Why Your Mattress May Be Killing You
The organic movement, which started with organic food, is moving to the bedroom in a big way. "The bedroom? " you say. Yes, my dear, the bedroom, where organic mattresses and organic bedding are becoming an important new trend in the quest for a healthier lifestyle.The organic bedroom trend is motivated by some very recent disturbing discoveries about the petroleum-based foam mattresses most of us sleep on every night. Studies of household dust have confirmed that your mattress is likely one of the most significant sources of cancer-causing chemicals in your home. The average mattress consists of petroleum-based foam covered in petroleum-based polyester fabric.
During its 10-year average lifetime, a foam mattress loses up to half its weight, and the lost weight goes on your bedroom floor in the form of toxic dust and in the air in the form of formaldehyde gas which is a by-product of the foam breakdown. Those dust bunnies under your bed could be a real threat to your health, unless you use an organic mattress which does not break down into these toxic by-products.The foam mattress story gets even more scary. The average petroleum-based foam queen-sized mattress is soaked in about a pound of fire retardant chemicals called PDBEs, which have already been banned in Europe, but not in North America. PDBEs are chemicals which are similar to the banned PCBs, and they build up in the body like DDT and PCBs. The PDBEs are used because they are the simplest and cheapest way to conform to United States mattress fire resistance codes.
They are also promoted by the chemical industry, which recently sponsored tightening of the mattress fire resistance codes, which will cause even greater quantities of PDBEs to be used in the manufacture of mattresses beginning in 2006. While these new codes will save an estimated 27 lives a year from fires, these new regulations play Russian roulette with the future health of the 285 million Americans that sleep on these petroleum-based foam mattresses. Those calling for a ban on PDBEs say the greater danger is not the lives lost in fires, but the potentially millions of cases of cancer caused by exposure to these chemicals over the coming decades.The solution to this problem is to remove petroleum-based bedding from your home, and this has spawned the burgeoning organic bedroom movement. The cornerstone of this trend is the organic mattress, which is the same kind of mattresses our ancestors used before the rise of the petrochemical industry after World War II. It is also interesting to note that current cancer rates are more than 5 times higher than before World War II, when everybody was sleeping on organic mattresses by definition, because there was no petrochemical industry during those times.
Examples of an organic mattress include:1. Organic cotton and wool batting innerspring mattresses with an organic cotton fabric cover. Wool is naturally fire retardant and meets all US fire codes.2. A Natural latex mattress, whose foam is made from the latex sap of the rubber tree and which require no fire retardants because natural rubber does not burn well.3. Luxury organic mattresses which use combination of all three materials, organic cotton, wool, and latex, to produce maximum comfort mattresses that rival any non-organic mattresses.4.
All organic cotton mattresses. Although cotton does not burn well, it requires a doctor's prescription because cotton does not meet US fire resistance codes. Organic mattresses also have comfort advantages over traditional petroleum-based foam mattresses. They wick away moisture from the body much more thoroughly than clammy polyester and man-made foam, stopping night sweating and cutting down on problems like athlete's foot and jock itch. Wool also regulates body temperature very well, which is important for a restful sleep.
Natural latex foam and wool are resistant to dust mites, which cause allergies in many people, and organic cotton and latex foam are both hypoallergenic materials. Organic mattresses are also considered a must for people with chemical sensitivities.Major North American manufacturers of organic mattresses include Vivetique/Crown City Mattress, located in South El Monte, California, Royal Pedic, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, and Obasan, located in Ottawa, Canada. Retailers of organic mattresses include a variety of local mattress stores who carry products from these manufacturers, and nationwide web retailers, like Dax Stores, which often have the best prices for these mattresses..
Mark Sweiger is a freelance reporter on home and garden topics and ecological news, and he can be reached via email at msweiger@NOSPAMearthlink.net . He is a definite believer in the value of using organic sheets and organic mattresses .Wake Up To The Facts About A Good Night's Sleep
(NC)-Just about everyone has heard that sleep is important to health and well-being, but did you know just how important it really is? The fact is, the human body can survive without food and water longer than it can without adequate sleep. Assess your own sleep needs and test your Sleep IQ with the quiz below.1. Do you know the cause of your stuffy nose, puffy eyes, and sneezing when you wake up in the morning?
- nothing, it's normal
- the onset of a cold
- my bedding
Wool, however, is hypo-allergenic and absorbs moisture then releases it quickly into the environment keeping you and your bedding dry - all night long. Wool's remarkable ability to absorb moisture...
Wake Up To The Facts About A Good Night's Sleep
Mattress > Wake Up To The Facts About A Good Night's Sleep
What are the different mattress measurements?
While buying a mattress most of us lay stress on the softness, the materials used in manufacturing and color of the mattress. We forget the mattress size. The length and breadth of the mattresses are different for different beds. The mattress size depends on the bed size and for every bed there are various types of mattresses.
Buying a small mattress is a big mistake and if your legs are completely not on the mattress and come out of it then you cannot sleep well. While sleeping in a bed you require enough space for movement and the mattress you choose should be very comfortable to turn and twist at night.
The measurements of some mattress are:
Queen Size Beds
60"wide x 80" long
152 X 203 CM
Twin Size Beds
39" wide x 75" long
99 X 191 CM
Long Twin Size Beds
39" wide x 80" long
99 X 203 CM
California King Size Beds
72" wide x 84" long...
