this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2025
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Unpopular Opinion

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... And at worst, actively making your bedroom less functional and more cumbersome to use. The arguments I hear in favor of it are completely asinine and I will address them one by one.

  1. It makes it more comfortable to sleep in.

I have absolutely no idea where that comes from. Do you all sleep like Dracula? My bedding is usually tussled about within minutes of me laying in bed. Blankets balled up for knee support, one leg sticking out for temperature venting. I couldn't imagine sliding under the covers and laying perfectly supine like Vladimir Lenin.

  1. It doesn't take much time, so you might as well do it.

I find any task not worth my time to be a waste, so unless it has a purpose, it is actively infuriating to do.

  1. It looks nice. And an unmade bed looks lazy

Given that this is an entirely subjective reason, I can't exactly "disagree" with it. But if there was someone I trust enough to be in my bedroom, I'm not going to waste my time convincing you that I do not, in fact, sleep in my bed.

Not to mention that if you want to nap or even sit on the end of the bed, you have to make it again. It is an incredibly unstable artwork, making me avoid using my bed unless I really need to.

If you make your bed, I have no judgment for you. Just like people who fold designs into the ends of their toilet paper. I couldn't imagine caring about something like that, but it literally doesn't affect me at all, so go nuts.

But I think we should be honest and call it what it is: some kind of shameful cleaning ritual that is probably some vestigial military chore, and I want nothing to do with it.

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 1 points 16 minutes ago* (last edited 14 minutes ago)

To me, "making my bed" is only done when the bedding needs to be removed from the bed to be washed and then put back on the bed again.

Does anyone really give a shit seeing a bed with the covers just left where they were after waking up and getting out of bed?

Like if you were gonna sleep with someone, would you be turned off if when you got to their bedroom, the blanket was crumpled off to one side?

[–] limelight79@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

For me, it's a huge headache saver. We have a 60 lb dog who likes to get into bed with us, along with one of our cats. If I don't make my side of the bed prior to my wife and the dog getting in, I'm probably not going to have usable sheets and blankets for the night. Wherever the sheets are when he decides to hop in, that's where they're staying.

So, I definitely make at least my side of the bed every day, at some point. Not usually right away in the morning, but it definitely gets done. I don't go all out on it, just get the sheet and blanket (and comforter, in winter) in essentially the right position for me. It's critical for a good night of sleep.

And, yes, we probably shouldn't have let him in the bed in the first place. Lesson learned. That's a whole other story. But the damage is done.

[–] TheodorAlforno@feddit.org 5 points 2 hours ago

Back in the days, mattresses were made of straw or other natural materials. Blankets and pillows were stuffed with feathers until recently. And people were not able to heat their bedrooms sufficiently during winter. Back in those days, you had to make your bed in order to air it and dry it from sweat. Otherwise it would start to get moldy really quickly.

Today, synthetic materials and central heating / air conditioning have eliminated the need for a strict humidity management in the bedroom. But it's still stuck in people's heads that making your bed is absolutely vital. I guess it'll take another one or two generations for it to become irrelevant.

[–] head_socj@midwest.social 4 points 2 hours ago (3 children)

Don't make your bed then? I hope you're being facetious, cuz all I'm getting from this is two things:

You are obsessively preoccupied with other people

You are irrationally critical of people's behavior that has literally nothing to do with you.

Truthfully; no one gives a fuck about you or your bed. Go outside

[–] JargonWagon@lemmy.world 1 points 21 minutes ago

Probably just hating on Jordan Peterson and venting. I get it - I don't like making the bed, but it's not like there just aren't benefits of doing so lol

  1. Having a tidy living space helps to provide some, and myself, with mental clarity. Honestly not sure how much of this is backed by science, and I'm lazy and don't want to look it up, but it seems to be true from personal experience.

  2. If you have a thin sheet and a duvet, that stupid thin sheet can get all fucked up over time and you have to take the whole duvet off to fix the thin sheet and then making the bed becomes a much more annoying process. Doing at least a quick tidy up each night helps prevent having to do all of that.

Like you said, they should just leave others to living life the way they want to if it helps them and isn't hurting anyone else. That's like if someone said they hate it if someone eats broccoli from the stem first instead of the top. Like, who cares they're eating healthy, leave them alone lol

[–] MrSusan@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

Might just be a kid being Rebellious

[–] starelfsc2@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 hours ago

I agree people are not allowed to talk about things other people say are important, and if they do they are obsessed or irrational.

[–] Gild@lemmy.zip 11 points 5 hours ago

It took you longer to write this post then it does for me to fix my bed in the morning.

[–] kieron115@startrek.website 2 points 4 hours ago

It's also a pain in the ass if you don't have a lot of space around your bed. My parent's "camp" has a queen bed in basically a cubby and the only way to completely change the sheets to to hunch down on what's basically a side sill for the bed and contort yourself over it to stretch the sheets from corner to corner without having to kneel on the bed for support. I just stopped using a fitted sheet and throw a new top sheet on it once a week or so. works fine. plus its in a cubby so nobody sees the mess.

