For those who sleep with their bedroom door open, it may be worth changing that habit. Keeping the door closed at night can provide an important layer of protection during a house fire, giving you more time to react and escape safely.

Modern homes often contain synthetic materials that can cause fires to spread much faster. According to the article, the time available to escape a house fire has dropped from about 17 minutes to just three minutes. That makes every safety measure especially important, including something as simple as closing your bedroom door before going to sleep.

A demonstration by the UL Firefighter Safety Institute showed the difference clearly. A bedroom with an open door suffered severe fire damage, while a closed door helped limit the fire and protect the room. This is why fire-safety experts promote the message to “close before you doze.”

A closed bedroom door can slow the spread of flames and smoke, potentially giving you precious extra minutes to escape. Smoke inhalation is also a serious danger, so reducing the amount of smoke entering your bedroom can make a major difference during an emergency.

Along with closing your bedroom door, make sure your home has working smoke alarms on every level and carbon monoxide detectors where needed. Most importantly, create a clear escape plan and make sure everyone in the household knows what to do. A small nighttime habit could provide valuable protection when every second matters.