The Surprising Reason You Shouldn’t Make Your Bed First Thing

Over the years, getting into the bed in the morning is seen as an indicator of discipline and organization. It's usually seen as the first victory that starts the day and sets the mood for productiveness and discipline. However, what happens if this beloved routine is actually affecting your overall health? Recent research indicates that the rush to clean your sheets could be creating the ideal environment to allow one of your most commonly-used allergens in the home to flourish.

The Hidden World Living in Your Mattress


Dust mites are tiny creatures which are found in almost every house. They are closely related to spiders and they feed off human skin cells that are dead when they the night. Although they're not visible to the naked eye their presence is not minimal. Studies have found that the mattress of a single bed can be home as 1.5 millions dust mites and old pillows could contain an astonishing amount of waste from mites in the weight of their.

The organisms rely upon moisture for survival. Contrary to many other pests they do not drink water. Instead, they absorb it from air via specialized glands in their body. The human bed is the ideal place to live. All night long body sweat, body heat, and breathing make a humid and warm sub-climate under the cover that provides everything mites require to flourish.

Why Making Your Bed Immediately Can Backfire

If you get up in the morning and immediately make your mattress, you basically keep the warmth and humidity in. The sheets that are tightly tied and blankets form an airtight seal and help preserve the humid conditions that dust mites adore. Instead of letting the bedding to dry it is preserving those conditions that aid in the survival of these creatures and their reproduction.

The idea is gaining interest due to a growing amount of research on environmental health and studies, specifically those that study how our everyday activities affect the indoor microclimate. Although making a bed can increase visual clarity but it could also encourage biochemical disorder on a microscopic degree.

The Kingston University Study and What It Found

One of the most widely-cited researches into this subject is the research titled Environmental Control of House Dust Mites that was conducted in collaboration with Kingston University in the United Kingdom together in collaboration with University College London. It was published within the Journal of Experimental and Applied Acarology in 2006, the study utilized the computer-based "Mite Population Index" model to study the way that humidity and temperature inside bed structures affect the survival of dust mites.

The results were shocking. It was discovered that dust mites thrive when they are in warm and moist environment of a newly slept in mattress. But, when bedding remains unmade exposed to the elements and the humidity levels fall dramatically. This causes drying, which makes a hostile habitat for insects, which causes them to reduce their water levels and ultimately suffer due to loss of water and eventually die from dehydration.

The study revealed how tiny changes in humidity can determine whether populations of mites grow or decrease. If you allow your mattress to be unmade until the time you wake up people can upset the delicate balance they rely upon.

How Airflow Changes Everything

Unmade beds allow air to flow freely across the blankets, sheets, and the mattress. The circulation assists in removing the water that has accumulated over night and reduces the humidity around the mattress. Dryer and cooler conditions are impossible for dust mites keep their internal balance of water.

The subsequent studies on environmental conditions have confirmed the idea that the population of dust mites is likely to decrease in the event that relative humidity drops less than 50. This suggests that a bedroom with adequate ventilation and bedding that is breathable can greatly influence how welcoming your bedroom environment is the allergens.

Why Experts Still Debate the Impact

Despite the persuasive quality of these studies however, there is no consensus among experts about how much of a difference not the bed can make in reality circumstances. A few experts say that many houses naturally have humid levels that are adequate for dust mites to thrive, so sleeping in a bed that is not made may have no impact on the general surroundings.

There is however, a broad acceptance of a single point. Dust mites are extremely sensitive to humidity, and even small changes in humidity may reduce their activities. So, the airing out of your bedroom is a straightforward, low-cost method that is able to complement various other tested methods for controlling allergens.

A Smarter Approach to a Healthier Bedroom

It's not like it is a good idea to completely eliminate tidiness and that the timing of your cleaning is much more than you may believe. Letting your bed breathe for 30 to 60 minutes upon getting up can reduce the accumulation of humidity before you start making. Open windows, or allowing ventilation in the space aids in drying.

In conjunction with the routine wash of bedding using hot water, and the usage of mattress protectors the small changes could result in a more clean and more healthy sleeping environment. If you are a person who is prone to allergic reactions or asthma, these adjustments could prove to be beneficial.

Rethinking a Daily Habit

A slightly filthy bed might be beneficial for your health might seem odd. However, science is often able to challenge the assumptions of our past which is the case with this excellent illustration. It appears as if there is a lack of discipline might in reality be an indirect form of environmental protection.

The final message is easy to understand and relate to. It's not necessary to abandon creating your own mattress. Give it some time. A brief interruption throughout your day could create a less welcoming bedroom to dust mites, and conducive to overall wellbeing.