[–] 8000gnat@reddthat.com 5 points 6 hours ago

fediverse moment

[–] Sackeshi@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago

When I get the care to do it, its nice having a neat room.

[–] polderprutser@feddit.nl 4 points 6 hours ago

I make my bed because my cats will absolutely shed all their hairs on my side of the bed that one time I forgot to do it. Slightly allergic, so I learned fast lol.

[–] DJKJuicy@sh.itjust.works 6 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Some people function better when things are organized and orderly, some function better when things are disorganized and in disarray, some function the same either way.

It is what it is. An orderly, organized bedroom feels great to sleep in to me, and might not matter at all to someone else.

Whatever the case, anyone judging me because my bed is either made or not made can fuck right off.

Edit: upvoted for unpopularity, as one does.

[–] Wolf@lemmy.today 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

It makes it more comfortable to sleep in.

I have absolutely no idea where that comes from. Do you all sleep like Dracula? My bedding is usually tussled about within minutes of me laying in bed. Blankets balled up for knee support, one leg sticking out for temperature venting. I couldn't imagine sliding under the covers and laying perfectly supine like Vladimir Lenin.

Lol, it's not about "laying perfectly supine", it's about what you are laying on. Yes, you will probably get a couple of small wrinkles by just getting in bed and getting comfortable, but if you never make your bed you will be laying on hundreds of very big wrinkles. To me the comfort level of laying in a made bed and a super messy one is night and day. If you can't tell a difference, consider yourself lucky.

Pro tip: instead of balling up your blankets for knee support, keep an extra pillow on your bed specifically for that purpose. I have an old "king size" pillow I use that supports me from balls to ankles. It has helped my back tremendously.

[–] kieron115@startrek.website 2 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

One way to solve that would be get linen bed sheets. Expensive, yes, but linen is basically pre-wrinkled and gets softer with age. Instead of hundreds of very big wrinkles you'll have thousands of basically permanent small wrinkles. If it really gets bad you can just throw em in the dryer on cool and let that de-wrinkle them but I find it easier to just lean into the wrinkled "cottage" look.

[–] bier@feddit.nl 6 points 9 hours ago (1 children)
  1. Is raises the chance of having sex, at least for my wife she definitely gets more in the mood when we go to bed and the bedroom looks clean and nice.
[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 9 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

Yeah, but how often is your wife in OP's bedroom?

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

You'd be surprised. Actually, on second thought, maybe you wouldn't.

[–] bier@feddit.nl 2 points 5 hours ago

About as often as I am in OPs bedroom..

[–] dreary8154@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 9 hours ago

How about when you have crumbs all over the bed after snaccing and you need a less itchy place to lie down.

[–] insaneinthemembrane@lemmy.world 7 points 11 hours ago

I prefer to air the bed during the day so I pull the covers down to the end and fold over once. Pillows are reset so they're fresh and comfy to start the night. Maybe later in the day I'll pull the covers up but doesn't later since it's all neat anyway.

None of that is performative, it's about freshness and comfort.

[–] Kocia_miemta@szmer.info 7 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

My room is really small, and I don't have space for a couch for example, so if I would want to lay down and I'm in outdoor clothes, I would rather kill myself than to lay down in unmade bed while wearing jeans that saw every sort of dirt and dust

[–] nope@jlai.lu 2 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

In that case, are you fully doing your bed every time, or just putting the duvet or whatever flat on the mattress so that it's protecting it ?

[–] j_elgato@leminal.space 16 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

If you dial the resolution back beyond the bed, you have the whole human experience.

Finding meaning within a finite existence framed against the infinite is not easy but, if you pick up your fucking room a little, maybe it can be done with a bit more class and comfort?

[–] burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 hours ago

Lmao, matey. If you're defining class and comfort by the making of a bed, you might need to dial the resolution back even further.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

Generally speaking, I agree with you, for many people... yeah there isn't really any real compelling reason to habitually do this.

However, there are fairly common circumstances where this does actually make sense:

Maybe you just have a tad of OCD, and well... this'll make you feel a bit more steady and comfortable, and it doesn't really hurt anyone, assuming you're not full blown OCD doing it over and over and over because its never perfect.

Maybe you are mildy to moderately depressed... and... just being able to have any kind of regular structure, regular task that you can accomplish... maybe that means you're not a completely useless piece of shit, and if you can keep up this good habit, and give yourself a pat on the back each time... maybe that means you can start to step up toward more, or bigger tasks.

Maybe you're a bit ADHD, and its... anchoring, helpful, to have that same just bit of predictable structure or routine, to help you get your day started.

