Toxic Mattresses
If You Diet is Good, Does It Matter What You Sleep On?
We know this website is about diets and food and what to eat, but we also know that most of your reading this website are not just interested in losing weight, but doing it in a healthy way. We just think that being truly healthy is impossible when you are spending 1/3 of your life sleeping on a toxic mattress, so we put together this page on mattresses.
A Non-Toxic Bedroom is Very Important For Good Health
We really believe that a non-toxic house in general is important for your good health, but we realize that most of us cannot change our whole house overnight. However, your bedroom should be an "oasis" in the midst of all the toxins you come across during the day, place where you can have a great night's sleep and let your body repair & rejuvenate itself. In addition, if you have a serious disease like diabetes or asthma, you probably need a chemical-free bedroom more than others. Even for losing weight, many chemicals are stored in the fat cells, and some people’s body’s may be hanging on to the fat because it’s a better place than others in the body to store toxins. Probably the most important items in your bedroom to be non-toxic is your mattress, bedding, and the bed frame, since you are so close to it all night long (we also highly recommend hard flooring in the bedroom and no particle board furniture).
Most Mattresses Contain Lots of Toxins
There are more chemicals in a conventional mattress than in a barrel of oil? Yes, that's right, most mattresses are made completely out of petrochemicals! If you’re like most of your neighbors, you sleep on mattresses made of synthetic, toxic, materials like polyurethane, polyester and flame retardant chemicals.* These synthetic materials and the flame retardant chemicals in the mattresses outgas toxins all night long, including PBDEs, formaldehyde and more. These chemicals have been shown to cause all sorts of health problems, including cancer, immune system malfunctions, insomnia, fatigue and more. PBDE has been banned in Europe for toxicity, and will also be banned in California starting in 2008.
*A 1973 law mandated mattresses to not catch fire from a burning cigarette, but the new law now says that mattresses must not ignite after being exposed to a 12 inch wide flame on the side for 50 seconds, and a simultaneous 10 inch wide flame on the top for 70 seconds. How many more chemicals do you suspect will be in your mattress so it can now withstand a two blow torches?
Do you really want to sleep on a mattress that is made out of toxic chemicals, including ones forbidden in other countries?
Metals in Your Bed and Bed Frame May Disturb Your Sleep
Most people have mattresses and box springs with coils in them, and many others have metal frames for their beds. The metal mattress coils are put in the mattress for buoyancy, but it seems that they not only offer an unnatural kind of support, but they also disrupt our natural electromagnetic field. This can cause physical stresses of a subtle, yet profound nature that can disturb your sleep and cause other health problems. We don’t know of any studies about this, but but there are many people who testify that they sleep much better with no metal in their mattress or bed frame and no electrical current running near their mattress, like an alarm clock.
Synthetic Mattresses and Mildew
Synthetic mattress materials also easily form mildew when moisture from perspiration at night is absorbed by the mattress. This perspiration often does not dry our fast enough to get rid of the moisture before mildew forms. If the mildew is mild, like it often is, you may sleep next to this mildew without knowing it, but it is still detrimental to your immune system.
Synthetic foam mattresses, like memory foam, are being sold like crazy these days, and they are touted as helping people to get a better night's sleep. However, they not only off-gas toxic chemicals, but they also provide a non-breathing surface, which causes your body to over heat and then moisture can build up and result in a sleeping experience that is not the best for your health
Sleeping on A Toxic Mattress Can Make You Sick Over Time
Even If you Eat the Right Foods in Your Diet
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