Doctor reveals grim reason you SHOULDN’T make your bed as soon as you get up – and pinpoints exact amount of time to leave it messy

It’s news teenagers, no doubt, will welcome — you really shouldn’t make your bed as soon as you get up, according to a top doctor. 

The reason? Los Angeles based medic Dr Myro Figura claims mattresses, duvets and pillows become reservoirs of human skin cells, encouraging dust mites.

The microscopic bugs, which are usually harmless but can trigger allergies, live in bedding — and a well-made bed will lock in moisture, causing them to thrive.

By contrast, a messy bed in which the sheets are simply tossed aside in the morning and left, creates dry conditions which cause the creatures to dehydrate and die. 

In an Instagram video shared with his 865,000 followers, Dr Figura said: ‘Whether you have a partner or not, you are never sleeping alone.

‘There are over 10million dust mites on an average mattress. If you have a two-year-old pillow, 10 per cent of its weight are dust mites and their poop.

‘Dust mites are not just gross, they produce allergens that can trigger asthma and cause you to feel all stuffed up. 

‘When you sleep, you sweat and they feed on that moisture.’ 

At just 0.25mm big, dust mites are too small for the naked eye to see. They are present in all homes despite normal cleaning.

They do not bite or carry diseases, but for some people the presence of the mites can cause a range of health problems.

Many people with dust mite allergies also have eczema and asthma that is triggered by the bugs — specifically substances found in the dust mites’ faeces.

They can cause rhinitis, a cough, dry eyes, and disturb sleep. Experts claim people might think they have constant colds, when it could actually be dust mites to blame.

‘When you make your bed you’re trapping all of that moisture in and the dust mites are having a party,’ Dr Figura said.

Instead, leaving your bed unmade for an hour or two ‘allows that moisture to dry up and drastically reduces the number of dust mites that can survive’, he advised. 

Bedsheets and pillowcases should be washed at least once a fortnight, but preferably once a week, he added. 

Vacuuming the bed and washing your sheet regularly above 60 degrees can also help kill the mites and reduce their numbers, as, just like bedbugs, they are tolerant to lower temperatures. 

If you do fall victim to dust mites however, experts have long recommended visiting your pharmacist.

Dr Derrick Philips, consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson, previously told MailOnline: ‘House dust mite allergies are common in people with eczema and can trigger skin flares.

‘Flares of eczema can be managed with regular application of emollients, which lock in moisture and repair the skin barrier.

‘For moderate to severe flares, it is best to make an appointment with your doctor or pharmacist and you may require treatment with steroid creams.’