Issue link: https://nest.uberflip.com/i/1284887
on average 21 pounds more than those who put their cereal behind the closed door of their cabinet. Further, those who leave their fruit on the counter weigh 6 pounds less than those who hide it away. That's a strong argument for finding an attractive fruit bowl! Clutter also impacts your sleep habits. A peer-reviewed study in 2017 suggests that a clean and tidy bedroom, along with other habits that improve sleep hygiene (such as avoiding electronic devices before bedtime) increased sleep quality and contributed to fewer sleep related problems. An uncluttered bedroom leads to better sleep which is a contributor to improved health. Household clutter can also affect your breathing as various items that collect dust and can be difficult to clean which can in turn cause asthma to flare and impact those with dust mite allergies. Dark, cluttered, crowded or noisy indoor housing conditions are associated with increased early childhood asthma. Additionally, clutter increases stress which contributes to asthma risk, and other conditions including eczema. The interior condition of a home is a strong indicator of physical activity. Those with neater homes tend to be more physically active and therefore at a lower risk of heart disease. Of those who suffer from hoarding disorder (which ranks on the scale of mental health conditions), 78% are either overweight or obese and 64% suffer from a severe medical condition such as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. Visible household clutter is strongly associated with stress. Women in particular are more vulnerable as they tend to bear the greater burden of housecleaning and child rearing. You might be aware that the stress hormone, cortisol, peaks first thing in the morning. In healthy individuals with balanced lives, this cortisol level decreases over the course of the day. Elevated cortisol at the end of the day is connected to depression, higher stress and early mortality. Because women tend to work about a half-hour longer on chores than their male counterparts and because they spend more time tending children, they have less time for leisure and sleep. Because they don't recover from their daily dose of cortisol, they have an unhealthy level of cortisol at the end of the day. Children are also impacted by home chaos. Visual stimuli and general mess have been linked to low family income; parental stress and emotional distress; parenting difficulties (particularly inappropriate An uncluttered bedroom leads to better sleep which is a contributor to improved health.