Why you should stop making your bed in summer when you wake up

During hot summer nights, it almost feels impossible to sleep; tossing and turning and sweating nonstop can feel like torture. Most people try to follow a bedroom routine to get a better night’s rest, and this includes making their bed in the morning so they go back to a relaxed and tidy environment. 

However, according to Dr Gareth Nye, a Lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Salford, all bedroom users need to stop tidying their bedding this summer or risk health issues. The lecturer shared: “Most individuals are losing around 500-700ml of sweat every night, which ends up on bed clothes and bedding. This can be significantly higher, though, as most people will have variable sweating rates through the night, with men normally sweating less and women going through menopause sweating the most.”

He continued: “Humans will shed around 500 million skin cells a day, with the majority occurring in our sleep. We are also producing other body secretions, such as drool/saliva, amongst others, that you might find.

“All of these secretions are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi as well as some other nasty bugs, ultimately leading to a range of health issues.”

Why shouldn’t you make your bed in the morning?

Hot and damp sheets overnight attract bed bugs, dust mites, and dirt, which get trapped inside the bedding when you make your bed first thing in the morning.  Dust mites, in particular, love dead skin cells and leave their droppings on sheets.

This can trigger allergies or asthma and cause eczema to flare up. Instead of making your bed in the morning, it’s better to leave the covers off for a while after you wake up. 

According to Green Fibres, “The simplest way to create a less hospitable environment for these irritating little critters is to pull back your duvet each morning, and expose your bedding to the air and sunlight. 

“Drying out your bed linen by leaving it unmade for a couple of hours drys up the mites literally killing them off,  and their supply of aggravating allergens, allowing you to sleep better at night.”

Other bedding tasks to do in summer

Phoebe Street, Sleep Expert and Brand Marketing Manager at Pretty You London, suggests washing your bedding at 60°C every three or four days in summer rather than every two weeks at a lower temperature. 

She shared: “If you don’t have time to strip the whole bed mid-week, just throw the sheet and pillowcases into the wash instead. They collect the most sweat, dirt and bacteria because they’re in constant contact with your face and hair.”