People who make their bed in the morning urged to reconsider and do 1 task instead

Sweltering summer nights can turn the quest for a good night's sleep into an ordeal of endless tossing, turning and relentless sweating. But many of us stick to a ritual that includes making our bed every morning, aiming to return to a serene and orderly sanctuary come nightfall.

Yet, Dr Gareth Nye, a lecturer in biomedical science at the University of Salford, warns that this summertime tidiness could actually be detrimental to our health. He explains: "Most individuals are losing around 500-700ml of sweat every night, which ends up on bed clothes and bedding. This can be significantly higher, though, as most people will have variable sweating rates through the night, with men normally sweating less and women going through menopause sweating the most."

Dr Nye adds: "Humans will shed around 500 million skin cells a day, with the majority occurring in our sleep. We are also producing other body secretions, such as drool/saliva, amongst others, that you might find."

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He points out that these bodily excretions create an ideal environment for bacteria and fungi to thrive, along with other unpleasant microorganisms, potentially leading to various health complications.

So why is it advisable to refrain from making your bed immediately upon rising? Well, hot and damp sheets overnight attract bed bugs, dust mites, and dirt,reports The Express, which get trapped inside the bedding when you make your bed first thing in the morning.

Dust mites, in particular, love dead skin cells and leave their droppings on sheets. This may provoke allergic reactions or asthma attacks and can exacerbate conditions like eczema. Rather than promptly arranging your bedclothes after waking, it's recommended to leave the covers pulled back for a period to allow everything to air out.

Green Fibres advises that creating an unwelcoming atmosphere for these pesky little creatures can be as straightforward as pulling back your duvet every morning and exposing your bedding to air and sunlight.

They claim: "Drying out your bed linen by leaving it unmade for a couple of hours drys up the mites literally killing them off, and their supply of aggravating allergens, allowing you to sleep better at night."

Other essential summer bedding tasks

Phoebe Street, sleep expert and brand marketing manager at Pretty You London, suggests washing your bedding at 60°C every three or four days in summer rather than every two weeks at a lower temperature.

She shared: "If you don’t have time to strip the whole bed mid-week, just throw the sheet and pillowcases into the wash instead. They collect the most sweat, dirt and bacteria because they’re in constant contact with your face and hair.”

Green Fibres further suggests: "If you don't have time to strip the whole bed mid-week, just throw the sheet and pillowcases into the wash instead. They collect the most sweat, dirt and bacteria because they're in constant contact with your face and hair."