Do you suffer from daily sneezing, sniffling, runny nose, watery eyes or clogged sinuses? You could be one of the millions of people with allergies. But what you might not realize is how your own bedroom can be the cause of poor sleep and severe daytime allergy symptoms.“People don’t often know that mattresses and pillows are allergen attractants. Dust and dust mites collect in your mattress and pillow over the years, which can have a profoundly negative effect on your quality of sleep,” says Steve Stagner, CEO of Mattress Firm, a mattress and bedding store with 1,700 stores across the country. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, dust mites are the main allergy trigger in a bedroom. These tiny creatures are barely visible to the human eye, but their feces and exoskeletons are major triggers of allergies and asthma. These nasty little pests feast on sloughed-off human skin cells and thrive in pillows, mattresses and bedding.Other allergens found in the bedroom include pet dander, dust, mold and cockroach leavings, which can also make their way into bedding.
Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect your bedroom with items that can help alleviate allergy symptoms.“The bedroom is probably the most important place in the house — it’s where most people can reduce allergens in the home,” says Alicia Elkin of the AAFA. “People spend one-third of their time there.”Since the bedroom is where you need a cleaner, more hypoallergenic environment, one of the first things you should do is to get rid of your old mattress and pillows, says Stagner.“We remind customers that pillows should be replaced every two years and mattresses every eight years,” he says. You can determine the age of your mattress by checking its tag. If it’s more than eight years old, you are sleeping on accumulated dust, sweat and dead skin.” “In general, people with allergies should remember to purchase mattress and pillow protectors to create a barrier between allergens and sleep surfaces. Although no material is immune from collecting dust mites and dust, synthetic materials such as memory foam have been proven to collect significantly less dust than other sleep surfaces,” Stagner says.
He advises customers to let a salesperson know they have allergies when shopping for bedding.Once you buy a new mattress and pillows, ask about special covers designed to provide barriers to dust mites and other allergens. The National Institutes of Health recommends encasing mattresses and pillows in special dust-mite proof covers. Experts agree these covers prevent dust mites from taking up residence and multiplying in your bedding.Technically speaking, mattress encasements are six-sided, whereas mattress covers are five-sided (the five-sided ones don’t cover the bottom of the mattress). Pillow encasements cover the entire pillow. “They have all been proven to reduce allergens,” Elkin says.The National Institute of Health also recommends washing pillows (if uncovered), sheets, and blankets once a week in water hotter than 130 degrees Fahrenheit.Removing bedroom carpeting, stuffed toys and pets from the bedroom also may help. When vacuuming, use a HEPA filter, which traps allergens better than a standard filter.
Obviously, when dealing with any medical condition such as allergies, it is important to consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis. For example, sometimes there is confusion between conditions such as allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, allergic rhinitis develops when the body’s immune system overreacts to something that typically causes no problem in most people, such as dust. The reaction can be seasonal or year-round. If you commonly experience sneezing, your nose is often runny or stuffy, or your eyes, mouth or skin often feels itchy, you may have allergic rhinitis. This is a condition affecting 40 million to 60 million Americans, according to the organization’s website.In contrast, sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses — the small cavities inside our facial bones — which is often caused by bacterial infection, viruses or mold. Although this is different from allergic rhinitis, it can occur as a result.Remember, you’re not alone if you suffer from allergies.
“The number of people with allergies has increased dramatically over the past 30 years,” Elkin says. “A lot of people are trying to do something about it.”—Lisa Jevens for Mattress FirmI recently came across an interesting story about a man named Michael Paese. Six years ago he developed debilitating health problems. His energy levels were depleted and he slept most of the day. He also had difficulty focusing and developed a serious metabolic disorder. As a former triathlete he knew something was radically wrong. Fortunately he had a very intelligent internist that asked him if anything changed in his life when he became ill. The only thing he could think of that had changed was his new bed. Even though it seemed like a long shot, he decided to replace his mattress again. Amazingly enough, after getting rid of his mattress he began to recover over time, and is finally able to compete in triathlons again. Later his wife admitted that she was convinced he had been dying, but was afraid to say so.
