mite-free a life： This is why you should never make your bed

This is why you should never make your bed

Posted 21 hours ago by Ellen Stewart in discover

Don't make your bed in the morning. It's bad for your health, says science.

There's no need to listen to your mother, because according to experts, a nicely made bed is a breeding ground for dust mites.

Sure, your bedroom will resemble a grim student dorm, but hey, you'll be living as mite-free a life as you possibly can.

Disgustingly, up to 1.5million of the things live in your average bed. They feed on scales of human skin and produce allergens which are easily inhaled during sleep.

A study, originally published in 2005, has gained attention again this week as the nights begin to draw in and you consider switching your summer weight duvet to something with a heftier tog rating.

It suggests leaving your bed unmade all day, only succumbing to tidiness in the evening if you really feel the need.

Researcher Dr Stephen Pretlove told the BBC:

We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body.

Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die.