Bedrooms should serve only two purposes: rest and romance. Unfortunately, in today’s high-tech, hectic world people are constantly multi-tasking, and so are their bedrooms. These days bedrooms not only house the bed, but more and more often are also home offices, exercise rooms, and TV rooms—it’s no wonder so many people have a hard time sleeping. The following tips will help you create a romantic, relaxing sanctuary.

1) Give your mind and body a break. Computers, desks, televisions, and exercise equipment just detract from the cozy, peaceful, romantic atmosphere you want to create in your bedroom. Imagine how hard it is to have a restful night’s sleep when you’re facing your desk piled with papers, bills and a computer just waiting to be used. Your desk is like a visual reminder of all the work that needs to be completed and bills that need to be paid. Or think about what it’s like to fall asleep looking at your Stairmaster.  Exercise equipment just reminds you of an exercise routine that needs to be started or that feeling that your body isn’t as good as you want it to be—which is not a good motivator for sex. If possible, move anything that does not support sleep or sex to another room. If due to a lack of space this is not possible, hide these objects when they’re not in use. Try concealing the TV in an armoire or closet, or covering it with a piece of fabric at night. Or hide exercise equipment or a desk behind a screen. In addition to having a very active energy, electronics generate electric and magnetic fields (EMFs), which may potentially cause health issues. Research about the negative health effects of EMFs is ongoing and not yet conclusive, but there is no doubt that the growing use of computers, cell phones, microwaves and other household appliances have significantly increased our exposure to EMFs. Sleeping is an excellent time to give your body a break from EMF exposure by removing as much electronic equipment, including TV’s Computer, cell phone chargers, and digital clocks, baby monitors, from the bedroom as possible. If they need to be in the room, place them as far from the bed as possible.

2) Encourage romance. To promote more romance in your life, decorate the bedroom with soothing, sensual colors, including skin tones, like beige and chocolate, or use shades of red, the color associated with passion, like burgundy and terracotta. Reserve bright colors, like a lipstick red, which may be too active for the bedroom and could potentially make sleep difficult, for accents like throws or pillows, but not walls or sheets. Add something to the room that says romance to you—such as candles, music or artwork.

3) Establish privacy. Try removing photographs of your friends, family and children from around the bed, or from the bedroom entirely. All those images of people and places you know are constantly reminding you of memories and relationships—they therefore have a very active energy. You can imagine having all those eyes staring at you while you’re in bed may make sleep or romance difficult. You don’t need to be reminded of your mother-in-law or even your children during a romantic moment with your spouse. If you like photos, hang a photograph of you and your partner that reminds you both of a happy, romantic moment that you shared together.

4) Create romantic harmony with side tables. Be sure that you have two side tables of approximately equal size. One side table, or side tables of substantially different sizes, creates a sense of inequality between partners. While one side table for a single man or woman may subconsciously indicate that your not ready to share your bed with anyone, so if you’re looking for love adding a second side table would be a great way set an intention for a new relationship.

5) Feel secure. Place your bed in the command position of the room. The Command Position, also known as the Power Position, is used to describe the place in a room or home where a person will feel the most protected and empowered. Make sure that both you and your partner have a view of the door, but that your feet are not pointed directly at the door, and that you have the support of a solid wall and headboard behind you.

6) Create a pleasing view. Whatever you see from your bed is the last thing you see at night and the first thing you see in the morning, so make sure you like what you see. For example, if you do have a view of a bathroom, keep the bathroom door closed at night. In Feng Shui, bathrooms are places where energy goes down and out the drains and can be a “drain” on your health. You may also want to enhance a plain view with artwork you find beautiful or inspirational.

7) Support your health. You will spend almost a third of your life asleep in bed, so make sure your bed is a healthy place. Next time you buy new bedding, consider replacing sheets and pillows made of synthetic materials with natural, organic bedding. If you don’t buy organic, buy natural materials like linen or cotton and avoid anything that says “permanent press, ” “wrinkle free,” or “stain repellants” because usually they are treated with chemicals like formaldehyde. You may also consider buying a natural, organic mattress made of wool or natural rubber and since mattresses also attract dust mites, which can trigger or inflame allergies and asthma, try sealing your mattress in an allergy cover made from natural materials.

Want to make your home relationship ready? Check out the post He’s Just Not That into Your Apartment on ShelterPop.

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