Maybe you have a cPTSD / Trauma response to a messy bed from associating it with very shitty situations in your past, and... having a made bed just removes a trigger for you.

...

Or maybe you have pets, or toddlers, and don't want to 'lose' them, lol, or have their uh, debris of whatever sort, just get everywhere in the bed.

Maybe you live in a studio and eat food on your bed, clip your nails on it, and you adopt a regular 'crumb removal from your bed' routine as basically just a hygeine pattern, like brushing your teeth or hair or what not.

Maybe your heat went out or its just fucking freezing, and having a properly made bed makes it just a bit warmer to get into for sleep.

Maybe you have very fancy, high maintenance bedding, that will wrinkle and deform if not regularly ... re normalized?

(Yeah I dunno, this is apparently a thing, I am apparently either too simple or broke a man to have ever entertained the idea of a high maintenance bed, but apparently people do?)

[–] J92@lemmy.world 11 points 23 hours ago

Those are the only reasons you've ever heard?

I can't speak for others, but my sleep is not clean. I can wake up with half the pillows I started with, and the duvet sometimes spun a 180, so the buttons are up by my head. Ive woken up with my arm inside the duvet cover.
My making the bed resets all that. Gets the pillows off the floor or out from behind the headboard, and it turns the duvet round again so I can just flick one corner open and climb in of an evening.

Also when Ive lived with dogs and cats. It kept their hair from getting between the duvet and bedsheet, coz I really enjoy the idea of pets using my bed when I'm not.

Also it stops sex sweat from being in the sleep zone

[–] phantomwise@lemmy.ml 5 points 20 hours ago

I had no idea people past my grandmother's generation still felt compelled to make their bed... I thought we had collectively grown past the compulsion to do pointless tasks like this, along with other wastes of time like manually wiping the dishes or ironing everything including the dish cloth. Maybe that's just me, though.

(I'm not talking about doing it if you want to because you like it, only about the expectation that you should be doing it no matter what.)

[–] burgerpocalyse@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

end every sentence with MOM!

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

But if there was someone I trust enough to be in my bedroom, I’m not going to waste my time convincing you that I do not, in fact, sleep in my bed.

If this is really how you feel, then I suppose I can't dispute you. But this is like saying, "why would I comb my hair? Anyone I want to talk to is okay talking to me as I am."

Sure..... But most people care about things like this. Maybe not explicitly - most people don't explicitly think to themselves "ugh, an unmade bed. What a loser." But on a subconscious emotional level, this is essentially what is happening. As a society, we've decided a made bed looks better than an unmade bed. That you have failed to make your bed prior to someone entering your bedroom indicates a lack of willingness or ability to confirm to social norms. This, then, typically corresponds to individuals with low social status, and lowers others' opinions of you. Again, this happens on an entirely emotional, subconscious level for almost everyone most of the time. But the fact is, it happens.

Hence, when I'm going to have guests in my bedroom, I make my bed. I don't make my bed every day - I just don't care that much. But I will 100% make my bed if I'm expecting someone else to see it, just like I would sweep the floors and comb my hair.

[–] starelfsc2@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago

I kinda agree but for me and I think almost all of my friends it's the opposite. It feels like they're making the house "fake clean" like we're not just hanging out and this is some big event for me to be over. It's like how it would be weird to make your bed before your brother walks into the room, you're not trying to impress anyone that's just your room.

[–] HailSeitan@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] racketlauncher831@lemmy.ml 6 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

I don't make my bed too, but I swear there is some psychological/ritual shit going on in there. Another example would be why go to the church. Can't we just pray and confess on our own balcony?

Why hang up Christmas lights only to take them down a week later?

Why read when (if) we can inject knowledge into our brain?

Why workout when we can just inject steroids?

Some of there stuff are more of a waste of time than others, and I suspect it is the reason OP has this (un)popular opinion.

[–] JandroDelSol@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago

shameful cleaning ritual is a bit of a harsh descriptor, but hard agree with everything you said.

[–] klemptor@startrek.website 6 points 1 day ago

I like it to look nice and neat. Mess and disorder puts me on edge. I like the bed made with the pillows fluffed and throw pillows placed in a certain way. And I do feel like it's more comfortable to sleep in a bed that has been made, because the pillows are fluffed and all the sheets are smoothed out and evenly distributed between my husband and me. I do just get in bed and turn over, I don't rearrange anything, and instead of a blanket I have my hubby for knee support :)

[–] Tetragrade@leminal.space -2 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

Agreed. Same reason I dont clean my dishes, or wipe.

[–] nope@jlai.lu 9 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

Not wiping means you'll damage your rear-end, or maybe get ill, and smell bad. Not doing your dishes will make you ill in the end.

I don't see how not making my bed will make me ill, do enlighten me !

[–] Tetragrade@leminal.space 2 points 9 hours ago

Woke progoagnda

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