Making your bed may have a small effect on dust mites

Is it true that you shouldn’t make your bed?

There are plenty of reasons to make your bed. A tidy space has been associated with making healthier choices, a sense of accomplishment and control, and better sleep, research shows. A National Sleep Foundation survey of 1,500 Americans ages 25 to 55 revealed that those who make their beds every day or every other day are more likely to report getting quality sleep at night.

But there’s at least one argument against bed-making that has been pervasive on the web — dust mites love a neatly made bed.

It’s a logical thought.

Dust mites are microscopic, eight-legged critters that feed on our dead skin cells and thrive in dark, warm, more humid environments in mattresses, upholstered furniture, carpets and plush toys, even in the cleanest homes. They leave behind excrement and exoskeletons that we breathe in, potentially causing itchy, watery eyes; a scratchy throat; coughing; sneezing; and asthma, said Farah Khan, a spokeswoman for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

The pests particularly like our bedding where they find not only our dead skin cells but also, as we sleep, our sweat, which adds humidity, said Khan, who is also a pediatric allergist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

In the early 2000s, researchers examined how indoor environments affect dust mite populations. As part of their broader findings, they suggested that when people leave a bed unmade, the environmental conditions in the mattress where dust mites are concentrated revert more quickly to room conditions that “are not the best conditions for their proliferation,” said Stephen Pretlove, director of sustainable engineering at the University of Roehampton in London, who was an author of the studies.

“You can therefore say there is evidence that suggests by not making your bed in the morning this will have a positive impact on reducing dust mite populations, however small,” he said.

There is no consensus among experts, however, on whether bed-making affects dust mite populations. People who want to make their beds should keep it as part of their morning routine, but those who want to take precautions could wait for the body heat and moisture to dissipate in the morning before making the bed, some experts said.

In the end, “whether it’s a made or unmade bed, our skin flakes are going to be all over it,” said Juanita Mora, a national medical spokeswoman for the American Lung Association.

What else you should know

There are steps you can take to help keep dust mites under control in your home, particularly for people who are more susceptible to the allergens, such as adults and children with asthma, experts said.

• Use dust mite covers on mattresses and pillows.

• Limit the number of stuffed animals on your child’s bed to only a few at a time, and wash them regularly.

• Avoid using carpet and throw rugs in your home.

• Aim to keep the relative humidity in your home less than 50%. Dehumidifiers can be helpful.

• Clean your home frequently. Particularly, wash bed linens and use a HEPA vacuum on upholstered furniture, drapes and flooring.

The bottom line: Dust mites thrive in the dark, warm and more humid environment that is our bed. Theoretically, making a bed immediately after waking may temporarily seal in body heat and moisture, but any effect on dust mite populations would be small.