A psychiatrist explains how tidying up will help me sleep better. New year, same old messy bedroom. Surely I’m not the only person wading through piles of clothes on the floor, discarded paperwork and unwrapped Christmas gifts just to get into bed? If, like me, your bedroom has become a dumping ground in order to keep the rest of your house tidy, you might be wondering what that has to do with sleep. Plenty, says Dr Nona Kocher, MDH, MD, a board certified psychiatrist at quintessence psychiatry. “Mess can make your body feel anxious even when your mind is not actively thinking about it,” she explains. “Your eyes are scanning, your brain is subconsciously clocking what is out of place, and that constant input is wearing on the nervous system.”
My bombsite of a bedroom was stopping me from sleeping — until a professional organizer helped me declutter it
