Make Your Small Space Better: Make Your Bed

Here's a tip that will make any small space better in an instant: Make your bed.

Five years ago, I read about Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project in the New York Times, and I was astounded that readers were inspired by her tip to make the bed every day. I wondered, "Who doesn't make their beds?" Since then, I've seen several products come to market that consist of a sheet with a comforter zipped to it, aimed at busy people, who apparently don't have time to make their beds. An informal poll of my co-workers revealed that my peers are just as likely not to make their beds as to make them. It seems I am in the minority with my daily bed making habit.

So, let me echo Rubin. Make your bed. Every single day. 

Rubin argues that we should make our beds to make ourselves happier, and I agree with her that it will make you more content to see a made bed in your home, but let's explore the why, shall we? A double bed takes up 25 square feet, a queen occupies 33, and while I hope you don't have a king in your small space, the biggest mattresses take up 42 square feet or more. In a small home, that is a HUGE percentage of your living space, and in most cases, the bed is a focal point of the room, if not the whole space. A messy bed is automatically going to make your whole home feel like a mess.

Making your bed takes just a few minutes, and it's absolutely worth the effort. If you're not a bed maker, give it a try. Commit to making your bed for one week, and see how you feel. Once you start, I bet you'll wonder why you didn't do it all along.

Need further convincing? Good Housekeeping reports that a National Sleep Foundation poll found that survey participants who reported regularly making their bed were also more likely to say that they got a good night's sleep most nights.

A better looking home, increased happiness, and better sleep? You'd be crazy not to make your bed.

On a side note, I read and enjoyed Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project very much; if you haven't read it, it's worth checking out, and the Kindle edition is just $7.99 on Amazon (it was such a good seller, that I can almost gaurentee your local library has a copy to borrow).