Should you make your bed every day?

Luke (No)

Making one's bed in the morning is often touted as the first thing to be done right at the start of the day and is generally connected to increased productivity and overall success. While there will be some utility to this type of thinking, some practical issues arise with making one's bed every morning that bring into question the commonly held mantra. 

One obvious reason to not make the bed in the morning is when one is in a rush. Whether sleeping through an alarm or waking to an emergency, it is not always reasonable or even possible to always make one's bed in the morning. Similarly, with the many stresses and requirements of the modern world, one's day may overflow with important tasks, shifting the importance of bed-making down the list or completely out of the picture for that day. 

There are also health-related issues concerning bed making. While sleeping, people sweat and breathe damp moisture into their bedsheets, blankets, and pillows. This built-up moisture can be trapped if one immediately makes the bed in the morning. That dampness will not only make the next night's rest less comfortable, but it can also lead to the proliferation of dust mites in the neatly made bed. If a bed is left unmade, the moisture can dry up, which also makes the bed a more hostile environment for dust mites, effectively limiting their numbers. Because making one's bed is only sometimes possible and there are hygienic reasons not to make one's bed, one should not worry about making their bed every day.

Bre (Yes)

Making the bed daily is a quick, easy way to make a big difference in overall wellness. It's correlated with tidiness, productivity, impulse control, and conscientiousness. Research also indicates daily bed-making is linked to several other healthy behaviors.

Studies show that individuals who make their beds are more confident, social, and adventurous morning people, and non-makers are often shy, sarcastic, moody night owls. When surveyed about lifestyle habits such as healthy eating, planning, organization, recreational activities, goal setting, budgeting/finances, and medical/dental care, bed makers were higher ranked than non-bed makers in all the positive behaviors across the board.

Over 70% of bedmakers consider themselves happy, compared to 62% of non-bedmakers who admit to being unhappy. More happiness and success are seen in bed makers, who exercise regularly, and more often like their jobs and own a home, whereas those who don't are more prone to feel tired, avoid exercise, dislike their jobs, and rent.

Bedmakers seem to sleep better than those who don't, with less difficulty falling and staying asleep and waking feeling more rested. Ultimately, they average roughly 2.5 hours more sleep per week. Poor sleep quality is connected to poor health outcomes.

Ordering one's world reduces stress and helps with focus. Disorder, conversely, has negative effects on focus, learning, and social skills; it brings stress and emotional dysregulation, interfering with executive function and decreasing overall well-being.

Bedmakers are generally more productive and more likely to prioritize responsibilities over desires. Feeling accomplished by consistently making the bed clearly lays a foundation for many healthier, happier lifestyle habits and skills.