Scientists Give Us The Perfect Excuse To Not Make Our Beds Anymore !
Did you grow up with your mother nagging you every morning about making your bed? Did you often wonder why you needed to neatly fold and tuck your blankets every morning, only to undo your work when you go to sleep at night? Well, now you have a scientifically proven reason not to make your bed in the morning. Read on to learn why not making your bed may actually be healthier for you—and feel free to share with your mother!
A new study released by Kingston University shows that making your bed each morning provides the ideal environment for dust mites to thrive. Dust mites are tiny, microscopic insects related to the spider family. Less than a millimeter long, these insects colonize indoor spaces for their warmth and humidity. They like to live on furniture, carpets, curtains, and—most frightening—in beds.
In fact, the Kingston University study says that up to 1.5 million dust mites may be living in your bed right now. While dust mites are typically too small to be seen, and they don’t actively bite humans, you might still notice their presence if you experience itchy skin, a runny nose, sneezing, red or itchy eyes, or difficulty breathing. These are all symptoms of a dust mite allergy, a common allergy that affects many people in the United States, especially during the warm summer months of July and August. This allergy is unpleasant for adults, but it can be dangerous for children, as there is a proven link between exposure to household dust and the development of childhood asthma.
So, what does this have to do with making your bed? Dust mites need warm, humid environments in order to survive. When you sleep under the covers at night, your body heat creates the perfect environment for these little creatures to grow and multiply. Then, when you make your bed in the morning, you give the mites a warm, dark, protected place to sleep for the day while they wait for your return.
RELATED ARTICLE: Seasonal Allergies in Children
However, scientists say that if you don’t make your bed and simply leave the covers off to one side, the exposure to sunlight and dry air makes it difficult for dust mites to survive. In fact, the simple act of not making your bed can cause dust mite populations to decline significantly during the day. As mites are exposed to dry air, they become severely dehydrated and die.
Other ways to help control the dust mite population in your home are to wash your bedsheets weekly in hot water and dry the sheets in a hot dryer, dust regularly, and vacuum your carpets. However, the added daily step of not making your bed can help control the growth and spread of dust mites and give your home better air quality. You might even start to sleep better, knowing you aren’t sharing your bed with one million microscopic insects.
What do you think? Will you stop making your bed now that you know about this study?
