Why Some People Don’t Make Their Bed: The Psychology Behind Morning Habits
In 2014, Admiral William H. McCraven told University of Texas graduates that if they wanted to change the world, they should start by making their bed. The speech went viral, later becoming a book. His message was simple: complete one small task first thing in the morning, and you build momentum for the rest of the day.
“If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right,” he said.
This advice resonated with tidy people but left others questioning whether messy sheets revealed a deeper personal flaw.
What Psychology Says About Bed-Making
Researchers have spent the last decade examining this question. A 2018 survey of 2,000 Americans by OnePoll and Sleepopolis found that skipping bed-making doesn’t signal laziness. Instead, these people tend to be curious, sarcastic night owls, often working in business or finance. They prefer rock music to jazz and enjoy shows like Seinfeld over House Hunters.
Whether you fold hospital corners or leave your duvet in a heap, the choice reflects how you relate to structure, control, and your internal rhythms.
Chronotypes: Morning Larks vs. Night Owls
To understand bed-making habits, psychologists look at chronotype—your natural preference for sleeping and waking. Morning types thrive at sunrise, while evening types peak after midnight.
This isn’t a lifestyle choice. Genes like PER3 and CLOCK shape your circadian rhythms, making your internal clock tick at a different pace from others.
The Role of Personality
Psychologists also examine the Big Five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Research shows that conscientiousness, which measures self-discipline and orderliness, correlates with being a morning person. In fact, a 2024 review of 58,000 participants found that morning people are often naturally more conscientious.
Skipping bed-making doesn’t mean someone lacks discipline. It reflects a constellation of traits, some genetically hardwired, that shape daily behavior.
Night Owls Aren’t Lazy
People who skip making their beds are usually night owls. They hit snooze, wake later, and often lose the battle to the bed, not because they’re lazy, but because their brains still produce melatonin in the early morning.
Studies show evening types sleep longer on weekends to repay sleep debt accumulated during the week. Bed-making often falls low on their priority list—not because of poor habits, but because mornings demand attention elsewhere.
Curiosity and Creativity
Survey results also label non-bed-makers as curious and sarcastic, reflecting the Big Five trait of openness to experience. These individuals tolerate ambiguity, seek novelty, and pursue intellectual stimulation.
Research finds a connection between eveningness, openness, and creativity. People high in openness don’t view mess as a problem, and their brains prioritize exploration over routine.
Cluttered environments may even enhance creativity. A 2013 study in Psychological Science found participants in messy rooms generated more original ideas than those in tidy spaces. For night owls, an unmade bed can be a sign of cognitive freedom, not disorder.
Conscientiousness and Its Limits
Conscientiousness predicts bed-making, punctuality, and reliability. But personality research shows it explains only 7–12% of the variance in morningness. In other words, not making your bed doesn’t make you unconscientious, and making it doesn’t make you a perfect citizen.
Experts note that only about 40% of people need external order to feel mentally clear. The rest organize their day in ways that don’t rely on a tidy bedroom.
Mental Health and Social Jet Lag
Evening chronotypes face structural disadvantages. Schools and workplaces favor early risers, treating night owls as lazy. This mismatch, called social jet lag, can impact mental health.
Studies link eveningness to higher depressive symptoms, stress, and difficulty organizing thoughts. Awareness of chronotype helps. Aligning schedules with natural rhythms improves mood and overall well-being.
Rethinking the “Bed-Making Rule”
Making your bed can boost momentum, but skipping it doesn’t signal failure. Personality traits, circadian rhythms, and work priorities all influence morning routines.
Non-bed-makers are often curious, creative, and flexible. They think strategically, stay up late, and prioritize differently. Your sheets don’t determine your destiny—understanding your wiring does.
