You may not even be aware of the dangers of memory foam mattresses. A memory foam mattress can provide some of the best sleep you've ever had, but if you have to wear a gas mask to bed, it might not be the best mattress for you -- especially if you are ultra-sensitive or allergic. Unless the memory foam mattress is manufactured with organic latex, its fabrication consists of chemicals and man-made substances. This gives you something to think about as you read "The Guide to Green Living" while in bed. Chemical Components Memory foam mattresses are true space-age marvels. The formula for the open-cell polymeric foam used in these beds comes from a 1960s design intended for NASA pilot chairs. Walt Bader, CEO of Lifekind -- an organic mattress company -- and author of "Toxic Bedrooms" had a memory foam mattress tested by an independent lab. The results: The mattress off-gassed 61 volatile organic compounds, many of which can cause respiratory problems, reproductive issues and affect hormone levels.
Some memory foam mattresses even contain benzene and naphthalene, which seem better suited to your car's gas tank than your respiratory system, as they are known cancer-causing chemicals. Small Children Avoid buying a memory foam mattress for infants, toddlers and growing children. Because children can sink deeply into the bed, it becomes easy for them to suffocate, especially if they are too small to turn over. Memory foam mattresses and even organic latex beds form-fit the body; with time and repeated use, this pattern becomes worn into the mattress and fails to support the body appropriately. Children continue to need proper support for their spines as they grow, better served by other mattress options. Hot in Bed Being hot in bed may sound like a desirable characteristic, but it does not mean what you think. Memory foam mattresses retain body heat, making the bed an extremely warm place at night. The only way you can adjust the heat is to add a mattress pad with cooling features and temperature controls.
Or you throw off the covers, only to awaken when you get cold from the night air. If you toss and turn because of being too hot, well -- you just do not get a good night's rest, which is important for cell rejuvenation and repair, and healing. Landfill Fill-up Memory foam mattresses do not last forever; most have 10- to 20-year lifespans before they wear out. Disposing of them becomes problematic because the chemicals in them just do not magically go away when you toss out the mattress; they remain ticking environmental bombs. Chemically toxic to the environment, these chemicals might eventually find their way into our rivers, lakes and streams, harming water supplies, plant and wildlife. Counting Sheep A mattress consumes one-third of your life: the amount of time you spend on it if you get 8 hours of sleep a night. And as far as the other things you might do in bed, the chemicals you inhale over the course of your memory foam's mattress life might just end up as part of your gene pool.
Though this inherited toxicity might not affect your children, it could affect your grandchildren and future generations. References NASA: Forty-Year-Old Foam Springs Back With New BenefitsNaturally Safer Products: Thirteen Scary Facts About Conventional MattressesKidspot: Toddler Sleep –- How to Choose the Right Bed for Growing KidsMother Jones: Should You Ditch Your Chemical Mattress Photo Credits Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionMost infant suffocations occur when babies are placed face down on a soft surface that they sink into. Babies from birth to 6 months old have the greatest risk of suffocating. These young infants don't have enough strength to lift their heads and turn their faces so that they can breathe. Many of these deaths occur when a baby naps at the home of a friend who doesn't have a crib or doesn't know the importance of having the baby sleep on his back. Another cause of suffocation in young infants should be mentioned. Small babies have been smothered by mothers who inadvertently fell asleep on top of them.
If you nurse your baby in your bed at night, be careful. Keep your baby in a crib next to your bed. There's another reason not to let your baby sleep in your bed during the first 6 months. The mattresses in most adult beds are too soft for babies. Blankets and pillows also increase the risk of suffocation. Prevention of Suffocation (SIDS) in Infants: Sleep on the Back To be safe, always place your young baby to sleep on his back in a crib with a firm mattress. Also do this for naps. This is the sleep position recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for healthy infants during the first 6 months of life. Sleeping on the side is not an acceptable alternative because it is an unstable position and also has a much higher risk of SIDS then sleeping on the back. Sleeping on the tummy (face-down) has a 5 times greater risk. Soft surfaces are unsafe for babies even if they are placed on their backs. Someone, such as another child or baby sitter, might turn them over.