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A well-organized nightstand makes for easier evenings, better sleep, and less-stressful mornings. Learn how to organize your nightstand in 4 simple steps!
We all have essentials when we sleep. However, bedside tables can get cluttered fast! Today, I’m sharing 4 quick tips to beat clutter on your nightstand.
A cluttered, busy nightstand puts you in a stressed state of mind just before bed. It makes it more difficult for you to find things you need in the middle of the night (lip balm is a huge one for me!). And a cluttered nightstand probably makes you feel stressed and frazzled before work in the morning, too.
It’s time to stop with the nighttime stress and morning frazzles. Let’s get your nightstand decluttered!
How to Declutter and Organize Your Nightstand
So many nightstands or bedside tables contain lots of extra stuff. They sometimes end up being a convenient place to stash odds and ends! However, your bedroom will feel tidier if you eliminate clutter and organize your nightstand with essentials that will make bedtime easier.
Here are 4 easy tips for how to organize your nightstand!
Eliminate Items You’re No Longer Using
Your bedside table might be storing a few things you don’t really need. For example:
- Books you’re no longer reading
- Old prescription glasses
- Empty lotion bottles, empty medication bottles
- Jewelry you don’t wear frequently
Nightstands and bedside tables have limited space, so it’s important to remove items that don’t serve a purpose for you when you’re in or near your bed. As a result, your nightstand will look less cluttered (which can help reduce your stress), and you’ll have more room for your bedtime essentials.
Be sure to declutter regularly going forward. If your bedroom needs to be cleaned, you can check out my post on how to deep clean your bedroom!
Group Items in Containers to Reduce Clutter
One of the biggest sources of bedside clutter is a lack of planning how items will be stored. By introducing a few strategic organizing containers and using drawers and shelves strategically, you can eliminate clutter for good.
Here are a few organizing containers that could help reduce clutter:
- Charging station to organize devices
- Small dish to organize nighttime essentials like lotion and lip balm (I like small, segmented appetizer dishes for this; check the dishware section at Home Goods)
- Small dish to hold jewelry
- Small tray for books and glasses
Use Drawers and Shelves Strategically
Once items are grouped, you can decide how to use drawers and shelves. Some nightstands are large, with several drawers, while others are simple, with only a single drawer or shelf. Because of this, it’s important to use your space strategically in order to minimize clutter.
First, clear off as many items as possible from the top of your nightstand, only keeping items on top that you know you use daily. This will eliminate visual clutter, and ensure you have room for essentials.
Next, put away items that are simply stored rather than used every night. For example, you might not use facial tissues every night. As a result, you can put them in a drawer or on a shelf behind a décor piece.
You can also probably put your jewelry tray in a drawer, since you don’t take your jewelry on and off in the middle of the night. This will also prevent you from accidentally knocking it off of your nightstand in the dark, and losing your jewelry on the floor.
Store Smart Essentials
The items on your bedside table should definitely serve a purpose! Include anything you might need just before going to bed, if you wake up at night, and in the morning.
Here are some ideas:
- Device chargers (If you choose to have them nearby)
- Lotion (So you’ll remember to use it before bed)
- Lip balm (In case your lips become dry overnight)
- Flashlight (I have a combination flashlight/weather radio/crank USB charger for emergencies)
- Facial tissues
- Water carafe and tumbler (Also nice for guest rooms)
- Smart home device (I use our Amazon Echo Dot to turn lights on before getting out of bed)
- Bible or other religious text
- Journal
How to Declutter and Organize Your Nightstand: Conclusion
If clutter has piled up on your nightstand or bedside table, take action to whip it back into shape. The steps above might take you 15 minutes or less. As a result, your bedroom will look neater, you’ll have bedtime essentials at arm’s reach, and you might even sleep better. You’ll be so glad you decided to organize your nightstand! If you need to organize other areas of your home, check out my post on simple steps to organize any area of your house.
Want even more helpful cleaning and organizing tips for working women? Join the ShowMe Suburban community and learn simple habits and routines to keep your home clean and organized, so you can relax away from work without feeling the stress of a messy home. Sign up below!