How To Create An Effective and Useful Nightstand

An effective and useful nightstand can be a great tool to help us consolidate the supplies we might need right before bed or in the middle of the night. I have a practical, personal, and pretty nightstand that works well for me.  I have the right things at my fingertips if I need something in the dark.

 What is it about being an adult and waking up in the middle of the night? I remember a time, very long ago, when I used to be able to sleep peacefully through the night. Then, I grew up, and with that came the nighttime wake-ups.

I have a nightstand with one drawer in my bedroom. It is just the right size to hold the important things that I might need in the middle of the night. I keep this table stocked with a few important things that I might need in the middle of the night.

I’m going to share what I keep on my nightstand and in my drawer that help me prepare myself for a restful night of sleep. Sometimes, being prepared for sleep is half the battle!

Practical:

Some of the things on my nightstand are there for practical purposes. These are useful items that help me solve problems before bed or in the middle of the night.

• Lamp- With a Dimmer: My bedside lamp is equipped with a smart bulb. I can adjust the brightness by using my phone or asking my HomePod to turn the lamp on. If I need to get up in the middle of the night, having a dim light will help me not trip and fall.
• Chargers For My Devices: I charge my iPhone and my AppleWatch my nightstand. I have read the studies that recommend charging these items outside your bedroom. But, that doesn’t work for me. My iPhone is my only phone, so I need to have access to it at arm’s length in the middle of the night. All of my devices go into Do Not Disturb mode about 15 minutes before my regular bedtime, so I don’t need to worry about whether I’m going to be woken up by a social media notification at 2 in the morning.
• Apple Watch Bands: Since I charge my AppleWatch on my bedside table, it makes sense to have these bands available when I put my watch on in the morning. I keep them in my drawer so that I can change bands in the morning as I take my watch out of the charger.
• Water Bottle: I always have a water bottle on a coaster next to my bed. I can wake up thirsty in the middle of the night, and then I would need to go downstairs to get a drink. By keeping a sealed, reusable water bottle next to my bed, I can grab a quick sip and go right back to sleep. I make sure that the bottle I use is one that seals reliably because I have all of my devices charging next to me! I wouldn’t want to knock my water over and wreck my technology.
• Tissue Box: Sometimes I wake up and just need to blow my nose. I do not want to be getting up to go find a Kleenex in the bathroom. So, I keep a box of Kleenex on a corner of my bedside table. If I have a cold and I know that I’m going to be blowing my nose a lot, I will pull the box closer to me so that I don’t need to reach quite so far for it. If I do end up blowing my nose in the middle of the night, I will put the Kleenex in the drawer so that my beagle can’t grab it and chew it up in the middle of the night.
• Glasses: I am very nearsighted, and I need my glasses to see everything. In fact, I am so nearsighted that in college, I lost my glasses somewhere in my dorm room, and I needed to put my contacts on to find my glasses. I learned my lesson that time. My glasses always live on the top of my nightstand. I know that I should put them in a case every night to keep them clean. But I don’t. I need to be able to grab them quickly for safety purposes, so they stay out on my nightstand, ready for me.
• Extra Blanket: I keep an extra blanket folded up under my nightstand. There are times I wake up, and I am freezing. It’s usually on nights that we have the windows open and are running the whole house fan. It is beneficial to have the blanket available if I needed it.
• Various Remotes: I keep our fan remote and the electric heater remote in the drawer. When I need them, they are easy to find.
• Flashlight: Actually, I don’t have this item in my nightstand yet, but I realized that it would be best if I put one there so that if the power goes off, I have light available.

Personal:

These are more personal items I keep close to my bed or in the drawer. Some of these items are not things I would like my kids to go through, so I have made sure that I communicate to them that my nightstand drawer isn’t a place they should look for things in.

• Ear Plugs: I’m never sure when I will need earplugs at night. Most of the time, our neighborhood is quiet, and I can sleep without them. But sometimes, I need a little help blocking sounds out. Having a pair of earplugs ready is really helpful.
• Lip Balm and Hand Lotion: There is not a lot of humidity where I live, so these items are important. I try to put these both on before I head to sleep each night.
• Eye Mask: This is the newest item in my drawer. I have found that light can be disruptive if I am the first person to go to sleep. I like to leave a nightlight on for my husband so that it’s not dark when he comes to bed. But, that light would be just enough to disrupt my sleep. I just purchased one, and it is great.
• Pen and a Journal: Sometimes I need to write before I go to bed, and I want to use a traditional pen and paper. I make sure that I keep my journal next to my bed so that if I need to jot something down, I don’t need to hunt for a pen.
• Intimacy Supplies: These are good to keep in the nightstand drawer, perhaps towards the back, or in an area near the bed. Some items to consider including might be birth control, lubricant, and small washcloths or towels. I have my lubricant lying down in my drawer inside a plastic drawer divider so that it doesn’t spill.

Pretty

It is so nice to have an organized yet pretty nightstand. I don’t have many decorations on my nightstand, but a few pretty accents can add a nice touch.

• Flowers: I just love flowers. Before covid, I started buying fresh flowers at my local grocery store every other week. They would add a lovely scent and color to the home. Right now, I am not going out shopping, so I have a display of silk flowers on my nightstand.
• Mirrored Tray: This is a lovely tray that can hold my water bottle in a pinch or just add a nice sparkle to the table.
• Photo: For many years, I kept a romantic photo of my husband and I on the nightstand.  It was lovely to look at and made me smile!  I ran out of room on my current nightstand, so I don’t keep it there anymore.  But, I do have photos of us from our Paris trip on the walls of our bedroom. 

As you think about your nightstand, I would encourage you to think about how you can design a space that will be helpful for you in the middle of the night. Create a nightstand that is practical, personal, and pretty just for you.