Mattress > What are the different mattress measurements?
Houston Mattress Donations
Houston, TX (ContentDesk) March 9, 2006 -- Can you imagine what it must be like to sleep on a cold, hard floor night after night? Most of us are blessed so as not have faced any such situation, but in our city and in our state there are many who spend their nights in discomfort, trying to get a few hours of rest. Many people whose homes have been destroyed due to natural calamities are also trying to rebuild their homes. They have no belongings to fill their homes with. The Houston Charity Center is presently providing needy people with mattresses so that they may at least sleep well. The Center has requested concerned citizens to come forward and donate their old mattresses if they are planning on getting new ones and
are looking to dispose off their old mattresses.
Donations will entitle you to a tax deduction usually equal to a fair value of your donated mattress. The exact amount of deduction can be explained more clearly by your tax consultant.While they appreciate...
Houston Mattress Donations
Mattress > Houston Mattress Donations
Why Your Mattress May Be Killing You
The organic movement, which started with organic food, is moving to the bedroom in a big way. "The bedroom? " you say. Yes, my dear, the bedroom, where organic mattresses and organic bedding are becoming an important new trend in the quest for a healthier lifestyle.The organic bedroom trend is motivated by some very recent disturbing discoveries about the petroleum-based foam mattresses most of us sleep on every night. Studies of household dust have confirmed that your mattress is likely one of the most significant sources of cancer-causing chemicals in your home. The average mattress consists of petroleum-based foam covered in petroleum-based polyester fabric.
During its 10-year average lifetime, a foam mattress loses up to half its weight, and the lost weight goes on your bedroom floor in the form of toxic dust and in the air in the form of formaldehyde gas which is a by-product of the foam breakdown. Those dust bunnies under your bed could be a real threat to your health, unless...
Why Your Mattress May Be Killing You
Mattress > Why Your Mattress May Be Killing You
Change your mattress for back pain relief...
Change your mattress for back pain relief...Back pain can be a serious problem that can bring relief by choosing the proper kind of mattress. Normally, back pain comes from things like bad posture, improper lifting, injury, the wrong kind of mattress and especially gravity. A mattress that offers pain relief will always provide good firm back support, as well as offering a peaceful sleep. Gravity is the main reason people look for relief of back pain. Due to the weight of the individual, their posture, the way they lift, the mattress they sleep on or a combination of any or all of these, people tend to complain of back pain, and search desperately for relief, which perhaps can be achieved by choosing a properly balanced mattress designed to meet the needs of each individual sleeper.No conclusive studies have actually been shown to prove what kind of mattress is best for pain relief, as it would be a study that involves too many variables.
For example, a husband with twice the...
Change your mattress for back pain relief...
Mattress > Change your mattress for back pain relief...
Adjustable Beds - Not Just For the Elderly!
In an ever increasing market for the ultimate Sleep System, most people still believe that the Adjustable Bed which was originally used in Hospitals and Homes for the Elderly are still that. A bed that can help the elderly in and out of bed! Although they are extremely helpful in these situations, they can also be very important for anybody in today's lifestyle.
Now any sincere knowledgeable mattress salesman won't push the watching TV or reading in bed, it's not something that we should recommend. But with today's lifestyles, this has become a normal way of life for some people. Sitting in bed watching TV, working to make the big deadline is OK, if that's your choice. But propping up two pillows every 3 minutes is probably not doing any good to your back or any other part of your body for that matter.
If this sounds like you, maybe your next mattress purchase should have an adjustable base as well.
There are many "side affects" from poor sleep and...
Mattress > Adjustable Beds - Not Just For the Elderly!
Round Cribs - Pros and Cons
For years, when you thought of a baby's crib, you thought of the rectangle mattress, the one that is about 52" x 28".
That might be about to change.
One of the newer items for the nursery is the round crib.
The mattress for this crib is a 42" round circle.
This has both advantages over the standard rectangle crib, as well as disadvantages.
Round cribs are unique and make a bold statement in the nursery.
Being a bit smaller, they take up less room and being round, and can easily fit into the middle of the room allowing for more use of wall space.
They also do not have any sharp corners to run into in the middle of the night.
Depending on the particular crib, it can allow more unfettered access to the child from anywhere in the room.
There are round cribs that have canopies on them, creating a definite front and back, and others that are similar to a standard rectangle crib with no canopy. ...
Mattress > Round Cribs - Pros and Cons
Not only should one?s bedroom be a refuge, but it should also be a sanctuary!
A bedroom is more than just a place to sleep. It is an escape from our hectic everyday lives. Not only should one's bedroom be a refuge, but it should also be a sanctuary. Creating such a place isn't as difficult as it may seem. Although there are many decorating and design aspects involved, placing particular emphasis on your bedroom will improve every aspect of your life.
You'll be able to relax much more quickly at the end of the day, and getting up in the morning won't be quite as much of a chore.
If you are lucky enough to begin with an empty bedroom, carefully consider the look you would like to achieve. As was stated earlier, you want to create a space you feel comfortable in, but what exactly does comfortable mean for you? Some people feel most relaxed in a bedroom with soft tones and large furniture and accessories. Perhaps you long for a huge four-poster bed covered in an array of fluffy pillows. Similarly, others feel more at ease in a brightly colored...
Mattress > Not only should one?s bedroom be a refuge, but it should also be a sanctuary!