World Sleep Day: These 5 cleaning tips will help you sleep better at night

A woman holds a pillow to her ears because she's frustrated at being unable to sleep
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Our bedroom is the one room in the home that's our peaceful sanctuary, where we can relax and unwind at the end of the day. However, a dirty or cluttered room can disrupt the quality of our sleep, making it hard to relax. 

Whenever we find it difficult to sleep, we tend to splash out on the best mattress, the best pillows or a snuggly comforter for a more cozy slumber. Another answer lies in the state of your bedroom, and in some quick cleaning habits you can use to ensure you sleep better. 

What’s more, if you don’t keep bedrooms spotless, you’ll have to contend with all sorts of germs, dustmites, allergies or even bedbugs. In which case, you’ll need to know how to get rid of bedbugs and how to tell if you have them. In the meantime, follow our top cleaning tips that will help you sleep easy at bedtime. 

If you're still having trouble sleeping, check out 5 plants that could help you sleep better too. 

1. Clear out the clutter  

Organized items in bedroom

Organized items in bedroom (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Not only can clutter be the perfect dust-traps and collect grime, but can create anxiety. In fact, going to bed in a cluttered and stressful environment can increase your cortisol levels, making it more difficult to fall and stay asleep. What’s more, trying to find anything amongst the piles of stuff will likely add to the day’s stress. 

Start by decluttering your bedroom, and getting rid of anything that you don’t need. You can follow our guide on how to declutter your home in just five easy steps. Plus, organize your bedroom storage to make it easier to manage and sort through.  You’ll find that a clutter-free, airy and more organized room will make all the difference. 

2. Clean your bedsheets often  

Woman changing bedding

Woman changing bedding (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Health experts suggest cleaning your bedsheets regularly can help you sleep better. In fact, we should be doing this 12 or 13 days for the best chance of sleeping soundly. According to Sleep Junkie, there is a direct link between people washing bedsheets often and the quality of their sleep. What’s more, we spend our time sweating, tossing and turning in our beds so we need to ensure it stays as clean and hygienic as possible. 

You’ll also benefit from knowing how to wash a pillow properly before it starts to turn yellow. In addition, you should learn how to clean your mattress and remove stains every six months or so. Not only will this get rid of dustmites, dirt or nasty odors, but will improve your health and sleep routines.  

3. Clean your bedroom from top to bottom 

Cleaning ceiling light

Cleaning ceiling light (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Although we might think we’re experts on how to clean every room in the house, you might be doing it in the wrong order. Always start from the top surfaces and work your way down to the floors and skirtings. 

First, tackle those pesky cobwebs or dust from the ceiling or light fixtures before working on the headboards, window frames or blinds, tables, dressers or any other furniture. Then you can get to cleaning your floors and baseboards with the best vacuum cleaners or better still the best robot vacuums

In addition, don’t forget those hidden spots like under or behind the bed, and in any corners where dustballs are bound to be lurking.  Cleaning often will also improve the air quality, especially if you suffer from allergies, and help you sleep better.  

4. Deep clean your carpet/flooring 

Deep cleaning carpet in bedroom

Deep cleaning carpet in bedroom (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Your floor picks up a lot of traffic and dust over time. If your bedroom is carpeted, you should rent a steaming machine or book a service to come to your home to shampoo and deep clean your carpet. Before you do, make sure you open all windows and ensure good ventilation to allow the carpet to dry properly and get rid of any fumes from the cleaning process. For hardwood floors, check out our useful guide on how to clean hardwood floors without damaging them

5. Open your windows and door 

Woman opening a window

Woman opening a window (Image credit: Shutterstock)

It may seem simple enough, but regularly opening your windows or door to allow fresh air can improve your sleep. This helps to improve ventilation and air quality in your bedroom, and reduce carbon dioxide accumulation. Which is also beneficial if you suffer from various allergies that cause congestion, sneezing, or wheezing at night. In any case, you may want to look into the best air purifiers to help improve the air quality in your bedroom.  

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DISCLAIMER

The orange Nolah Sleep logo on a white background

(Image credit: Nolah)

Tom's Guide created this content as part of a paid partnership with Nolah Sleep. The contents of this article are entirely independent and solely reflect the editorial opinion of Tom's Guide.


This article is part of Tom’s Guide’s Sleep Awareness Week 2022 celebration, running until Saturday 19 March. Stay tuned for plenty of sleep tips, advice and expert-rated products to help you sleep better this year.

Cynthia Lawrence
Content Editor, Homes

As the Homes Content Editor, Cynthia Lawrence covers all things homes, interior decorating, and garden-related. She has a wealth of editorial experience testing the latest, ‘must-have’ home appliances, writing buying guides and the handy ‘how to’ features. 


Her work has been published in various titles including, T3, Top Ten Reviews, Ideal Home, Real Homes, Livingetc. and House Beautiful, amongst many.


With a rather unhealthy obsession for all things homes and interiors, she also has an interior design blog for style inspiration and savvy storage solutions (get rid of that clutter!). When she’s not testing cool products, she’ll be searching online for more decor ideas to spruce up her family home or looking for a great bargain!