The best nightstand organization ideas

Need to get your bedroom clutter under control? Here are the best nightstand organization ideas!

I was so excited when Sean built us nightstands with drawers. They are a great way to pack in a punch of extra storage into your bedroom.

In fact, in our last house, we used dressers as our bedside tables!

But, in that case, it was easy to fill them and keep them organized – they were filled with t shirts and socks and other dresser-things.

Now, we have these nightstand drawers with no specific purpose.

Let’s dive into what to keep in nightstand drawers and our best tips for bedside table organization!

What do you keep in a nightstand?

You can keep anything that you want in a nightstand. Typically, it’s a place to store things that you use regularly when sitting in bed.

This might include:

• Spare reading glasses or contacts
• Medications (like pain relievers, sleep aids, or vitamins)
• Hand lotion or moisturizer
• Earplugs or sleep masks
• Notepad and pen
• Charging cables or portable chargers for devices
• Tissues
• Personal hygiene items (such as lip balm, dental floss, or hand sanitizer)
• Small flashlight or nightlight
• Essential oils or aromatherapy rollerballs
• Spare change or small cash stash
• Eye drops or nasal spray
• Hair ties or bobby pins
• Contraceptives or personal health items
• Small book or Kindle for nighttime reading

There are so many things you can keep in your nightstand! That’s why it’s important to organize it – otherwise, they will turn into a junk drawer before you know it!

You can also keep things on top of the nighstand. You don’t want it to look junky – but it doesn’t have to be 100% cleaned off, either.

Here’s a list of items that are commonly found on top of a nightstand:

• Lamp
• Alarm clock or digital clock
• A decorative plant or vase of flowers
• Picture frames
• Books or a reading tablet
• Water glass
• Decorative tray or dish for jewelry
• Aromatherapy diffuser or scented candle
• Decorative or personal items (such as a figurine, small sculpture, or sentimental objects)
• Remote control for the TV
• Wireless charging pad for smartphones

How to organize a bedside table

Here are the steps to take to get your nightstand organized.

Step 1: Take everything out and off

Start by totally cleaning out your nightstand. Take everything out and off of it. Start with a clean slate!

Step 2: Clean the nightstand

Take a moment to wipe down every surface with a rag. Clean and fresh is the goal.

Step 3: Sort and purge

Now, turn to everything you pulled out. Sort it. Some stuff might be for the trash or recycling, other things might have a better place to be.

Also, take a moment to see if anything is missing. Is there anything else you use in bed that would be handy to have in this space?

Step 4: Decide what goes where

If your nightstand has multiple drawers, you are in luck! Sort things by category.

Like, maybe you want to create a charging station in one of the drawers! We suggest checking out the Docking Drawer for that!

Put things that you use most often in top drawer and lesser used items in the bottom drawers.

Step 5: Choose bins

I love adding drawer organizers to keep things in the drawers from sliding around and getting jumbled up.

There are a few options for bins for a nightstand drawer:

• Bamboo Drawer Dividers: Ideal for separating different categories of items like socks, accessories, or small gadgets. They offer adjustable compartments to customize storage.
• Small Acrylic Bins: Perfect for organizing smaller items such as jewelry, hair accessories, or makeup. Their transparency allows for easy visibility of contents.
• Fabric Drawer Inserts: Great for storing clothing items like underwear, socks, or pajamas, keeping them neatly separated and easily accessible.
• Wire Mesh Baskets: Suitable for organizing larger items or tech accessories like charging cables, headphones, or power banks. The mesh design allows for ventilation and easy identification of items.
• Plastic Stackable Organizers: Helpful for organizing stationery items such as pens, notepads, and sticky notes. They stack neatly, optimizing vertical space.
• Velvet-Lined Compartment Trays: Perfect for storing delicate jewelry pieces, watches, or sunglasses, providing cushioning and preventing scratches or damage.
• Sliding Drawer Organizers: Ideal for maximizing deep drawers, allowing flexibility in arranging various-sized items such as books, journals, or tablets.
• Woven or Fabric Baskets: Versatile for storing a variety of items like extra linens, blankets, or bulkier accessories, adding a touch of decorative flair to the drawer.

Step 6: Put everything back

Now it’s time to put everything back! Sort like-items together and put your most used items in top drawers.

Use this time to be picky. If a storage solution isn’t working now, it will never work. And, if the storage solution doesn’t work, the items in your nightstand are going to turn into a jumbled mess again!

Re-work it until it rocks!

Step 7: Keep it clean!

Once you have a system, keep it up. Put away any loose items before bed each night and you will love your newly organized space!