Tag: morning

Don’t Make Your Bed First Thing in the Morning

You’ve probably heard that making your bed every morning sets a productive tone for the day.

But according to science (and a healthy dose of common sense), your well-made bed might actually be trapping in something a little…gross.

Here’s the deal: when we sleep, our bodies release heat and sweat, which get absorbed into our sheets and blankets. If you immediately make your bed after getting up, you’re essentially locking in that warm, damp environment—prime real estate for dust mites.

These microscopic critters feed on dead skin cells and thrive in moist conditions, which makes your tightly tucked-in sheets feel like a luxury resort. Cozy for them, not so much for your sinuses.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America even lists dust mites as one of the major indoor allergens. So yeah, letting them party under your comforter isn’t exactly ideal.

Experts recommend giving your bed time to breathe. Just peel back the covers and let the air circulate for about 30 to 60 minutes. Crack a window if the weather’s nice or turn on a fan for a bit of ventilation. This simple step helps your bedding dry out and makes it less inviting for mites, mildew, and musty smells.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to abandon bed-making altogether. In fact, a study from the National Sleep Foundation found that people who do make their beds are 19% more likely to report getting a good night’s sleep. So once you’ve aired it out, go ahead and fluff those pillows and straighten your duvet with pride.

In short: give your bed a breather before making it look Instagram-worthy. Your sinuses (and maybe your sleep) will thank you.

This Math Formula Can Determine If You Got Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed

Someone has created a ridiculously overcomplicated math formula to figure out if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Of course, you probably don’t need a formula to tell you that… especially if it’s a Monday… since most of us already know by the time we’ve burned our toast or stubbed a toe.

This “morning mood” equation factors in all sorts of daily variables, like how long you spend eating breakfast, exercising, showering, doing your makeup, wrangling the kids, or whatever else qualifies as your “getting ready” routine. It also includes the number of hours you slept and the exact time you got up.

It looks intimidating, but it’s not actually that hard to do. You will, however, need a pen, paper, and the patience of someone who hasn’t been awake for only 20 minutes.

Here’s the breakdown:

  1. Take the number of minutes you spent eating breakfast. Double it.
  2. Add that to the number of minutes you spent exercising and showering. Write that total down for later.
  3. Now, take the number of hours you slept. Subtract it from eight, then add one.
  4. Multiply that by the number of hours your wake-up time was away from 7:12 a.m., PLUS one. (Yes, 7:12 specifically… don’t ask.) Write this number down too.
  5. Take the first number you wrote down, and divide it by your second number.
  6. Finally, add that result to HALF the number of minutes you spent on other “getting ready” activities.

If your final total is more than 37, congratulations: You woke up on the right side of the bed. If it’s 37 or less, well… maybe don’t talk to anyone until you’ve had coffee.

(Here’s video of a British mathematician explaining it, but it doesn’t make it easier to wrap your head around. For what it’s worth, I did it and got a 33, which means I got up on the wrong side today.)

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