The wild reason you should never go to bed with wet hair

We call this nightmare fuel

According to a recent survey, there’s one major hygiene faux pas most people are committing at bedtime, and it could have some pretty dire consequences. 

We’ve all heard (and seen) the frightful stories involving hotel beds with suspicious stains, but according to recent trending TikToks and research surveys, there may be far more worrying hygiene horrors close to home. 

Hygiene in the bedroom has been trending as of late, with brands and creators everywhere warning of potential exposure to bacteria and dust while we slumber. 

Alongside the countless brands boasting the benefits of ‘silver-treated’ pillowcases and bacteria-zapping air purifiers, TikToker @davechensky recently shared a now-viral video exposing the shocking dust and debris hiding in the average seemingly clean mattress. 

While most consumers are aware of the skin and sleep benefits of certain pillowcase fabrics and breathable bedsheets (and therefore the importance of regularly cleaning and changing them) one recent survey by Happy Beds has highlighted a crucial area of our bed we may be overlooking. 

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Fabric headboards, as stylish as they may look in the bedroom, could be harbouring a whole range of nasties, experts say. And according to the survey results, most of us aren’t properly cleaning them (if at all!).

53 per cent of fabric headboard owners revealed they had never cleaned the bedroom statement piece, likely exposing themselves to a build-up of dust mites, bed bugs and harmful bacteria. 

But what does the moisture level of our hair have to do with anything? According to experts behind the survey, resting your wet head of hair on your fabric headboard while you scroll through Instagram or make a dent in your newest book.

Experts warn against resting wet hair on your headboard. Image: iStock

Resting wet hair (even if freshly washed) against your headboard creates the perfect humid breeding ground for mites thanks to the warmth and moisture. As comfortable as it may be to prop yourself up against your headboard, if you’ve just hopped out of the shower, try to avoid direct contact. 

Experts suggest washing your bedding weekly to prevent any harmful buildup of dust, mites and bacteria (a habit that, unless you’re an 18-year-old University fresher, you should hopefully already be doing).

To really ensure your weekly bedding cleaning is thorough, take a page out of TikToker Dave Chen’s book and run your Dyson over your mattress a few times to collect up any dust build-ups too. 

So what impact can harbouring dust mites in your bedding and headboard have on your health? According to some studies, often the damage occurs long before people have a chance to intervene. Early-life exposure to dust mites has been associated with wheezing in children within the first year of life, and asthma developing from the ages of 12 to 36 months old. Additionally, minor allergies can in turn result in symptoms that can impact the ability to sleep, such as a runny nose. 

Your nighttime routine could be seriously risking your health. Image: iStock

More hygiene tips and tricks to keep your bed free of nasties

#1. Never keep a pillow for over two years

According to the collected data from Happy Bed’s bedding calculator, one-third of people surveyed had kept their current pillow for over two years. The risk of exposure to dust mites increases exponentially with each year, given the incremental accumulation of dust. Despite being invisible to the naked eye, one gram of dust can house hundreds of dust mites.

#2. Don’t forget to clean the inner corners of your headboard 

According to experts, the inner corners of fabric headboards are the perfect hiding spots for bed bugs, sheltering them from light– and your eyes. Exposure to bed bugs not only risks their dreaded bite but also increases the likelihood of developing anxiety and experiencing sleep disturbances. 

#3. Avoid resting your pillow on the headrest

On average, a person sweats up to 5.5 litres every day, with the number only increasing for those who exercise regularly. In addition, drooling on your pillow each night only further adds moisture to the mix. This sweat and drool can transfer to your headboard when you rest your pillow against it, creating a perfect environment for bacteria and fungi to thrive. Exposure to these nasties can cause skin irritation, cracking and peeling. 

Originally published as The wild reason you should never go to bed with wet hair