Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice to balance energies in any given space by placing your furniture and belongings in a certain way.
Your bedroom represents you more than the rest of your rooms such as your office for example. You spend a majority of your time in your bedroom, especially if you get six to eight hours of sleep every night. This is when the magic happens, because you’re unconscious and in a passive state while you are asleep, you’re open to absorbing energy around you more easily.
This energy is also known as chi, the foundation of feng shui. Good quality chi in your home would promote strong relationships, support health and wealth and results in a better sense of well-being. But if your bedroom is cluttered, has too many bright colors and is positioned poorly, then your feng shui will suffer. Here are some feng shui tips for building a peaceful bedroom for better sleep.
- Get a king or queen size bed.
Would you still want to be sleeping in your twin bed or futon in college? Getting a king or queen size bed is ideal for feng shui technique because it fosters a restful night of sleep and lets chi circulate properly beneath it. It also secures a sense of togetherness between you and your partner.
Twin beds can feel constricted and impermanent, while king size beds can be too spacious to promote intimacy. In addition, going oversized means split box springs under the mattress, which can create disharmony, and cause issues with your back.
- Positioning your bed.
In feng shui, placing your bed in a “commanding position” is the key. This means that your bed isn’t in line with the door and that you can see the door in front of you while you’re lying down. The commanding position puts you in a “safe” place and gives you a sense of stability because you can spot whatever enters your space.
Another important factor of positioning your bed is to make sure you have equal room on both sides, so both partners are able to get into bed easily. By making space, you create an energy balance on either side of the bed.
- Get a wooden headboard.
It’s time for a sturdy headboard, preferably a wooden one, without bars or holes. The headboard connects you with your partner and stabilizes you in bed. Having no headboard makes your relationship feel more temporary. And if you’re single, a sturdy headboard can help attract a strong and long-term relationship.
If buying a new headboard isn’t in your budget right now, then add two large pillows behind your sleeping pillows. This makes a comfortable and soft DIY “headboard”. But it’s better to have a headboard if possible. If you can’t buy one now, then try the pillows but it’s not a substitute for a solid headboard.
- Clearing out chaos
The negative energy from the things you store underneath your bed can transfer to you. That’s why feng shui tips advise clearing out the chaos, so energy can flow easily around you while you’re sleeping.
If those things represent active energy, like shoes, or books, you can absorb it on a subconscious level. If you absolutely have to store things there, then try to limit them to soft items, like bed sheets, linens, and pillows.
- No mirrors.
Many feng shui experts have opposing views on mirrors in the bedroom. Having a round or an oval mirror in your bedroom symbolize continuity in a relationship and helps with the flow of chi in the room.
Different schools of feng shui advise against having a mirror in front of your bed because mirrors reflect negative energy back outward, and it will also make you see your reflection when you wake up in the middle of the night.
Instead, position a full-length mirror away from your bed, so that you can see a reflection of the door and who’s entering the room. Or hang a looking glass on the inside of your closet door.
- Better bedding, better sleeping.
When it comes to buying bedding, get organic cotton sheets because they’re toxin-free and breathable. You won’t be able to sleep well if feel too hot or too cold.
A comfortable bed has soft blankets and enough pillows for two people. Too many pillows makes your bed too crowded. Finding the right pillow will depend on your sleep position. So, if you sleep on your back, you’ll need to get a thin pillow to support your neck.
- Pick up relaxing colors.
According to experts, earth color tones are better for the bedroom, such as blue, green, and brown. Choosing the color blue will make your blood pressure and heart rate slowdown, which prepares you for sleep.
Relaxing colors help you relax and are soothing to your eyes, unlike active colors like red and bright pink which may energize you too much, and if you like those shades, try to add touches of peach, coral, burgundy or purple in your sheets, curtains, or pillows.
- Stay away from electronics.
Before buying a white noise maker, try to remove as many electronics as possible from your bedroom. According to feng shui experts, electronics release electromagnetic energy, so it’s better to keep them out of the bedroom.
- Enhance your sleeping space with plants and essential oils.
While most of feng shui experts don’t agree on having plants in the bedroom, some believe they’re great for sleep. For example, snake plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen at night. Additionally, a plants green color can be soothing to the eyes and help put you in a good mood.
Waking up in the morning to see a vibrant plant will help to energize you. Also sometimes, scent is all you need to shift energy from stressed and anxiety-ridden to calm and collected.
A 2012 study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that people are more excited to go to bed on sheets with a fresh scent than those that do not have the refreshing scent. In addition, essential oils, such as orange and lavender are great for de-stressing and relaxing.
