Mental Health Monday: Do You Make Your Bed?

TeachingtoMakeBed_kidsWe have a king-size bed with six personal pillows and five decorative ones. We sleep under two light-weight blankets, and we have a “fancy” bedspread. It takes a bit of time to make the bed up correctly, so most days all we do is straighten the top sheet and blankets a bit. We leave the bedspread on the bench at the foot of the bed, and the five decorative pillows in a pile on the floor in the corner of the room. We make the bed whenever we have company, which is probably about twice a month. (And our housekeeper makes the bed after washing the linens once a week.) Are we just being lazy? What does this say about us as people? I was curious so I did a little research. Here’s what I found.

Back in September there was a flurry of articles about DUST MITES and how it’s better NOT to make your bed every day. The Today Show even covered it. You can read a couple of them here, at:

Huffington Post

Good Housekeeping

20140125-calico-cat-on-bed-1-MI took solace in thinking I was doing something healthy—letting those dust mites air out before slamming them with our bodies again. But then I read about a different aspect of bed-making.

Psychology Today says bed makers are happier and more productive.

And WebMD says people who make their beds sleep better.

So I’m asking my readers:

How often do you make your bed? Does it bother you to leave it unmade? Do you feel the room’s appearance affects your attitude, emotions, or productivity? I’d love to hear from you!

12 thoughts on “Mental Health Monday: Do You Make Your Bed?”

    1. Does it make you feel more “together” and ready to be productive? I’ve been wondering about that…. although I shut the bedroom door and don’t return there too often during the day.

  1. Yes, I make my bed daily but I have no decorative pillows as I think them a waste of floor space.
    Having had a series of cats, I avoid leaving my bottom sheet uncovered.
    Consider what many Europeans have for bed covers: a slip-sheeted duvet! No sheet, no decorative pillows; the absolute minimum.

    1. The decorative pillows really do get in the way, don’t they? I only care about them when we have company. And I love the no-top-sheet duvet thing, although my husband is allergic to feathers. They sure make it easy to make the bed, though!

  2. We make the bed every day. It doesn’t necessarily look that good when we finish, but I can’t bring myself to leave white Euros and other decorative things on the floor. I guess that says something about my confidence in the cleanliness of the floor. hahahhahahahha

    1. You say “we”… so your and your hubby make the bed together? That’s so much easier, especially with a king size bed.

  3. We never make our King size bed unless someone is visiting, and since my husband naps a lot while I’m at work, we don’t always make it when company’s coming. We just shut the bedroom door. I feel almost no guilt!

    1. I hear you. I do like to make it when company’s coming… not only in case someone needs to put their coat on our bed, but also just to leave the door open and have it look pretty.

  4. When I was a child, it made me so angry that my mom wanted me to make my bed. The habit stuck, though, and I prefer to make my bed every day. Every once in a while I don’t get to it (like today), and my day feels unfinished no matter how much I accomplish. Usually on those days I end up making the bed right before I turn in for the night. My hubby thinks I’m crazy to care so much about a made bed, and he may be right. We can just add it to my list of crazy …

    1. Now that’s the most over-the-top comment so far! Making the bed before getting in at night? But hey, I’m one of those people who adds things I’ve already done to my to-do list just to check them off and look productive!

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