Leaving it until tomorrow to tidy away that pile of clothes could cause you more problems than you realise - and not only when you trip over it as you stumble to the loo at 3am.
Researchers found that people with a tendancy to accrue clutter in their living environment - considered to be at risk of a hoarding disorder according to their score on a Clutter and Hoarding Rating Scale - took longer to fall asleep than their tidier counterparts. This left them feeling more exhausted in the day, which could in turn, make the tendency to hoard, worse.
So, it's basically a vicious cycle.
Dr Pamela Thacher, a psychologist at St Lawrence University, New York, explained: 'Hoarders typically have problems with decision making and executive function; poor sleep is known to compromise cognition generally.
'So if hoarders have cluttered or unusable bedrooms, and less comfortable, functional beds, any existing risk for cognitive dysfunction, depression and stress may increase as sleep quality worsens.'
The best thing to do is to try to nip things in the bud and avoid letting the mess get out of control, particularly if you're someone prone to untidiness. Boring, but true!
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.