For years, making the bed has been framed as a symbol of discipline, responsibility, and personal success. This idea gained widespread attention after a well-known commencement speech suggested that completing this small task each morning could set the tone for a productive life. While the message resonated with many people, it also raised a broader question: does skipping the daily habit of making the bed actually reveal something meaningful about a person’s psychology?
Modern psychology offers a more nuanced answer. Research does not support the idea that leaving a bed unmade is a sign of poor character, lack of motivation, or failure. Instead, daily routines such as bed-making reflect differences in personality traits, biological rhythms, and personal priorities. These differences are shaped by genetics, environment, and lifestyle rather than moral values.
Understanding this distinction is important, especially in a culture that often equates productivity with personal worth.
Daily Habits and Personality: What Science Supports
Psychologists generally agree that everyday habits can reflect aspects of personality, but they are not reliable indicators of overall competence or success. Personality is complex and typically measured using validated frameworks rather than single behaviors.
One of the most widely accepted models in psychology is the Big Five personality framework. It describes personality across five broad dimensions: conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability. Among these, conscientiousness is most strongly associated with organization, planning, and preference for structure.
People who score higher in conscientiousness are more likely to maintain routines, including household tasks such as making the bed. However, lower conscientiousness does not imply irresponsibility. It often reflects flexibility, spontaneity, or a lower emphasis on order as a source of well-being.
Importantly, personality traits exist on a spectrum. Most people fall somewhere in the middle rather than at extremes, and no single trait determines life outcomes on its own.
Chronotype and Morning Routines
Another key factor influencing morning habits is chronotype. Chronotype refers to an individual’s natural preference for sleep and wake times. Some people function best early in the morning, while others reach peak alertness later in the day. This variation is strongly influenced by biological mechanisms that regulate circadian rhythms.
Scientific research has shown that chronotype has a genetic component and remains relatively stable across adulthood. It is not simply a matter of discipline or lifestyle choice. Evening-oriented individuals often experience reduced alertness in the early morning hours, which can affect how they prioritize tasks immediately after waking.
As a result, skipping nonessential morning activities, such as making the bed, may reflect alignment with one’s biological rhythm rather than a lack of structure or motivation.
Conscientiousness Does Not Equal Success
While conscientiousness is associated with certain positive outcomes, such as reliability and long-term planning, it is not the only trait linked to achievement or creativity. Research consistently shows that openness to experience plays a major role in problem-solving, adaptability, and innovation.
People who place less emphasis on rigid routines may allocate their energy toward creative thinking, strategic planning, or abstract problem-solving. In professional settings, both structured and flexible working styles can be effective depending on the role and environment.
Psychology does not support the idea that one daily habit can predict career success, intelligence, or life satisfaction. Outcomes are influenced by a combination of personality traits, skills, social context, and opportunity.
Cleanliness, Health, and Evidence-Based Claims
It is sometimes suggested that making the bed is essential for hygiene or health. While maintaining a clean sleeping environment is important, scientific evidence does not support the claim that making the bed immediately upon waking is necessary for physical well-being.
Health authorities emphasize regular laundering of bedding, adequate ventilation, and good sleep hygiene practices such as consistent sleep schedules and reduced screen exposure before bedtime. Whether a bed is neatly arranged during the day has not been shown to significantly affect sleep quality or overall health.
This distinction matters because it separates evidence-based health guidance from cultural assumptions about cleanliness and order.
Personal Autonomy and Habit Formation
From a psychological perspective, habits are most beneficial when they align with an individual’s values and needs. Behavior change research shows that people are more likely to maintain routines that feel meaningful rather than imposed.
For some individuals, making the bed provides a sense of completion and mental clarity. For others, it holds little emotional or practical value. Neither approach is inherently superior.
Psychologists emphasize self-regulation over rigid rule-following. Effective self-regulation involves choosing behaviors that support personal goals, energy levels, and mental health.
Cultural Influence on Perceptions of Order
Attitudes toward household order are also shaped by cultural norms. In some cultures, tidiness is closely linked to respectability and social responsibility. In others, personal comfort and flexibility are prioritized.
These norms influence how people judge themselves and others. Psychology cautions against assigning moral meaning to behaviors that are largely cultural or preference-based.
Understanding this context helps reduce unnecessary self-criticism and promotes a more balanced view of personal habits.
What Research Does Not Support
It is important to clarify what psychology does not support. There is no credible evidence that skipping bed-making is associated with lower intelligence, poor work ethic, or negative personality traits as a whole. Similarly, there is no evidence that making the bed guarantees productivity, discipline, or success.
Single behaviors are weak predictors of complex psychological outcomes. Reputable psychological research relies on patterns across many behaviors and validated assessments rather than isolated habits.
A More Accurate Perspective
From an evidence-based standpoint, whether someone makes their bed each morning reflects personal preference, biological rhythm, and individual priorities. It does not define character, ability, or potential.
Psychology encourages moving away from simplistic narratives and toward a more compassionate understanding of human behavior. Productivity and well-being are not one-size-fits-all concepts, and healthy routines vary widely between individuals.
Conclusion
The idea that making or not making the bed reveals deep truths about a person’s character is not supported by modern psychology. Research shows that daily habits are shaped by personality traits, circadian biology, and cultural influences rather than moral virtue.
A well-lived life is not built on a single morning routine but on sustained behaviors that support mental health, purpose, and balance. Understanding this allows people to focus less on symbolic habits and more on choices that genuinely improve their well-being.