricts airflow, creating dust accumulation and potentially affecting air quality.

Dust annoyance — when dust exposure affects your mental health — is a real thing. Research shows dust annoyance is linked to fatigue and sleep disturbances that throw off your productivity.

Windows Without Proper Light Control

If you live on a brightly lit street or typically sleep during the day, blackout curtains can prevent natural or artificial light from entering your bedroom. Even small sources of light—think computer screens or outdoor lamps—can impact sleep quality, and finding ways to block out that light may significantly improve your ability to get a better night's rest.

Street lights, car headlights, even that motion sensor light from your neighbor's garage can disrupt your sleep cycles. Light pollution doesn't just affect astronomers—it affects anyone trying to maintain healthy melatonin production.

Putting down your devices, using blackout curtains, and using dim lights at night can improve your rest. Consider it an investment in your circadian rhythm.

Harsh Overhead Lighting That Jolts Your System

Harsh, bright lighting can be too stimulating and disrupt your sleep. Instead, opt for soft, ambient lighting that creates a relaxing atmosphere.

You can also use lamps and dimmer switches to adjust the lighting to your liking. Soft lighting can also help to reduce stress levels and promote relaxation.

Go beyond muted colour tones by swapping harsh lighting for calming low-light bulbs and mood lighting. Guided by Feng Shui principles, this creates a relaxing ambience in your bedroom, fostering the calm and quiet essential for a good night's sleep.

It also enhances balance in your space, boosting the vital flow of Chi. That bright overhead fixture is like having a spotlight at a meditation retreat.

Your evening routine should gradually dim the lights, signaling to your brain that rest time is approaching.

Exercise Equipment Reminding Your Body to Stay Active

Your treadmill or weights in the bedroom send mixed signals to your nervous system. Whether it's your desk, home office, or even workout equipment, keep anything associated with non-restful activities away from your bedroom for better positive energy flow.

Exercise equipment psychologically primes your brain for activity, not rest. Even seeing your yoga mat can trigger thoughts about tomorrow's workout or guilt about today's skipped session.

The bedroom should be associated with one primary activity: sleep. "The purpose of the bedroom is for rest and relating with your partner.

Anything we add on top of that can easily zap the strength and quality of those two precious things in our life," David says. Create a clear boundary between active spaces and rest spaces.

Noise Pollution You've Learned to Ignore

It should come as no surprise that a quieter bedroom is better for sleep than a louder one. Loud noise disturbances can cause severe sleep fragmentation and disruption, which in turn can have negative impacts on your physical and mental health.

Research even suggests that noise at low levels can cause you to shift to a lighter sleep stage or wake up momentarily. Noise Clutter:The ideal sleeping environment is dark and quiet.

If outside sounds are blaring into your bedroom, you may need to modify your windows or hang a heavy drape. If electronics are buzzing and heaters are turning on and off all night, consider getting a sound machine or a fan for white noise.

You might think you've adapted to your neighbor's dog barking or the traffic outside, but your brain hasn't. The whir of a fan or a soothing white noise machine can effectively mask other sounds and help you fall asleep.

A box fan can be a cheap option for blocking disruptive noise and keeping you cooler through the night. Your bedroom should feel like a cocoon, not a command center.

Every object in your space is either supporting your sleep or sabotaging it—there's no neutral ground when it comes to rest. The difference between a good night's sleep and tossing until dawn often comes down to these overlooked details that live right under your nose.

What's quietly disrupting your sleep tonight?