Leaving bed unmade could kill Dust mite

Dust Mite

Dust mites are everywhere, and feed on scales of human skin; they also produce allergens that can be inhaled during sleep. And approximately 1.5 million of them are hanging out with you every night when you go to sleep. When you return from running and screaming around your room, here's the solution to get rid of them: Don't make the bed! The bugs are happiest in a warm, moist environment and are more likely to die off when that environment changes. Keeping the sheets wide open helps in their demise.

However, a segment on NBC’s Today show recently revealed a decade-old theory from BBC News that suggests there is one thing you can do to keep the mites at bay — stop making your bed.

 A Kingston University study discovered the bugs cannot survive in the warm, dry conditions found in an unmade bed. The average bed could be home to up to 1.5 million house dust mites. The bugs, which are less than a millimeter long, feed on scales of human skin and produce allergens which are easily inhaled during sleep. The warm, damp conditions created in an occupied bed are ideal for the creatures, but they are less likely to thrive when moisture is in shorter supply. 'Small glands' The scientists developed a computer model to track how changes in the home can reduce numbers of dust mites in beds. Researcher Dr Stephen Pretlove said: "We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body. "Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die."