Mattress Tips

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 doctors 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 athletes 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.

About the Author

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 .

Written By: Mark Sweiger

We spend around one-third of our life sleeping or at least lying down. How much is making that experience the best part of your day each day worth to you? Is it worth as much per day as, say, what you spend to watch television while you’re waiting to get that sleep?

Having troubles sleeping?

The truth about Insomnia Cures. Although a simple insomnia “cure” is what most people are looking for, insomnia can be very complicated and the causes can vary widely for different people. It would be misleading in most cases for anyone to say they actually have a cure for insomnia.

One type of product that has become very popular in the last few years to help you sleep better is Memory Foam.

Memory Foam is a foam made from polyurethane with additional chemicals that add to its viscosity level, thereby increasing the density of the foam.

Fagerdala World Foams of Gustavsberg, Sweden, spent almost ten years perfecting the material for mass production. It was first introduced in Sweden and became known around the world as the Swedish Sleep System. Tempur-Pedic licensed the material and became the US manufacturer.

Fagerdala manufactures foams for insulation, sealing, shock absorption, protection, cushioning, comfort, floatation, filtration, and rigidity. Fagerdala World Foams is the parent company of an international group specializing in the development, manufacture and marketing of polymer foams.

The group employs approximately 1.500 people and operates 30 factories in 14 countries, with a total building area of 265.000 m. The head office is located at Gustavsberg Harbour on the island of Vrmd, 20 km east of Stockholm, Sweden, to where it was moved in 1999 from the original nearby location at Fagerdala.

It was initially developed for NASA because of its ability to distribute pressure across the entire surface, because it could ease the pressure of extreme G-forces. Because it eases pressure on the body it is now widely used in medical applications for patients suffering from pressure sores or bed-bound patients.

Previously too expensive for general use it has now become cheaper to produce. You can now buy memory foam mattresses and mattress toppers. As a matter of fact memory foam mattresses have become the fastest growing segment in the mattress industry.

There is a true proliferation of companies producing memory foam products and it is difficult to distinguish quality. The first generation of material just wasn’t very durable, and would often compress or crack over time until a Swedish company called Tempurpedic developed a Class product called the Tempurpedic Mattress.

Tempurpedic is still very expensive but worth it. Not all memory foams are equal. They differ a great deal in quality – density, hardness or softness, response to temperature, and also in their durability. In looking for the right memory foam there are really a lot of different types and qualities out there.

And while this has also meant that a good number of quality memory foams have come onto the market, it has also meant that a greater number of low quality, cut rate foams have also appeared. Try to avoid the really inexpensive pads or pillows you will find on the market. Density seems to be the key factor for Memory Foam.

4 lbs seems to be the perfect density for comfort and quality and a mattress of that kind should last 5 years or so. Stick with a memory foam that has a proven history of real world durability.

Really look closely at not only the density of the memory foam you are buying, but the source as well. You can trust Tempurpedic because they have a vested interest in assuring that their customers get only the highest quality products. Tempurpedic, however, is four times as expensive as its competitors. But there are alternatives.

You do not have to buy a Memory Foam Mattress, you can just buy a Topper made from Memory Foam.

Can I Get By with Just a Topper, or Do I Need a Whole New Mattress?

It depends on the shape and the age of your existing mattress.

If your mattress is lumpy, feels uncomfortable and has hollows, forget it.

Here is a tip:

Buy the best bed you can find, then add your own memory foam topper.

About best beds, buy a latex or good foam bed, they just don’t wear out.

After 5 years or so, when the top starts to sag a bit, just replace the top.

If you ever buy your mattress or foam over the Internet make sure you can return them because you should try the merchandise at any cost.

About the author:

E Cauli http://www.tempurpedic-now.info http://www.life-extension-now.com http://www.pearls-now.info

Written By: E Cauli