We hear all the time about how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. Not only do we look and feel better when we get enough beauty sleep, not getting enough can cause long-term issues. According to the CDC, a lack of Z’s is a public health problem that’s linked to all kinds of bad stuff, like diabetes and depression.

So you know you need plenty of sleep every night, but believe it or not, your bedding could be part of the reason you’re not getting it. It’s kinda gross, but skin cells, sweat and other body funk can keep air from flowing freely through your sheets and blankets. EW, right? Luckily, there are easy fixes to get you snoozing soon.

Sheets – You should be washing these once a week to get them fresh and clean. Supima cotton is soft and strong and holds up well to those frequent washings, but it doesn’t matter if you’re a flannel or silk sheet girl, get them in the laundry weekly.

Mattress – If you want to protect your mattress, get a cover for it. Professor of microbiology Dr. Philip Tierno explains that it’ll keep any spills from seeping into your mattress and even protect it from dust mites – which happen to feast on your skin cells. So get one that blocks allergens and don’t worry, lazy girl – you only have to wash it twice a year in warm water with gentle soap. Not a lot of extra work for a whole lot less ick.

Pillows – You might not have ever realized this, but you can wash your pillows. And it turns out, you should be tossing them in the washer every three months! Whoops! Keep the load balanced by only washing two at a time in warm water, then run the rinse cycle twice and finally pop them in the dryer on low. Or you can skip that and just invest in allergen-blocking pillow covers that you can wash every time you wash your sheets.

You’ll be sleeping like a baby in no time and we’ll never tell anyone how nasty your bedding was before.

Source: Women’s Health Magazine