4 items to never store under the bed, according to Feng Shui experts – 'they can be detrimental to your sleep!'

Storing anything under your bed is generally frowned upon in Feng Shui. That's because clutter interrupts the flow of energy or qi in the room, negatively affecting sleep. While certain items can make you restless, others can lead to anxiety or even overstimulate you, all preventing your drifting off at night.

If you want to keep your underbed storage, these experts in bedroom Feng Shui ideas know exactly what you should and shouldn't store if you want to improve your sleep habits. Here's what they had to say. 

1. Exercise equipment

(Image credit: Yiqing Gao. Studio credit Offhand Practice)

While you may be aware of the Feng Shui headboards, it's important to know that there are plenty of things to avoid under the bed too. First and foremost is anything that stimulates you and makes you feel active. When you're trying to unwind, the sight of dumbbell sets or a yoga mat could hinder sleep. Keep these in a separate room or inside a cabinet in your bedroom.

'I have seen many interesting things stored under beds and I would say overall you should not store items that hold a lot of active energy,' says Laura Morris, a Feng Shui educator and co-founder of Mindful Design Feng Shui School. 'For example, exercise equipment or old crutches should be kept away.'

2. Letters

(Image credit: Swatt Miers Architects. Studio credit Russell Abraham)

Similarly, keeping things that have emotional or sentimental value should be avoided. 'Do not store letters and documents under the bed; anything that is part of your past that you are trying to move on from.'

To ensure you have a relaxing bedroom, keep the old memorabilia out of this space. This can keep you stuck in the past, and hamper the flow of qi. It’s one thing to take a trip down memory lane occasionally but sleeping above old memories every night is another thing.

3. Books

(Image credit: Chicago Studio)

Another big no-no for under bed storage is books.

'Avoid storing books under the bed,' says Feng Shui consultant Anjie Cho. 'These can be very stimulating and can keep you awake. Night is not the best time to be absorbing that kind of intellectual energy when you are sleeping; you want to absorb it when you are in a more conscious and awake state.'

Storing novels, especially ones you are currently reading, under your bed can keep your brain in overdrive. Instead, move all the paperbacks to the living room or office.

4. Clutter

(Image credit: Mitchell Kemp. Studio credit Type Architecture)

'In general, it's a good idea to avoid any type of clutter under the bed,' says Anjie. 'Don't keep things that are collecting dust. This will indicate that there is a lot of neglect in your life. Clutter leads to stale energy, and this is what you will be cultivating when you are resting. Ideally, you should be rejuvenating and supporting your health. When you are sleeping, you are in a passive state and are absorbing all of the qi around you. This is not a place for stagnant energy.'

Consider bedroom organizers to manage the clutter underneath, and purge items that you have no use of. Try to keep the area under the bed clean, and empty so that there is a good, healthy flow of energy in your room, at all times.

What can you store under the bed?

(Image credit: Gustave Carlson Design)

If yours is a small or studio bedroom and you do not have enough space to store things, there are a few items you could place under the bed.

'Bedding, seasonal clothing (storing your winter clothes there during the summer), towels, and overall neutral items that you do not have an emotional attachment to are still okay to store under the bed,' says Laura.

Are storage beds okay in Feng Shui?

Talking about storage beds, while these may seem handy, it is important to know if this bed design works for Feng Shui.

'Ideally, platform beds with storage or drawers aren't ideal as per Feng Shui,' says Anjie. 'You want to find a bed that has space underneath it. Beds that extend to the ground with no space under them are not the best. That's because you need qi to flow around you, supporting and replenishing you as you sleep. Perhaps consider beds with legs. Also, a mattress on the floor may be fine if you're always moving around or live in a studio, but ideally, you want a bed where qi can flow under it.'

3 bedroom storage ideas to keep all clutter at bay