For a restful sleep, your bedroom should be neat, tidy and clean. But according to feng shui, the practice of balancing energy within the natural environment, the way you arrange your bedroom, and in particular where you place your bed, can also make a big difference.
We recently spoke with feng shui expert sarah mcallister from the feng shui agency (opens in a new tab) to find out the best way to set up your bedroom and find out why you should never sleep with your bed directly under a window.
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what is feng shui and how does it affect sleep?
Feng shui is a traditional practice that dates back thousands of years, but modern feng shui takes elements of this to fit the way we live today. this includes arranging the furniture in a certain way, as well as using colors, fabrics, and decorations to create a more harmonious atmosphere in our homes.
Reading: Feng shui bed height
“feng shui originated in china and is primarily concerned with health,” says sarah. “feng means ‘wind’ and shui means ‘water’ and that refers to natural forces, with water being life-giving to attract energy and wind representing movement.
“feng shui is important because when you sleep you need a ‘quiet’ environment, and not only from an auditory perspective, but also quiet in terms of the energy in the room you need to feel calm. therefore, feng shui is about balancing natural forces through the built environment.”
“Energy dynamics are important in the bedroom, so you need to balance rest, stillness, and darkness at night with the daytime energy of daylight, movement, and activity.”
here he shares his top tips to help you get a good night’s sleep, including the best place to put your bed and which mattress frame and headboard are best for sleeping.
what is the ideal bedroom layout according to feng shui?
if you’re looking to organize your bedroom in the best way to sleep, then sarah’s advice is this: “ideally, let’s say if you have a bedroom with a door, you want the bed to be diagonally away from the door, but centered against the wall. This puts the bed in what is called the “power position” of the room with a good view of the door.”
You want the bed to be diagonally across from the door, but centered against the wall. this places the bed in what is called the “power position”
The most important thing to remember when placing your bed in the bedroom is to “have a solid wall behind you,” says sarah. You can also have nightstands on both sides and at the same height as the bed to provide more stability to your sleeping environment.
When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, getting the best mattress for you is essential. If you live in rented accommodation, Sarah still recommends buying a new mattress. this ensures that you have a bed that is not only hygienic, but has not been shaped by the shape of someone else’s body or “energy”.
where should you never place your bed?
“try not to put a bed under a window, especially if the window is directly behind your head.” while this may not always be avoided, the good news is that there are things what can you do sarah says, “you can get away with it if there’s a long horizontal window higher up and there’s a solid wall behind you.”
If you’re very limited in where you can put your bed, sarah recommends choosing “a solid headboard or as tall a headboard as possible, making sure it’s solid and padded.”
“This means avoiding a rack or slat headboard with cutouts. Ideally, the headboard rests on the floor [as part of the bed frame] rather than being attached to the wall or screwed to the bed, as it can be wobbly and unstable.”
what about the mattress and the bed frame?
when it comes to the real mattress, sarah prefers ones that include organic and natural mattress materials like wool or organic latex. this also applies to your sheets, duvets and pillows. says, “try to choose more breathable, organic bedding made from natural bamboo or cotton, rather than too many synthetic fabrics, like polyester, which aren’t ideal for balanced sleep.”
sarah uses a memory foam mattress topper and airs it in the sun to clean naturally, taking advantage of the antimicrobial effects of ultraviolet rays.
also airs your comforter this way, saying, “we produce a lot of moisture when we sleep, when we exhale and sweat, and this is retained in our comforters and mattresses, so it’s good to air them in natural sunlight.” .”
As for bed frames, a sturdy wooden frame with a solid headboard offers stability. sarah also advises keeping clutter to a minimum around and under the bed. in traditional feng shui, the idea is for energy to flow freely.
“Ideally, your bed frame won’t have a storage section or drawers,” says sarah. “While these are helpful, in an ideal world, your bed will have nothing under it and should be about six inches off the floor.”
how does feng shui help with good sleep hygiene?
Good sleep hygiene (the habits and environment necessary for healthy sleep) is crucial for adequate rest. and feng shui has many practical tips that can help. These are the main things Sarah needs to keep in mind for good sleep hygiene:
light and air“make sure you open the curtains during the day and close them at night. I recommend blackout curtains for complete darkness while you sleep. but be sure to remember to open them during the day to let in daylight. total darkness helps with melatonin production which promotes healthy sleep.”
See also: Wind Chimes in Feng Shui (2022 Update)
sarah says that one of the biggest mistakes people make in the bedroom is not opening the window day or night. For a healthy sleep environment, there needs to be air movement in the bedroom, and Sarah advises opening a window “even less than an inch” if you’re worried about being cold.
Objects, decorations and art are fine in the bedroom, but avoid having too many, especially if they are too abstract, spiky or aggressive looking. sarah says that the “brain unconsciously detects these elements”, which means a less than relaxing atmosphere.
Visual symmetry is nice if you want to create a relaxing bedroom. For example, this could be a couple of matching candles on the nightstands on either side of the bed, but try to avoid making things too sterile. “You want some meaning to life,” Sarah says, for anyone who wants to avoid that “show home” aspect.
He also has a tip if you are looking for a partner: “try to avoid having decorations that are of a single figure, and always keep them in pairs. Showing single numbers reinforces a sense of isolation, which is not something you want if you’re trying to maintain a positive mindset when looking for a partner.”
lighting and color try to keep the lighting soft and smooth, with “nothing too strong,” says sarah. “if it’s a larger room, you could get away with a more ornate lamp, but nothing too pointy.” instead, he recommends regular lampshades made of fabric or paper.
According to feng shui principles, too many dark colors in the bedroom, including the walls, can leave a bedroom lifeless, drain your energy, and make you feel sluggish when you wake up.
sarah recommends keeping colors neutral in the bedroom: pastels and muted tones. “You don’t want bright reds, creepy pinks, or hot purples, for example, as it’s too overpowering. although these tones look good in the living room.”
feng shui and other ways to sleep better
many people contact professionals like sarah to help them configure their new or existing homes according to best feng shui practices. Not only does this create a harmonious atmosphere, it can also promote better health, with a clear, uncluttered space that is easier to maintain and creates a calm environment.
If you’re looking for more ways to get a good night’s sleep, it’s helpful to invest in a good pillow, as well as enjoying a pre-bedtime routine that includes turning off screens and taking a relaxing bath. in his beautifully arranged feng shui bedroom.
next: Try these 9 feng shui bedroom tips for a good night’s sleep.
See also: Cómo usar los espejos según el Feng Shui