Are You Sleeping...Well? Part Two

At the close of last week's Elemenza Simply Feng Shui article, I posed a question ...

You can have only one book on your night stand, your sheets can be a solid, soothing color, your art can be gentle in feeling and few in number ... and you can still have trouble sleeping. Can you guess the reason?

The responses were most interesting. All of them correct -- at least to some degree -- and none of them the reason in my mind. Conclusion: the respondees are not mind-readers!!

Vikrant from Mumbai, India: "When a person sleeps with his/her head facing the wrong direction. [Insomnia] becomes a friend for life! Overhead beams can also create problems."

Compass direction of one's head or the front door, for that matter, are big issues in Compass Feng Shui. Using Five Element Feng Shui, Intuitive Feng Shui, Interior Alignment Feng Shui, or any of the other systems I use, compass direction is not significant.

If the head of your bed is in direct line with your bath basin or your bed wall shares the wall with a plumbing wall, that can cause nasal congestion which affects how deeply you sleep.

Beams overhead can be oppressive -- but not necessarily. Beams in high ceilings don't have much affect on sleep. Depending on where they are, though, they can cause division between bed partners.

Rebecca's reference to unwelcomed light creeping in can certainly affect sleeping -- the easiest fix is having a sleep mask handy. Don't leave home without one! While you can usually drape or otherwise cover windows in your own home, and hotels generally have blackout drapes, family and friends' guest accommodations may not be "Vegas" dark.

Karen's early morning gardeners and blowers can certainly disturb your sleep. Again, the easy fix is having earplugs handy. Don't leave home without them, either!!

"A mirror facing the bed," as Fawn comments, can disturb your sleep. It is an energy activator. Of course, that's just one good reason to get rid of the mirror that often comes with a wide dresser. Stimulating infidelity is another!!

Other energy activators are faceted crystals like the one in the photo. It lived very briefly in my bedroom, hanging from the ceiling fan. I thought, since the crystal was blue, a water color, that it would help my sleep. Of course, after three nights of tossing and turning, I realized it was better placed in my office. There, it stimulates my awake brain in good way!


The reason for insomnia in otherwise sleep friendly bedrooms that I see most often is a circumstance I call "The Princess and the Pea Sleep Deprivation Issue." What stuff have you got under your bed? Energetically, you're sleeping on all that stuff. It's lumpy, often hazardous, and anything but energetically serene!

One client stored art she didn't like that came with the house when she bought it. The art was framed covered with glass. Very hazardous to sleep on! Plus, why keep art anywhere in your home that you don't like!

When I see bedrooms that have sleep deprivation issues, I don't automatically assume that it is disturbing the owner's sleep. When asked, though, it is seldom that the answer is "I sleep like a rock."

Personally, I'd rather sleep like a kitty!
What's under YOUR bed, now? Fess up! I'm sure, now that you know it is affecting your sleep, all that stuff will soon be elsewhere -- or gone!