Seriously, you shouldn’t make your bed…
This isn’t just some clickbait title to get you to click on some woo-woo fung shui, or shave 2 minutes off your morning routine reasons (not that there is anything wrong with those), but there is a legitimate health reason why you should feel ok with throwing back your sheets and leaving them there.
In the world of Building Biology, we are constantly trying to reduce our exposure to anything that may be causing ill-health effects in our clients homes. This includes the obvious like mold, combustion gasses, VOC’s (off-gassing from chemicals in furniture and carpets), and some not-so-obvious things like humidity level, dust concentrations, microbial growth etc.
When you think about dust mites and microbial growth, you need to think about what kind of environment they like to grow in. They love a moist, warm and dark environment, like perhaps that warm bed you just got out of! You also perspire while sleeping (aware of this or not), and so you create moisture that dust mites and microbes love. So you hop our of bed, and like the good kid you are, you pull the covers tight, tuck them in, and pull your duvet over it all for a lovely well-kept bedroom. And ‘voila’, you have a lovely little nest for your microbial friends!
If you suffer from allergies, asthma or skin conditions, this is not what you want. You’re better off leaving those sheets and comforters pulled back and allow everything to dry out- which will also help prevent mold. If there is adequate daylight in the bedroom, exposing your bed to sunlight is also a great idea; sunlight is the best disinfectant money can’t buy. If you’re feeling very uncomfortable about this because maybe you have a touch of OCD (then call us for a nutritional assessment because we can help you with that!) at least try to leave the bed unmade for a while. The more air flow and drying out time you can give it the better.
So there you have it- a fantastic reason to save those 2 minutes off your busy morning and throw caution to the wind (literally!)
Cathy Cooke, BCHN, BBEC Holistic Nutritionist and Building Biologist is the founder of Whole Home and Body Health which provides EMF Assessments, Mold Testing, and Nutrition and Health Consulting located in Boise, Idaho. Cathy is available for consulting via skype and phone, and is also willing to travel as needed for home assessments. Schedule an appointment today!