8 Things Not to Have Around Your Bed When Trying to Sleep

Sleep is necessary and plays a very important part in your life. A serene environment is essential to ensure a restful night’s sleep. Currently, it is found that most people are habitually placing electronic and personal items on and around their beds for convenience. Few realize that some of these harm your health. It is wise to note which things you habitually place around your bed that may be having a negative effect on the environment and harming your overall health.

8 items that should not be around your bed

1. Items that generate electromagnetic waves

Items such as cell phones, computers, chargers, and other products that emit electromagnetic waves shouldn’t be placed next to your bed or close to your body while sleeping. Electromagnetic waves can damage the brain, resulting in dizziness, headache, and poor sleep quality. Equally, for some people, these can damage their kidneys and cause irritability and emotional instability.

Avoid placing any electrical appliances on or near your bed. Even if these appliances are relatively small, their radiation levels are not necessarily low, such as radios and small units to kill mosquitos. It is best to place them in the corner away from the bed, and the power strip should ideally be at least 6.5 feet away from the head of your bed so as not to affect your health.

2. Alarm clocks

The alarm clock has become an indispensable device for getting people to wake up at a certain set time. However, being startled awake may lead to some people developing, over time, chronic stress and problems with high blood pressure, depression, plus poor sleep quality. An alarm clock is best placed 6 feet or more away from the head of the bed.

3. Green plants

Green plants can relieve stress, purify the air, and increase oxygen content; but during the night, green plants will actually inhale oxygen and emit carbon dioxide, so it is imperative for the room to have a fresh airflow from an open window. Failing this, an oversupply of carbon dioxide will lead to people feeling dizzy and experiencing difficulty entering into a deep sleep.

Also, any stagnant water sitting in the pot can aid in breeding insects, bacteria, and molds that might be hidden in the soil. This may cause respiratory diseases to develop. If you must have green plants for decoration, utilize a small number of plants that don’t need much water, such as lucky bamboo or any cacti.

4. Plush toys

Plush toys, such as dolls and stuffed animals, placed on your bed can collect dust and breed bacteria. Some plush toys are filled with harmful chemical fibers that can easily lead to watery eyes or redness of the skin, and they may even cause respiratory and skin infections. It is recommended not to place any plush toys in children’s bedrooms and avoid the habit of allowing children to hold them during sleep.

5. Fish tanks

Placing a fish tank or aquarium at the head of your bed is not suitable. The high humidity of the fish tank or aquarium can easily grow bacteria in the whole bedroom.

6. Perfume

Some people are accustomed to keeping perfume bottles on their bedside tables for a long time because of convenience. However, if the perfume is of poor quality, long-term inhalation of chemical substances may damage the nasal mucosa and lead to endocrine disorders. This may even cause cancer.

7. Snacks

For some people, it is a very enjoyable pastime to eat snacks while watching television in bed. Eating in bed will leave behind fine crumbs, which allow bacteria and mold to grow. Constant snacking can also lead to weight gain and adversely affect your health.

8. Excessive pillows 

Some people like to pile many pillows above their heads when sleeping. The most suitable pillow height is around 4 inches. If a number of pillows are stacked together, their height will be excessive, thus leading to neck and breathing problems. These pillows may also harbor and hide pathogenic microorganisms, dust, and mites, which can induce bronchial problems.

Beware of the many convenient things that you use in your bedroom. They might not be your best health-promoting friends!

Translated by Patty Zhang

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