Hey Everyone–

I came across this post on Health.com and I love these tips. The slideshow shows you how to turn your bedroom “into a retreat.” Remember: your bedroom should only be for sleeping and after hours fun. Who wants to bring the office into either one of those?

  • Cut The Clutter: Put your books in the bookcase, fold your clothes and put them away, and throw out any item if you can’t remember why you have it or where you got it. If all of your clothes don’t fit into your drawers you can always find a cute wicker basket or patterned boxes to put them in at places like HomeGoods, Marshalls, Pier One, Pottery Barn etc. All your other odds and ends can be stacked up into different size boxes and not only will you be organized but your room will look clean and cute.
  • Bring In Nature: The slideshow says to bring in fresh flowers and plants, but personally as much as I love fresh flowers, most of the time they are more work than they are worth, and if you live in an apartment like I do, they will never see the sun. Instead, I make my own flower arrangements by buying silk flowers from craft places like Michael’s. Real or fake, flowers create a calming effect and that’s what you want in your bedroom.
  • Make It As Comfortable As Possible: Splurge on this one. Get the soft sheets, the furry and soft blankets, and the down comforter and pillows. Another lovely touch is silk or satin pillowcases and sheets. Not only will you feel sexy but you will never want to get out of bed!
  • Bring In Scents That Help You To Relax: Two of the best scents for relaxation are lavender and vanilla. I personally prefer lavender, so either light a candle or a diffuser that emits your favorite scent or you can buy a linen spray from places like The Body Shop and Bath and Body Works. Spray them before you crawl into bed and instantly you will be relaxed.
  • Get Rid of Your TV: I know it sounds like an impossible and ridiculous idea and I’m sure you think I’m a lunatic for even suggesting it but I actually did this and it works. Once I got rid of my TV, it signified that my room was strictly my bedroom and nothing more. Why put a TV in your room when you probably have 3 other sets in your house?
  • Feng Shui Your Room: Put your bed against a solid wall that faces the door and it should also be across the room from a mirror, subconsciously you feel more protected because you are aware of all of your surroundings in your room. Also, try to learn to sleep with the door and the blinds fully closed. This blocks noise, light, and any other distraction, including pets. Your body will not fall into a deep sleep unless your room is completely dark.

You can try all of these or just a few but all of us want a place we can relax and forget the stress of the day, so why shouldn’t that place be your bedroom? And the more relaxing it is, the more refreshing your sleep will be, and I think we can all agree that we need a little more sleep!