Unfortunately, there are numerous stories that are very similar to this one. I had been wondering about the safety of our mattresses for years, but Michael's story finally prompted me to do some serious research. We spend approximately one third of our life sleeping (and a lot of us spend additional time lying around in bed). The typical mattress is comprised of many harmful toxins that over time build up in the body leading to an overall decline in health. Few people know about this, but a little research yields a lot of proof. If you could change this potentially dangerous aspect of your environment without much effort, wouldn't you make it a priority? I decided that due to my history of cancer and the reality of sleeping on a mattress that had seen better days it was time to finally get a new, safer one. Some of my earlier research had led me to believe that the only way to get a mattress without the harmful chemical flame retardants was to get a doctor's note, and then I'd be left with a dangerously flammable sleeping environment.
In addition, such a custom request could be prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, it turns out I was incorrect, and the goal was much easier to accomplish than I feared. In fact, after doing research for this article I feel compelled to replace the mattresses my children use as well. I was surprised how dangerous the majority of mattresses really are and how many chronic illnesses that often seem to mystify doctors can be cured by simply removing dangerous mattresses from the house. Would you pay slightly more for an organic mattress that uses wool rather than toxic chemicals? Dangerous Chemicals are Contained in Most Mattresses.90% of all mattresses contain numerous harmful chemicals such as polyurethane foam, formaldehyde, and cotton pesticides. However the real danger is in the toxic chemicals used as a flame retardant.The Consumer Products Safety Commission requires all mattresses sold in the U.S. to be able to withstand thirty minutes of exposure to an open flame. Soaking the mattress in chemicals is the most economical way for mattress companies to comply with these requirements.
Some of the chemicals that coat the entire mattress are boric acid (poison that causes hair loss, skin reactions, and serious illness), antimony (arsenic that can cause kidney and liver damage and even cancer), silicon (a carcinogen that causes respiratory issues), melamine (a carcinogen found in industrial cleaners), formaldehyde (another carcinogen), and decabromodiphenyl oxide (another carcinogen). As you all know, a carcinogen is a substance capable of causing cancer. These chemicals ultimately leach through any mattress covers or sheets and are absorbed through the skin. When you spend approximately one third of your life sleeping, how can you rest peacefully knowing you may be filling your body with harmful chemicals? The average memory foam mattress emits 61 chemicals. Many people have complained of rashes, flu-like symptoms, sore throats, and frequent nosebleeds after purchasing a new mattress. Using carcinogens as a flame retardant is much more economical than using natural organic wool but is no more effective.
How Safe is Your Mattress? Why are these Chemicals Dangerous?The toxins from the materials used in most mattresses build up in the body leading to an overall deterioration of one's health. Here are just a few of the side effects that can result from chemicals used in the majority of mattresses: Learning and memory deficits SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Damage to the heart,lungs, and kidneys A Safer AlternativeWhen I began my research I was pleasantly surprised to discover that wool has flame-retardant properties that are sufficient to comply with the requirements set by the Consumer Products Safety commission. Therefore, there is no need whatsoever to coat mattresses with poisonous chemicals. I then thought I would have to pay an exorbitant price or might be unable to find a place that sells mattresses that use wool. The reality is there are numerous places to choose from both online as well as within 20 minutes of my home. Because there are many options, the prices are competitive and now I simply have to visit a few stores and read reviews before selecting a mattress.
Never assume that simply because a store claims to sell organic mattresses that they are guaranteed to be free of toxic chemicals. The term 'organic' simply means there is at least one organic material used in the mattress. You need to determine that ALL the material that the mattress is comprised of is organic and free from harmful chemicals. This was very easy to verify in the stores that sell chemical-free mattresses because they volunteered the information without being asked. The first store I went into had many mattresses comprised of wool, cotton, and natural latex at varying price ranges.The ones at the lower end of the price range felt a little too firm but due to my budget I may have to sacrifice a little comfort. The owner was very helpful and answered all my questions. The store also sold pillows and mattress covers that are free from toxins. I sensed there was room for negotiation and I will return after visiting a few other stores and researching the online companies.