How to Feng Shui Your Bedroom

Did you know you can expect to spend approximately one-third of your life in your bedroom, primarily in bed, sleeping or trying to get to sleep? With that in mind, your sleep environment should be a key consideration in how to maximize your sleep quality and overall health.

Most of us are guilty of spending time in our bedrooms doing a multitude of other things - exercising, working, snacking or doomscrolling, but experts tell us that keeping our bedrooms distraction-free is the key to optimal sleep. [1]

You may be familiar with the term feng shui (pronounced “fung shway”) but less aware of the usefulness of the concept or how it can be applied to promote well-being, particularly in your bedroom.

What Is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese method of arranging spaces to promote harmony and balance. It translates to “the way of wind and water,” as both wind and water symbolize an invisible energy that flows in certain directions.

There is evidence that this practice has been informing the design of homes, public spaces and even whole communities in China for over four thousand years.

The practice of feng shui is based on the concept of qi (pronounced “chee”), or life force, that inhabits everything. Qi is made up of yin and yang elements that, when balanced, can improve the flow of positive qi in people’s lives and keep the negative qi away.

Feng shui is a method of balancing yin and yang, and improving the flow of qi by arranging spaces in a beneficial way. [2]

Read More: What is Sleep Hygiene and Why is it Important?

Why Feng Shui?

Feng shui has been gaining popularity outside of China for many years and has evolved with the increasing popularity of the minimalist aesthetic. People are becoming more aware about the role that their surroundings play in regulating their mood and promoting relaxation.

Feng shui is more than just creating a harmonious space using furniture and colors. It's about mindfulness, paying attention to one’s environment, and recognizing the presence of the energy and elements all around. [3]

Feng Shui Bedroom Tips

So, how can you apply the principles of feng shui in your bedroom? For the beginner, there are three main considerations:

Your Bed for Good Feng Shui

Feng shui bed placement requires that the headboard be against a solid, supporting wall. The bed should also be positioned as far from the door as possible. When laying in bed, you should be able to see the door, but not directly in line with it.

Feng Shui Bed Tip: Position your bed diagonal from facing the door. If your unable to, add a mirror. When you’re in bed, you are able to see the reflection of the door easily.

A sturdy headboard is necessary - in feng shui, a headboard represents stability and support. The optimal choice is a headboard that’s solid wood, without bars or separations in it.

Another important guideline is to keep nothing stored under the bed. (Easier said than done, we get it!) This allows for energy to flow freely around you while you sleep. If needing to use underneath the bed for storage, it’s recommended to stick to soft, sleep-related items, including pillows, blankets, and sheets.

Feng Shui Bedroom Colors

Colors are also important to consider. Feng shui bedroom colors should be warm and primarily neutral. It’s possible to incorporate additional colors that represent the different elements, but it is essential to make sure they aren’t too bright or overwhelming.

While there are no perfect colors for the bedroom color, below we’ve listed a few of the best colors for feng shui:

• Blue: This color promotes a sense of calm, increases coolness to a room, and creates an illusion of privacy.
• Green: A connection with nature. It can motivate internal change.
• Light Yellow: Allows one to wake with happiness, other earth tones and pastels also can assist in achieving this. Yellow can cheer, infuse one with hope as well as clarify and promote mental activity.
• Red: Strong association with fire, which supports life energy.

Feng Shui Bedroom Color Tips: Furthermore, bedrooms happen to look great in blue, green, and teal, which are connected to the wood element in feng shui, symbolizing growth, vitality, and new beginnings. Nature-inspired hues, like those seen in plants, the sea, and the sky, can be very tranquilizing. Pastel shades of green and blue in particular are very soothing.

Deep or dramatic colors are not recommended for use in a bedroom including black and deep blue. [5]

Feng Shui Balance

Some feng shui experts believe that the bedroom is the most important room in which to apply the principles because sleep has such a wide-ranging impact. When our space is balanced and peaceful, we can experience improved mood, reduced stress and better sleep quality throughout the night.

Additionally, because sleep quality and duration are directly tied to other aspects of our health, a bedroom environment that promotes sleep can also improve how you feel while you’re awake. [4]

To create a space that caters to your needs, balance the elements of your room. Every element has its own effect, resulting in an environment that reflects who you are and what you want to achieve. Here's how to use them in your home, yard or office.

Symmetry is also necessary to consider. If possible, use pairs when placing furniture or other objects. For example, use two nightstands, one on each side of the bed. Ideally, the nightstands should be round with matching lamps on top.

Find ways to bring in and balance the five elements:

Wood

Wood symbolizes the power of creativity and growth. A wooden bedframe with a solid wood headboard would be a perfect way to incorporate this element. Additionally, a set of wooden side tables would fit the feng shui aesthetic.

Fire

Fire is the most powerful element, making way for passion, energy, and transformation. You can use a small candle to bring the fire element into a bedroom, but be sure to incorporate fire sparingly. Light of any kind represents this element, so let the light in during the day, make sure it can be blocked or dimmed at night.

Earth

Earth stands for stability and strength. Bring in the earth element with rocks, carpeting, old books, and anything brown or tan in color. The color brown represents steadfastness, simplicity and dependability. It also, when used in combination with green, conveys a natural tone.

Water

Water is related to emotion and inspiration and is also a symbol of wisdom and strength. You can use items that are light blue to display this element, such as a vase or decorative pillow, or try flowy drapes that mimic the flow of water.

Metal

Metal unites all of the elements, bringing focus and order. Lamps or other accessories are a good way to incorporate the metal element into your space. White or light gray sheets can also be used to represent metal.

What to Avoid in a Feng Shui Bedroom

Unnecessary clutter can disturb the energy in your room and stimulate restlessness. It is crucial to keep your belongings organized and if possible, out of sight. In a study done with participants struggling with insomnia, researchers found that tidying improved their sleep quality as much as regular bedtime self-care, resulting in fewer sleep-related problems. [6]

One option is to spend a few minutes each day decluttering your space - putting clothes in the hamper, returning items to their proper home - and, of course, making your bed. Getting in the habit of daily decluttering makes the task less overwhelming and provides a “blank canvas” for positive energy the rest of the day.

Additionally, It is best that electronics of all kinds be removed from the room. Televisions, computers, exercise equipment, or a workspace in the bedroom are thought to distract from rest, symbolize wakefulness, and take up energy resulting in negative energy. [7]

Final Thought

Insufficient sleep and sleep disorders impact daily functioning, mood, and cognition. In addition, the risk of cardiovascular outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart attacks is raised with the less sleep you get over time.

Read More: How to Increase Deep Sleep

There is clear evidence that environmental factors are associated with insufficient sleep and sleep disorders. [8] A feng shui bedroom is just one of the many tools available in your toolbelt to help you create the ideal sleep environment!