The secret to sleeping better may not just come down to having a comfortable mattress (although don’t get us wrong, that’s still mighty important). A little Feng Shui in the bedroom can go a long way to not only help you rest better, but to draw the right energy into your home and affect positive change in your life. And to show you how, we’ve partnered with Feng Shui expert Amanda Gibby Peters for some practical tips that’ll help turn your bedroom into a true sanctuary.
Meet Amanda
Amanda Gibby Peters has been practicing and teaching the principles of Feng Shui for more than a decade. Her specialty? Small and simple changes that make a BIG impact.
What exactly is Feng Shui?
Many of us associate Feng Shui with the way you arrange furniture in a room. But it’s so much more. Amanda puts it best. “The literal translation of Feng Shui is WIND and WATER. Feng is ‘wind’ – and wind represents energy. Shui is ‘water’ – and water symbolizes fortune. Feng Shui is a wisdom and practice that aligns YOU with the energy of fortune.”
And let’s be clear, fortune isn’t just money. According to Amanda, fortune represents “everything that makes you fall in love with life. So this might include having a supportive family or thriving social network, doing work you love and sensing you’re making a difference in the world, knowing you and your loved ones are healthy and safe, or living a purposeful life and having a passion for it. Bringing your space and your life into alignment with any of that energy is Feng Shui.”
Why should you use Feng Shui in your bedroom?
The bedroom is the place that should reflect and prioritize YOU more than any other room in the house. In Amanda’s words, “the bedroom is a sacred sanctuary – a place devoted to our comfort and vulnerability. It’s where we sleep, bare our bodies sensually, and return ourselves to equilibrium.” By making the bedroom a priority, you make yourself, your comfort, and your well-being a priority.
Start with your bed
Since the bedroom is synonymous with comfort and rest, Amanda says your bed should be “the star attraction, inspiring its own kind of wonderful.” She also recommends you give your bed the power position, or in other words, placement that allows you to see the doorway without directly facing it. Amanda notes that putting your bed against a wall with a door will limit your view and “breed anxious feelings of not knowing what’s around the corner”. Ideally, it should go against a wall with no doors or windows, but if you must position it next to windows, ensure they’re not above the bed.
The power position may look different depending on the size and shape of your room and your bed size. Here are a few examples of bedroom layout ideas that’ll help you reposition the bed according to your situation:
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The bed is placed along the same wall as the doorway.
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The bed is repositioned against a different wall, with a view of (but not in direct alignment with) the doorway.
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The bed is aligned directly facing the doorway.
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The bed is repositioned so the doorway is in view but not directly facing the foot of the bed.
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A twin bed is placed against the same wall as the doorway.
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With a smaller bed, more positions are possible. One option is to simply move it further away from the wall so the doorway is more visible. The angle of the bed can also be changed as desired, as long as it doesn’t directly face, block, or share a wall with the doorway.
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Two twin beds sit in a room with one against the wall with the doorway.
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The two beds are turned and positioned on the back wall, where each has a clear view of the doorway but neither is directly aligned with it.
What else can you do to optimize your bedroom’s Feng Shui?
Although the bed is a mighty important player in the Feng Shui of a bedroom, there are a few other tricks you can implement to make sure you’re attracting the right energy.
1. Clear the clutter
Clearing up anything that’s in the way will help open up opportunities we may be missing in our lives. We love the way Amanda puts it. “Luxury is about what we can afford to let go of, and there is plenty of wiggle room for editing out clutter and chaos in most bedrooms. When a space feels cramped, we leave ourselves little room for new ideas. And over-stimulation from too much stuff frays our nerves.”
Photo: @emm_interiors
2. Replace or fix anything broken
Anything that’s not functioning quite right represents a “hang-up” in life. This could mean fixing a broken bookshelf, greasing up a squeaky door, or replacing burnt-out lightbulbs.
3. Open the windows each day
Even if only for a few minutes at a time, opening your windows each day will allow refreshed energy in and carry stale chi out.
4. Add fresh flowers or live plants
A bit of greenery or fresh flowers in your space is never a bad idea. Just replace them once they die. “Anything living in your space, as long as it is thriving, brings in a natural enthusiasm and vitality,” Amanda explains.
Photo: @mojisstyle
5. Stimulate all five senses
In any room, always try to appeal to the five senses. Amanda paints a picture of what this might look like. “Imagine a soft blanket in reach (touch), a scented candle burning (smell), a gorgeous bouquet of flowers (sight), a song you love playing softly (sound), and a cool drink close by (taste). When all 5 senses are heightened, our nervous systems feel nourished and relax more fully.”
Photo: @latishatankard
6. Create some open space
Don’t feel like you need to fill up every bit of available space with furniture or decorative elements. If you’re not getting what you want out of life, Amanda advises creating a bit of open space so the things you want will have a “place to land”.
Photo: @sarahmattix
7. Avoid overstimulation
Certain objects, like plants, mirrors, or crystals, can enhance the chi (or “energy of life” in Chinese tradition) in a space. Overload on these, and you might feel overly exhausted. “When we keep the chi active 24/7, we have a hard time settling down,” Amanda says. In a bedroom especially, it’s important to be selective with these types of objects.
8. Keep your layout simple
Less is more in the bedroom. Amanda recommends the following:
- A good bed and quality mattress
- Satisfying sheets and linens
- A couple lighting options
- A pair of bedside tables
- A dresser or armoire
- If space allows, seating that creates a personal place for lounging
Photo: @keepingit.kara
9. Incorporate a solid headboard
Amanda notes that “headboards symbolize support in our lives”. So choose a bed with a headboard, preferably a solid one.
Photo: @ourhighlandshome
10. Layer with light
Amanda recommends using different types of light within the bedroom to accommodate any kind of mood. In addition to your bedside lamp or overhead lights, incorporate other forms like string lights, candles, or a night light.
Photo: @myhouseof8
11. When it’s time for sleep, make it dark
While lights are great for setting the mood, make sure you can snuff out all of them when it’s time to sleep. Our bodies will naturally produce melatonin when the sun goes down, signaling us to slumber. A dark and quiet room will help this process along. So invest in room darkening shades, a sleep mask, or earplugs if you must. Plus, as Amanda puts it, “an undiluted room will quickly become a favorite feeling, lulling you into deep and drowsy slumbers.”
12. Let love rule
Perhaps our favorite piece of advice from Amanda is to make your bedroom luxurious by your own definition of the word (and no one else’s). This doesn’t necessarily mean having expensive sheets or ornate decor. She encourages “drenching your sacred space with beauty the way you see it, “ and insists that “when we choose to love our bedroom, it makes an irrepressible statement that we prioritize our own well-being.”
