What to Do If You Slept in a Bed with Bed Bugs

What to Do If You Slept in a Bed with Bed Bugs

If you’ve woken up worried you’ve shared a bed with bed bugs, take a breath. Bed bugs are unsettling, but a calm, methodical response stops them spreading and makes eradication faster. As heat-treatment specialists, ThermoPest focuses on evidence-led steps you can take today, and why targeted whole-room heat is the most reliable fix.

Below you’ll find the key facts, what not to do, safe practical actions, and how professional heat treatment eliminates all life stages—including eggs.

What people believe vs reality

• Belief: “I must throw the mattress away.” Reality: Disposal often spreads bugs through the home and stairwells. The mattress can be treated and encased.
• Belief: “If I sleep on the sofa, the bites will stop.” Reality: Moving rooms encourages bed bugs to follow, expanding the infestation.
• Belief: “A quick spray or fog will sort it.” Reality: Most DIY sprays don’t penetrate hiding places or eggs and can scatter bugs into adjacencies.
• Belief: “Bites prove it’s bed bugs.” Reality: Some people do not react at all; others react hours to days later. Confirm by inspection and evidence.

Science‑backed facts about bed bugs

• Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) hide in seams, joints, and cracks a few inches to a few feet from the bed, emerging to feed for 5–10 minutes, typically at night.
• They are excellent hitchhikers in clothing and bags. Keep items contained until laundered or heat-treated.
• There’s no robust evidence they transmit disease, but bites can itch and secondarily infect if scratched. Seek pharmacist or GP advice for severe reactions.
• Eggs are resilient and often protected deep in furniture. Understanding what temperature kills bed bugs is key: eggs need sustained, even heat to be reliably neutralised.

Common mistakes after exposure

• Sleeping in a different room or on the sofa (this spreads the problem).
• Dragging bedding or mattresses through the home without sealing.
• Using household foggers or casual spraying (drives bugs deeper and can create “cold spots” where they survive).
• Overusing dusts like diatomaceous earth (messy, respiratory risk if misapplied, and slow-acting).
• Skipping a proper inspection and relying on bite patterns alone.

Practical steps you can do safely today

1. Contain your clothing and bedding. On rising, place sleepwear and any exposed clothes straight into a dissolvable or sealable bag. Tumble-dry on high (60 °C) for 30–60 minutes, then wash at 60 °C if fabric allows. Heat is what does the killing; washing alone is not enough.
2. Shower and manage bites. Showering removes stray bugs on skin. For itching, an oral antihistamine or mild hydrocortisone cream can help; see a pharmacist or GP if reactions are severe.
3. Do not relocate your sleeping area. Keep the problem contained. If possible, pull the bed 5–10 cm from the wall, fit interceptors under bed legs, and use light-coloured sheets to spot evidence.
4. Inspect for evidence. Learn how to check for bed bugs: look for live insects, eggs (pearl-white, pinhead size), shed skins, and black faecal spotting on seams, slats, headboard joints, and bedside furniture.
5. Vacuum methodically. Use a crevice tool around mattress seams, bed joints, and skirting. Empty the vacuum immediately into a sealed bag and dispose outdoors.
6. Plan the right treatment. Heat is the most dependable method because it reaches hidden harbourages and eggs. Read about bed bug heat treatment and what’s involved in our bed bug heat treatment process. If you book, start preparing your home for treatment so technicians can work efficiently.

Why heat treatment is the superior solution

Cold spots are the enemy

Bed bugs and eggs survive where DIY methods fail to apply lethal conditions evenly—inside bed frames, furniture voids, and wall cracks. Professional heaters create uniform room temperatures and actively eliminate cold spots.

Sustained lethal temperature

It’s not just peak heat; it’s duration at temperature. Whole-room treatments hold conditions so core items reach and remain above lethal thresholds long enough for certainty, rather than momentary surface heat.

Sensors and monitoring

Technicians place multiple sensors on and inside beds, sofas, wardrobes and sockets, verifying that every zone achieves the kill curve. Continuous monitoring avoids underheating and records proof of efficacy.

All life stages killed

Adults, nymphs and eggs are all targeted. Eggs are the limiting factor for chemicals, but well-executed heat removes the need for repeat visits to “catch the hatch”. That’s why heat is more dependable than piecemeal spraying.

For a detailed look at equipment, safety and timings, see our bed bug heat treatment process.

ThermoPest: heat specialists for homes and businesses

ThermoPest uses commercial-grade electric heaters, high‑accuracy sensors, and measured airflow to deliver consistent results with minimal disruption. We treat houses and flats, and provide commercial heat treatment for hotels and landlords where rapid turnaround and discretion matter. After treatment we guide you on monitoring and housekeeping to avoid re‑introduction.

FAQ’S

Question: I slept in a bed with bed bugs—should I sleep somewhere else tonight?

Answer: It’s usually better to keep sleeping in the same bed to prevent bugs spreading to sofas or other rooms. Instead, isolate the bed slightly from walls, fit bed-leg interceptors if you have them, and use light sheets to spot activity. Relocating often causes a wider infestation without reducing bites. A simple, safe step is to bag and heat-treat sleepwear each morning; in professional practice we also deploy monitors to confirm where activity remains.

Question: Do I need to throw away my mattress and bedding?

Answer: No—discarding items rarely solves the problem and can spread bed bugs through hallways and vehicles. Mattresses, bases and bedding can be effectively treated during whole-room heat, then protected with encasements to prevent re-infestation. Sheets and duvets can be tumble-dried at 60 °C to kill all life stages before washing. In professional practice, we treat the entire room to avoid cold spots inside the bed frame.

Question: What temperature and time actually kill bed bugs and their eggs?

Answer: Adults and nymphs succumb rapidly above the mid‑40s °C, while eggs require slightly higher, sustained heat. In practice, whole-room heat aims for ambient 56–60 °C for several hours so that the coldest core items exceed roughly 50–52 °C for long enough to guarantee egg mortality. Handheld steam or brief hot washes often fail because they don’t hold temperature deep inside furniture. In professional practice, multiple sensors verify every zone achieves the lethal profile.

Question: How soon do bites appear, and how can I tell if they’re from bed bugs?

Answer: Bite reactions vary: some people react within hours, others days, and many not at all, so bites alone aren’t reliable. Look for physical evidence—live bugs, eggs, black faecal spots, and shed skins—especially on mattress seams and bed joints. Use a torch and learn the steps in how to inspect properly, and avoid assuming “breakfast-lunch-dinner” lines are definitive. In professional practice, we confirm with inspection and monitoring rather than relying on skin reactions.

Question: Why don’t sprays or foggers solve bed bugs after a single night’s exposure?

Answer: Most DIY aerosols struggle to penetrate deep harbourages and are less effective against eggs; many bed bug populations are also resistant to common pyrethroids. Fogging can scatter bugs into adjacent rooms and leave cold spots where survivors remain. If you use anything, stick to vacuuming, targeted laundering and clutter reduction, and avoid indiscriminate spraying. In professional practice, we use whole-room heat specifically to overcome resistance and reach hidden eggs.