We all have our set morning routine, and for many of us, making the bed is a non-negotiable part of this. As important and habitual as brushing our teeth, and just as satisfying when it’s done. It seems like a simple thing, but this small act of making the bed is more important than you might think. So much so, in fact, that it’s referred to as a ‘keystone habit.’ That is, a habit that kick starts a subsequent pattern - or rather chain reaction - of other positive, productive behaviours. . Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, enforces this theory of bed-making as a success-building habit, with his findings that making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity and a greater sense of wellbeing. This sentiment was echoed by Navy Seal William H. McCraven in his 2014 commencement speech at the University of Texas, where he advised graduates, ’If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.’ The mechanism for the effect is that making your bed gives a sense of accomplishment, which then sets the tone for the rest of the day. It also reinforces the importance of the small ‘wins’ in life, the collective of which can do more for health and happiness than anything else. Then, of course, there’s the mental health benefits of coming home to a neat bed and an organised environment at the end of a long day. All these factors come together to mean that bed makers are happier, and often more successful than their messy-bedded peers, so says a survey by hunch.com . They are also more likely to be adventurous, confident and sociable and get better rest at night (National Sleep Foundation).