March 2023

Growing up, your mom probably insisted you make your bed every morning. You probably did it begrudgingly, wondering why you should make something that you’re just going pull apart again that night. Later in life, you met or maybe even became one of those people who firmly believes you should make your bed the first thing after you get up. Why? Because it instills discipline in your life. It’s a small accomplishment that sets you up for even bigger accomplishments throughout the day. It makes your bedroom look tidier and helps motivate you to keep the rest of your room clean. Also, having a tidy room and getting that quick feeling of accomplishment every morning can improve your mood.

We’d certainly never argue against any of that. In fact, we completely agree. But we also don’t want you to feel bad if you never make your bed. It’s probably not surprising that research shows people who make their beds tend to be morning people, and those who don’t tend to be night owls.  A recent Sleepopolis report also found that those who make their beds are more adventurous, confident, sociable, and high maintenance. Those who don’t make their beds tend to be curious, creative, sarcastic, and moody.

If you’re one of those people that doesn’t make your bed, we’ll give you one really good science-based reason for not doing it. When we sleep, we sweat. Some people sweat a lot, some do a little, but we all do. If you don’t make your bed, it gives it a chance to air out and fully dry. That’s important because a warm, moist bed – the kind you end up with when you immediately make your bed – is the perfect breeding ground for dust mites. Those are tiny critters that feed on the flakes of skin we shed while we sleep (yep, kind of gross). They can cause sneezing, wheezing, itchy eyes, stuffy noses, eczema, and asthma.

If you are someone that takes pride in making their bed, don’t stop. Just pull the covers back and wait a half-hour before you do. And if you’re someone that never makes their bed, the next time someone comments about it, just tell them about the dust mites.