At Your Bedside: What Your Nightstand Reveals About You

Bedside tables are like shrines of our most adored things — altars to loved ones, our passions and values. They hold only the most essential of our belongings. They can serve as a wellness corner, a cozy nook or function to hold the essentials you may need to grab quickly before you go.

Nightstands reflect your daily habits and serve as little collages of your day to day. Maybe the hold souvenirs from childhood or memories of the day: discarded jewelery from last night, a long forgotten sticky note from two mornings ago or left over change. Whatever your bedside table holds, it’s a reflection of your mind.

Book, Books, Books

If your nightstand is literally just books, then you’re probably a chronic over thinker. You’re an intellectual at heart, but you don’t like to sweat the small stuff. How else will you have time to contemplate the mystery of human life and unpredictability of the universe? Buying books is your hobby and you’re running out of space.

You might keep a notebook on hand in case you need to jot down a quote that sounds better as you drift into sleep than it does the next morning. Forgoing a table is a little eclectic but it also reflects your preference for the basics and appreciation for the arts.

Essentials Only

Maybe you’re a true purist. Minimalism is your religion. You keep only the essentials on hand, favoring a clutter-free life, and thus, a clutter-free mind. Simplicity is your self-care. You value organization and the clarity that comes from dispossessing yourself from more earthly trappings.

The Wellness Corner

Maybe your bedside table doubles as a wellness corner. If so, then you have your priorities straight. Your nightstand’s line up consists of the holy trinity of water bottle, candle and Rhode lip combo.

A healthy body means a healthy mind. Every time you wake up, the items that remind you to lead a healthy lifestyle and to prioritize yourself are front and center. You crave balance in your life, so if space permits, you have two matching bedside tables — one on each side of your bed.

An Ode to Home

This nightstand highlights your adherence to a tradition — the tradition of home, family and those dearest to your heart. Picture frames sit atop the doilies your grandmother crocheted last summer and you love to bask in the warm light of an ornate lamp after a long day out to unwind. This nightstand is home. It’s where everything and everyone you love comes together.

Clutter, Clatter

You’re not afraid of a little chaos. Though you may have to untangle your earbuds from the pens every morning as you rush to your class, you live for the thrill of it. Perhaps you’re a reluctant hoarder, but your nightstand reflects a perfect kind of chaos — one that looks messy to an outsider but you understand and navigate better than anyone. Your a hopeless sentimental, holding on to the most random of objects: trinkets from your travels or a rock you found on your stroll.

It may be easy to overlook the importance of a bedside table, but much like your room, it is a reflection of your mind. The bedside table is a deeper look into the most intimate aspects of yourself. Regardless of what your nightstand looks like, it serves as a reminder of the things you keep closest to your heart.

What essentials are always at your bedside? Let us know @VALLEYmag on Instagram!

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