Did you know that feng shui can play an important role in helping your child to sleep better at night? This ancient system works with chi, invisible energy flows which promote happiness and well being. If the chi is obstructed or interfered with in your kid’s bedroom, they’ll be unable to sleep well – but there are easy ways you can promote better feng shui.
Banish the Clutter
Clutter is the number one chi blocker in a child’s room. Too many toys, gadgets, stuffed animals or dolls – all of these things collect dust, but they also hamper the free flow of chi energy around the room. The single most important thing you can do to help your child sleep better is to clear up the mess and implement a sensible organisation system.
Look into clever storage solutions and space saving ideas, such as a cabin bed with cupboards and drawers. Shelves are not ideal, as the clutter is still on display, but big plastic tubs or a screened off corner are good for hiding away items which are a distraction when your kid is trying to sleep.
Get the Bed Right
Children need to be able to see the door when they’re in bed. Not only does this make them feel safer and more secure, but it’s also good feng shui. Don’t put the head of the bed directly under a window, or on a wall where there is plumbing and try not to have the foot of the bed pointing out of the door (sideways on to the door is always preferable).
Wooden beds are the best feng shui solutions and the bed should be solid feeling to “earth” your child to the ground. Sturdy sleigh type beds are good feng shui, as are kids cabin beds, which also help the chi flow by raising your child up higher from the floor. If you have to position the bed underneath a heavy beam, try making a gauze canopy above the bed to soften the chi.
Mindful Decor
Bright, vibrant colours might look lovely in a child’s bedroom, but these are call to action colours which are unhelpful for sleep. Pastel shades are restful and soothing and are appropriate feng shui colours for a bedroom, as are lemon and lime or muted earthy tones.
Avoid decor which stimulates the imagination too much. That racing car design is fabulous during the day, but an enemy of sleep at night. Along the same lines, choose a duvet design which is either plain or has a soothing motif (of nature, perhaps). Bringing more of nature into the room is always good feng shui and it’s important to have a free flow of fresh air, so make sure you air the room well, even in winter and open the windows regularly.
For artwork, display your child’s own work. Remove any mirrors in the room if you can, or cover them at night – mirrors are chi energisers and will stimulate rather than calm your child.
Rotate Toys
Most children’s bedrooms simply have too much “stuff” in them, but you can improve the feng shui and clear some clutter at the same time by implementing a toy rotation system.
Simply remove a third or so of the toys which haven’t been played with for a couple of months. When they return in a few months time, your child will have new enthusiasm for them and this in turn will boost the flow of chi during the day time, helping to ensure a restful night’s sleep.
Promote Good Study Habits
If at all possible, give your child a dedicated study area within their room, preferably in the north-eastern corner. Try to make space also for a small display of certificates, badges, trophies or other achievement markers on the south wall. This, together with a happy photo of you as parents, will increase the educational chi and promote good study habits, no matter how young your child.
Although it’s a mystical art, much of feng shui is good common sense too. Take a critical look at your child’s room with fresh eyes and see what you can do to help promote the flow of chi, and to remove any obstacles to sleep.
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Guest post by Aspenn Furniture – Expert furniture makers based in Yorkshire with a passion for design.