You need two things to fall asleep: a relaxed mind and a relaxed body. Overstimulation disrupts your ability to have a relaxed mind. One source of this overstimulation could be your unmade bed. A clean room represents a clean mind, and a cluttered room could overwhelm the brain.
Even if you don't have time to clean your room everyday, starting with your mattress and bed may be key to helping your mind relaxed. A little less than half of people who make their bed and turn down their covers fall asleep within the typical time it takes to fall asleep - 20 minutes. Comparatively, only about a third of adults who don't make their bed fall asleep in this same time frame.
Making your bed every morning could give you a renewed sense of purpose. The average number of days that one makes their bed is 4.1 days per week. It's as if that one task builds momentum for another to be completed. Continue reading to see the impact that making your bed can have on you falling asleep faster.
How does making your bed help you sleep better?
Sleep quality and quantity are two different things. The difference in the length of time sleeping between those who make their beds, and those who don't was not much. However, the real treat is falling asleep as made beds are easier to fall asleep in.
It doesn't even matter when you make your bed as long as you do it before bed. About 40% of those who turn down their beds nightly fall asleep within 20 minutes. It's as if the preparation of the bed cues your mind that it's time to go to sleep, while also improving your sleeping environment, which can help ease your mind and comfort your body.
Who's making the bed
Women spend about an hour more on household activities than men, but men are more likely to make their beds. Men are 11.4 times more likely to make their beds each day than women. 12.3% of male respondents never make their beds, but 18.3% of women don't make their beds. Some believe that if they're just going to make it messy again that night, why bother with the fuss? Some sleep better in looser sleeps and don't like to feel "trapped" by tucked in sheets.
Age also plays a role in who's making the beds. The younger one is, the less likely they are to make the bed. Survey respondents 18-24 make the bed 3.4 times a week where as the average for everyone was 4.1 days. Only about a quarter of that group makes their beds everyday, but half of the 55 and older group make their beds everyday.
Why people make their beds
The biggest motivator for one making their bed is cleanliness. Having a tidy room with a made bed can do wonders for easing anxiety before bedtime and rumination. If you've had a rough day and come home to a messy room, it can make it more difficult to come home and relaxed. However, if you're have a tough day, but come back to a tidy sanctuary, you may be able to unwind from the day a bit faster as you're in a clean environment.
About two thirds of adults say they do it out of habit, and about fifty percent do it for comfort. It's a part of their bedtime or morning time routine. These routines help either get their days started or wind them down. These routines are important for cueing the brain for what time it is. You should create a these routines and aim to do the same thing over and over again. It builds good habits and can help take care of mundane tasks, such as making your bed.
Other benefits include reduced anxiety, improved self-confidence, a foundation for other habits, and more order and organization. It could be something that you and your bed partner do together to either begin the day or end it. Making your bed can have significant sleep benefits, and may be worth exploring if you are not a current bedmaker.
Making the bed does not take more than five minutes. Try and incorporate this activity into your day and make it a mindful activity.
If you are struggling to fall sleep, there may be an underlying issue deeper than making the bed. Please click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk with one of our sleep health professionals.
https://thesleepdoctor.com/best-mattress/making-your-bed-may-lead-to-falling-asleep-faster/