So last week we published an article called the “Top Six Reasons to Make Your Bed” wherein we pointed out some of the most compelling arguments in favor of daily bed-making. But don’t worry, all you stoic bed un-makers! It turns out, there are actually some good reasons NOT to make your bed, as well! Plenty of people have grown up with the instruction that they ought to make their bed each and every day, so the idea of not making your bed is extraordinarily counterintuitive, to say the least. Now, as your mom would probably have said back in the day, there are a whole lot of good reasons to make your bed every day. Tidiness and keeping a nice, neat room are probably on top of the making-your-bed list. However, there are also a good number of reasons, believe it or not, not to make your bed. Let us briefly explore some of the best reasons why not making your bed, regardless of what quality bed frame it has, is something you should be considering right now.
1. It May Actually be Healthy for You!
Here is something that will undoubtedly surprise you: Not making your bed could probably be better for your health than actually making it! While making your bed does have the aesthetic appeal of helping your room appear tidier, not making your bed can actually turn off dust mites from moving into your bed. You see, according to a BBC News report that cited a study out of Kingston University, dust mites do not like the conditions in an unmade bed, which are generally warm and dry. Conversely, a made bed traps in moisture and keeps the bed cooler. If moisture is in shorter supply in bed, such as when it is not made, then these kinds of bed bugs are a lot less likely to survive and thrive. That’s right, bed-makers: tidying up your bed in the morning is sort of like putting a big “vacancy” sign over it for all the travel-weary dust mites to see!
2. There’s Just Something Lovely About Less Moisture
As mentioned above, when moisture is in short supply, the bed bugs such as dust mites will not be able to thrive. According to the same BBC News report, failing to make your bed for the day will have the effect of actually taking away the moisture from both the mattress and also the bed sheets. As a direct result of this deprivation of moisture, the dust mites are likelier to start dehydrating. Soon enough, they will move on or die. And the lack of moisture can mean increased comfort while you sleep. For most people, humidity makes for a less comfortable night’s sleep, and if you are trapping moisture between your sheets – well, what happens when you introduce a warm body (say, yours?) to a contained and moisturized environment? If you don’t like your bed feeling like the Amazon, then perhaps keeping it unmade will be more to your liking. It can be lovely to have crisper, drier sheets.
3. You Hate Asthma and Allergies!
If you are a person who has been suffering from either asthma or allergies (or maybe even both at the same time!), you will undoubtedly want to consider not making your bed in the morning. You see, according to the aforementioned BBC News article, dust mite and house mite allergens have been discovered to be a serious trigger for a lot of folks who already endure asthma. Unfortunately, it is quite hard to avoid! As a result, people who have allergies and suffer from asthma will have a harder time when there is a presence of dust mites and house mites in the home. That is exactly why the recommendation not to make one’s bed is pretty applicable in this scenario. But how do dust mites exacerbate allergies? For one, when you’re dealing with dust mites, you are dealing with A LOT of dust mites. These bed bug creepy crawlies have a tendency to frequently shed their outer shell, or chitin, which creates little floating bug particles that can be inhaled. Additionally, their excrement and food remains can facilitate allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to such things.
If you are having asthma and allergy issues, then you really should try not making your bed for a little while, and then see whether or not your asthma and allergy issues get a little bit better.
Maybe Mom Didn’t Know Best?
So while mom may have always told you that you should always make your bed, she might actually have been rather wrong! According to scientific studies and research from places like Kingston University, leaving your place of sleeping a big, sloppy and untidy mess could actually be very good for your health and wellbeing! It goes without saying that this piece of information sounds totally the opposite of what makes sense, but it does give a lot of food for thought, does it not? If you have nagging asthma and allergy problems, then you are likely going to be more open to this piece of advice. Of course… there are a lot of great reasons to make your bed, too. Why not give both a try for a while, experiment a bit, and see for yourself?
This post was written by Mike Bowman. Mike is a freelance writer and journalist in the interior design and home furniture niches. He spends his free time riding bikes in San Diego and cooking awesome meals for his friends.
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