Where to Sleep If You Have Bed Bugs: Complete Guide
The thought that you are sharing the bed with bed bugs is more than enough to make you look for a different bed or room to sleep in. The goal is to avoid being bitten by them, which is vital for getting a good night’s sleep, before you take a more aggressive step, such as wiping them out via some DIY solutions or with the help of professional exterminators.
In the meantime, your priority is to get 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye without being bugged by bed bugs.
So, where should you sleep if you have bed bugs?
Professional exterminators highly recommend sleeping in the same bed with bed bugs. Sleeping in a different bed is a bad idea as it can cause the infestation to spread, as a result of bed bugs looking for a host to feed on. It can make exterminating bed bugs more difficult and expensive.
One of the smartest steps that you can take if you have bed bugs is to keep the problem from worsening, such as by causing those creepy crawlers to spread from your bed to another bed or a piece of furniture in a different room in your home.
While coming up with a plan on how to deal with the infestation effectively, it is a good idea to keep on sleeping in the infested bed every night to keep the rest of your home and loved ones out of harm’s way.
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Sleeping on a Bed in Another Room
Spending the night in a different bed in another room in your home may seem the wisest step to take to avoid waking up with bed bug bites on exposed areas of the body.
Even without seeing any bed bug, it is easy to tell that there is a bed bug problem because of the presence of bed bug bites, which are characterized by the following:
- Raised red bumps that have clear centers, although some people describe their bed bug bites as having dark centers and lighter-colored surrounding areas. Some may be surrounded by blisters, too.
- Present on areas that are not covered by pajamas or other nighttime garments, usually including the face, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, legs, and feet. Sleeping with no clothes on if there is a bed bug infestation is a no-no!
Here’s a quick fact: Did you know that not all people experience itchy bed bug bites?
Some are extremely sensitive to bed bug bites, which is why they tend to develop severe symptoms, with itchiness leading the list. Others may simply encounter inflammation and irritation with little to no itchiness.
If you think that you can avoid ending up with bed bug bites by sleeping elsewhere, think again. It is the worst thing that you can do as it can cause the infestation to spread to other home furnishings and areas!
Just like with many other problems in life, it is best to put an end to your issue with bed bugs by dealing with it straight on. It is completely up to you whether you prefer to do it the DIY route or with the help of professional exterminators.
No matter your preference, always remember that you should keep on sleeping in the same bed while coming up with a plan. This is why it is a good idea to make a decision as soon as you possibly can.
Sleeping On Another Bed or Couch
There are different reasons why, no matter where you sleep, the problem will remain. You can think of spending the night in a different bed or on the sofa as using a band-aid, which is not a fix.
Other than it only masks the issue, it can also make it worse by encouraging those bed bugs to spread as they will try to hunt you down.
Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs cannot jump high like cat and dog fleas can. They can neither fly, experts confirm. What they can do, however, is crawl really fast, which is why they can spread quickly.
Finding where you are is easy for bed bugs to do. It is because they have sensors that can detect your body heat.
These sensors can also help bed bugs locate you by means of your scent and other bodily chemicals, as well as the carbon dioxide that you exhale each time you take a breath.
Even if they cannot find you, bed bugs can easily look for a different host to feed on using their built-in sensors, such as a family member of yours sleeping in the adjacent room.
So, in short, no matter where you sleep with bed bugs you can’t hide from them! Their ability to locate human skin and their desire to eat is enough to make them leave an unoccupied bed and head to one with a person sleeping in it.
Booking a Room In a Hotel
Refrain from assuming that sleeping in a room far away from your bed that is infested with bed bugs can keep those pesky insects from following you.
According to experts, bed bugs can live without feeding for almost a month. In some instances, depending on the temperature and humidity levels, they can survive without having a taste of your blood for up to 400 long days. That’s a little over a year!
It only means that staying in a hotel, which is a very costly option, won’t do the trick. The same is true for staying at the house of a relative or friend, which, by the way, should leave you feeling guilty.
That’s because you may cause a nasty bed bug infestation to erupt there as your luggage may have some bed bugs from your home.
Needless to say, those bed bugs will still be there when you come back, ready to feast on your blood that they have grown to love. The bottom line is: sleeping in a different bed or furniture is not the solution.
Just Before You Attempt to Sleep Elsewhere
Other than being very good at biting you, bed bugs are also highly skillful when it comes to looking for a different host to feed on. In other words, they can easily follow you around, thanks to the warmth and smell of your body, as well as the carbon dioxide that you exhale.
The best thing that you can do is sleep in the same bed with bed bugs. Doing so will keep them from spreading to other furniture or room in your home, causing the infestation to worsen.
Luckily, you don’t have to share the bed with bed bugs for a long time. The sooner that you take the necessary steps to get rid of them, the quicker that your bed bug problem will end.
When it comes to acting on the bed bug infestation, there are many options. On the internet, you can easily come across DIY or home remedies, ranging from spraying trouble spots with rubbing alcohol to using a steam cleaner.
However, most of the time, they are effective only for mild cases. If the problem is severe, it is a better idea to leave the task to professional exterminators. But no matter what you do, never sleep in a different bed or room!
Related Questions
Can bed bugs spread diseases through their bites?
Health authorities say that, unlike mosquitoes and other insects, bed bugs are not known to spread diseases through their bites. However, they can cause sleep deprivation, which can lower the immune system and make a person susceptible to getting contagious diseases.
Will sleeping with the lights on keep bed bugs from biting?
It is true that bed bugs hate the light, which is one of the reasons why they come out to feed very early in the morning only. Sadly, bed bugs’ hatred for the light is not as strong as their urge to nourish themselves by drinking your blood.
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