I admit that I am a bit of a hypocrite. Shortly after I finished typing the headline, I took a look at my bed. What a picture of slovenliness! The pillows have been disrobed, the sheets creased and the blanket swirled into a rosebud at the foot of the bed. To this canvas, my spouse has added his own artistic touch — a wet towel and a snack wrapper thrown into the mix. So why am I here to preach to you about the importance of making your bed first thing in the morning?

Because on days when I did make the bed, I have seen a marked difference in my mood and my overall productivity. The bed is, quite frankly, the bedrock of fruitful day.

The importance of making your bed

Sleep is important for us to function properly when we are awake. I read somewhere that we spend 26 years of our lives sleeping, and sleep is the cornerstone of good health. And what’s the cornerstone for good sleep? A good bed.

You don’t need me to tell you that a well-made bed is inviting and comforting. At the end of a long, rough day, there’s nothing like slumping down on a soft, clean mattress with a crisp blanket over your tired body. Conversely, an untidy, unmade bed is a stressor. Just the thought of wading through your books, laptop chords and other paraphernalia to find a clean spot to lay your head can disturb your peace of mind.

So if your sleep quality is meh or worse, it’s time to take a good look at the state of your bed.

Granted that the first thing on your mind when you wake up is not a chore. But the flaw here is thinking of tidying your bed as a chore in the first place.

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” – Admiral William H McRaven

According to a survey by Sleepopolis, if you tidy your bed daily, you are most likely a morning person who doesn’t need an alarm clock. You are also more likely to have sex three times a week ( Rrrr) and be more adventurous, confident, sociable and high maintenance.

The same survey also found that 62% of people sleep better when they sleep in a tidy, organised bedroom.

Quoting Admiral William H McRaven, probably the fiercest advocate of tidying the bed: “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.”

The idea is to accomplish a little thing that goes on to set the tone for the day. You start on a positive note. And for some reason, if you come back home feeling miserable, you have a perfectly well-made bed waiting to comfort you. The situation is win-win. The same can be said about accomplishing other unpleasant tasks like washing dishes.