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Scientists estimate that there can be as many as an astonishing 1.5 million mites on a single bed on average.
The problem is not so much their mere existence, but rather their droppings.
These, when inhaled, irritate the mucous membranes of the airways and can also cause allergies or even asthma.
In what environment do mites thrive best?
Dr. Stephen Pretlove from the Faculty of Agriculture at Kingston University offers a simple explanation for why mites occur in beds.
He states that during sleep your body heat is trapped in the bed, along with dead skin flakes and, most importantly, – your sweat.
Such conditions are ideal for the life and reproduction of mites. The problem is that moisture under the covers remains even during the day, keeping the mites alive.
We know that mites can only survive on water collected from the air. They do this with specialized glands located on the surface of their bodies.
Making the mites’ environment uninhabitable
A completely simple, easy and quick solution to change the environment into one in which mites cannot survive is to leave the bed unmade during the day.
If you make the bed immediately after waking up, your body heat and moisture will continue to be retained under the blankets and in the pillow. In such an environment the mites will continue to reproduce very well.
However, if you leave the bed unmade, the air in the room will gradually draw moisture out of the sheets, bedding and mattress. As a result of dehydration the mites will then start to die off quickly.
After a full day of exposing the bed to fresh air and sunlight, most of the mites will be dead by the evening. And you will find it much easier to breathe at night.
It’s best of all if you remove pillows and blankets from the bed completely and place them on a balcony during the day so they get as much fresh air as possible.
If that’s not possible, it’s completely sufficient to simply drape them over a chair in the room. That way they can ventilate well on both sides.
Conclusion
So, now you have an excellent and, above all, scientific justification for why you don’t have to make your bed in the morning.
It also serves as a great excuse if your partner tries to force you to do it, or, in the case of younger people, if your parents insist.
