You might think, “What’s wrong with having a messy room, as long as my bed’s clean?” Well, it turns out having a messy bedroom actually makes it much harder to sleep for most people.

Those piles of dirty laundry and clutter on the nightstand can make your bedroom more stressful, not comforting. Having a tidy bedroom not only makes it easier to drift off to sleep, it leads to a more peaceful morning. It also improves air quality, which helps you sleep more deeply. 

In a similar vein, having pleasant smells in your room helps your bedroom feel clean and fresh. So once you’ve cleaned your room, consider adding a diffuser with sleep-promoting aromas like lavender, chamomile or rose.

And by cleaning you space, we also mean the air. Apart from using an air purifier with a HEPA filter, plants can remove toxins from your sleep environment. Read this article on what types of greens to consider: 9 NASA-Approved Plants to Purify Your Bedroom Air — Naturally.

First off, put the phone down. Studies have shown that scrolling through social media is one of our most common pre-bedtime activities — and it’s also a major detriment to getting good sleep. 

The glow from electronic devices (even in night mode) and the emotional response to posts stimulate the brain and prevent it from getting ready for sleep.

Sleep.org reports that the ideal sleep temperature is 60 - 67 degrees Fahrenheit. If your room is warmer than this, a small bedside fan can help to keep you cool as well as producing sleep-friendly white noise.  

If you’re the type of person who is always cold, make sure you have some comfy warm blankets in colder weather. Some flannel sheets paired with warm pajamas will keep you extra toasty!

On the other hand, if you live in a tropical climate, why not try sleeping in your birthday suit? Here are 10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Sleep Naked.

Though some of us prefer to have light background noise to fall asleep to, we can all agree that a noisy environment is not conducive to sleep.

Make sure to put your phone on silent and try earplugs for intrusive noises you can’t turn off (like a snoring partner).

If you’re not a fan of earplugs, a white noise machine can help to drown out minor disturbances. Bonus: white noise machines can also help to alleviate anxiety and make it easier to fall back asleep if you wake during the night.

For more information on how noise affects sleep quality, read this post: Noise Pollution Is Killing Your Sleep - Here’s What You Can Do About It.

If you have harsh lights in your room, it can be super distracting even with your eyes closed. It’s a good idea to change from your regular room light to a softer mood lighting right before bedtime. Many of today’s bedside lamps are designed to automatically reduce their output as night falls, switching to a more sleep-friendly glow.

And if too much light is coming in from outside, try a good set of blackout curtains (or a 100% blackout sleep mask, if you’d prefer an easier option). LEDs from electronic devices and remotes can also create a piercing glare, so if you’ve got a lot of gadgets in your room, consider blackout stickers as well.

The darker your room, the better. Read this article to find out why and what to do: How to Make Your Bedroom Darker.