How to Feng Shui Your Bedroom to Improve Sleep

Your bedroom should be a sanctuary where you can rest, recharge, and refuel for the next day. It might sound odd, but if you have trouble sleeping or just never feel well-rested, simply redecorating your bedroom feng-shui style could help.

The literal translation of feng shui is “wind water.” This ancient Chinese Tao philosophy is all about bringing the outside world into your living and work spaces. The technique has been used for centuries to create a sense of balance and promote good health, wealth, and prosperity.

Feng shui has three essential principles through which it reflects nature. Let’s explore how you can adopt each of these in your bedroom.

The Commanding Position

The commanding position is the spot in the room that’s farthest from the door, but not directly aligned with it. So, it would be diagonal from the door, but in clear sight of it. This is where you would spend the majority of your time in that particular room.

In the bedroom, your bed and nightstand(s) should be in the commanding position. According to Chinese philosophy, this position provides a feeling of safety and protection while you’re asleep.

However, try to avoid placing your bed directly under a window, as it will then lack the support and protection of the wall.

Also, stay away from pitched ceilings and avoid overhead fans as they have a “depressing energy” that works downward on you while you sleep. The point is to have as much open space above you, as possible so you can breathe and rest easy.

The Feng Shui Bagua Map

Literally translated as “eight areas,” bagua is the feng shui energy map of your home’s floorplan. It shows you how to design your rooms and where to put certain things to achieve optimal results.

Each of the eight areas represents the following life circumstances:

• Wealth and Prosperity
• Fame and reputation
• Love and relationships
• Family and co-workers
• Children and creativity
• Skills and knowledge
• Career and life path
• Travel and helpful people

The center (health and mission) represents you, and your overall health and wellness. The key is to have all eight areas in balance so you can get the most out of each one.

It’s impossible (and impractical) to work on all of these areas at once. The best way to incorporate bagua into your life is to focus on one to three main areas you need the most help with.

Depending on your choices, you can then incorporate some of that area’s main characteristics. For example, if one of your chosen areas is children and creativity, incorporate a white and metallic circular shape into the part of your home that represents children.

If your chosen area is wealth, you would want to have a purple, wooden rectangular piece of furniture in the part of the house that represents wealth.

You can explore the full list to create your floor plan and experiment with options. Just toss one of these throw pillows on the bed whenever you need a reminder of the areas.

The Five Elements

Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are the famous five elements in Taoist philosophy. According to the principles of feng shui, when they’re all in balance, you’ll be able to reach optimal health and wellness in all bagua areas.

Just like the bagua areas, you choose one to three of the elements to focus on and strengthen a room’s energy by adding the suggested colors or shapes.

If your bedroom represents health and wellness on your bagua map, it’s connected to the Earth element. This means you would want to incorporate earthy tones and vibes in that room.

If, on the other hand, your bedroom falls under the career area, it’s connected to the element of water element, so you would want to incorporate some black, wavy items, and avoid straight lines to promote a healthy flow.

Let’s look at all of the elements, their characteristics, and some items you could add to promote each.

Water

For water, look for things that symbolize how it moves and flows:

• Qualities: Downward, flowing, shifting.
• Shape: Wavy, curvy.
• Colors: Black.
• Season: Winter.
• Area: Career.

Any black elements, like this canvas art from SOUGUAN, would be perfect.

Wood

Think trees and forests when decorating your family or wealth areas with wood:

• Qualities: Expansive, vitality, upward
• Shape: Columnar, rectangular
• Colors: Green, blue
• Season: Spring
• Areas: Family, wealth

These sweet tabletop jade trees would look adorable on a bedside table or dresser.

Fire

While red isn’t the most relaxing color for a bedroom, think warm-colored accessories, not a fire-engine red comforter. These wooden candle holders, for example, are a good option that isn’t too overpowering.

Here’s what to keep in mind when decorating your bedroom for fame and fire:

• Qualities: Passion, illuminating, brilliant
• Shape: Triangle, pointy
• Colors: Red
• Season: Summer
• Area: Fame

Metal

Metal is one of the easiest elements to incorporate as so many things are made of it, from beds and wall art, to candle holders and other décor.

Follow this guide when making your metal selections:

• Qualities: Efficient, precise, beauty
• Shape: Circular, spherical
• Colors: White, metallics
• Season: Autumn
• Areas: Helpful people, children

If you’re on the market for a new bed, this white metal Bushwick option from Novogratz would be ideal.

Earth

If you like browns and beiges, with a little yellow or orange for warmth, then you’ll love decorating your bedroom with the earth element.

While you shop, look for items that fit the following:

• Qualities: Grounded, self-care, stable
• Shape: Flat, square
• Colors: Brown, orange, yellow
• Season: Transitions between the seasons
• Areas: Health, knowledge, partnerships

This old-fashioned quilt set from Madison Park encapsulates earth tones perfectly.

How to Feng Shui Your Bedroom

Now that you’ve learned all about the basic principles of feng shui, it’s time to focus on your bedroom and turn it into an oasis. No matter which area and element you select, you should still design the room to suit your personal taste.

First and foremost, the position of your bed is extremely important. As we mentioned previously, try to place it in the command position, diagonal from the door, and avoid windows and lowered ceilings.

If that’s not possible, you can only do your best with what you have to work with. As long as you don’t break all of the aforementioned feng shui rules, that’s fine.

Second, depending on which bagua area(s) you want to work on most, arrange your map so that at least one of these falls in your bedroom.

Finally, play with your bagua’s elements and colors and incorporate the shapes and materials connected to it.

An Extra Feng Shui Touch

Now, especially for the bedroom, you’ll want to use calmer colors and tones. Lighter colors and pastels will work best for the calming, restful energy you’re trying to bring into your bedroom.

Avoid any sharp lines or corners in your bedroom furniture, as these can have a “pointy” energy and create a “sharp” environment. In feng shui, the energy should constantly flow from one area to another, rather than being directed at one place.

Declutter your space and make it a no-technology zone, so it will be free of all distractions and energy obstacles. This is the space where you need to be stress-free and have your most intimate moments. It should allow your thoughts to flow freely, and, most importantly, encourage you to rest and relax.

Play with the lighting as well. To invite the outside in, make sure your bedroom gets plenty of daylight, but full darkness at night.

If you live in an area where getting your bedroom pitch black is hard to do, get some blackout blinds, like these from Achim Home Furnishings. They can go a long way toward helping you improve your sleep habits.

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Feng shui has been around for over 3,000 years, and yet we’re still finding new ways to incorporate it into our homes. If you give these basic principles a try in the bedroom, not only will you love the simplistic beauty of the décor, but you’ll also soon be sleeping like a baby.