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

The First Beds

Ten thousand years ago, in the Neolithic period, the first “beds” were made. They were probably straw or hay on large stones. In 3400 BC, the Egyptian pharaoh King Tut had a bed of ebony and gold, while the common people slept on palm bows stashed in the corner of their rooms. The first true luxury beds came along with the Roman Empire.

The Emperors, with all their wealth acquired beds decorated with gold, silver or bronze with mattresses stuffed with feathers, hay, wool, or reeds. The Romans were also the discoverers of the most-famous waterbed. They would lay back on a cradle of warm water until almost falling asleep to then be lifted onto another cradle with a mattress next to it, where they would be rocked asleep.

Modern Beds

The Dark Ages came and mattresses pretty much followed suit. But then the Renaissance came along and made bed making a bit more sophisticated. They would stuff mattresses of coarse tick with pea shucks, straw, or feathers to then be covered by rich velvet, brocades and silk. In the 16th and 17th centuries, mattresses were placed upon a latticework of rope. That is how the expression “sleep tight” came around, for the tighter the rope, the more comfortable the bed would be.

In the 18th century the iron bed structure was invented along with the use of cotton for stuffing mattresses. These two inventions together provided an almost bug-free sleeping environment. At that time, bed bugs were seen as completely normal even in the most luxurious beds. In 1865 the first coil spring bed structure was patented.

Beds in the 20th Century

In the 1930’s innerspring mattresses were introduced to the North American market along with upholstered foundations. Since then they have become contenders for the dominant position in North America.

In the ’40s, the Japanese couch-bed named a futon was introduced into the American market. It was a tremendous hit due to its practical utility.

In the ’50s foam rubber mattresses and pillows entered the bed and by the ’60s the modern waterbed was introduced.

Adjustable beds were also a big hit amongst consumers. The 1980s were ultimately modernity-obsessed as the airbed exploded into the market. This practical item is greatly used while camping or traveling.

In the 1990s space became a big issue once again, as it was in the 16th and 17th centuries. Twin size beds were outsold by queen size beds.

Now in the 2000s we have a brilliant mattress-making future ahead of us. With all the technology in our hands, beds can become just another extension of the human body. There are now beds that have built-in TVs, computers, videogames, trays, adjustable inclinations, “memory foam” that reads the shape of your body to fully attend to your orthopaedic needs. The top luxury choice nowadays is the pillow top mattress, which has an extra-soft layer of cushioning.

Everything just for the best bed!

About the author:

Michael Russell – Your Independent guide to Beds

Written By: Michael Russell

Craftmatic Adjustable Beds The Craftmatic Adjustable Bed Company has been in the marketing of adjustable beds for more than 30 years and the company has sold more than 800,000 adjustable beds across the world. A Craftmatic Adjustable Bed with optional Heat & Massage may provide temporary relief from health problems like low back pain; sliding hiatus hernia; poor local blood circulation; water retention or swelling of the legs; arthritis; rheumatism; aches and pains from fatigue; night heartburn; asthma; stress and tension; joint and muscle inflammation; or neuralgia.

Sleep Comfort Sleep Comfort Adjustable Beds are available in two models — Standard and Wall-hugger. The company offers twin, full, queen, dual queen, king and dual king adjustable beds and also in several other sizes and shapes. The company also provides mattresses in Dual Firm Coil, Pillowtop Coil, Latex Foam and Visco Memory Foam models. Based in San Diego, California the company supplies adjustable beds to anywhere in the United States.

Sealy Sealy Corporation is the one of the biggest bedding manufacturers in North America. The company, along with its subsidiaries, produces a vast range of mattress and foundation products. Sealy’s range includes the conventional bedding products (mattresses and foundations) in the Sealy, Sealy Posturepedic and Sealy Posturepedic Luxury Collection. Moreover, Sealy is also a producer of the important component parts used within the mattress. Sealy Posturepedic, Sealy Posturepedic Luxury Collection, Sealy Backsaver and posture premier, and Reflexion Latex Foam Collection are some of the brands from Sealy. Sealy’s products are sold through over 7,000 retailers across North America.

Temper-Pedic Temper-Pedic, Inc. is the name of the company that founded the NASA mattress or visco foam mattress. The temper-pedic mattress is made of 100% visco-elastic memory foam. Temper-pedic foam’s has the unique specialty of responding to the body’s temperature and shape, thus making sleep very comfortable. The Temper-Pedic Company is also known as Tempurpedic, Temperapedic, Tempra Pedic , temprepedic or tempurapedic and is the supplier of the temper-pedic mattress and bed, as well as the temper-pedic pillows and temprepedic mattress pad toppers. The tempurpedic mattress is available in more than 60 countries and is also sold through online retail websites.

Spring Air Spring Air offers the Ovation adjustable base that has the Comfort Reach action. The Ovation looks like a traditional bed but has the Comfort Reach Smooth Glide Action. Its head and foot elevation improves blood circulation in the body and relieves pressure on the back. It also comes with a wireless remote control that has a programmable memory with Easy View glow-in-the-dark. The remote has a memory massage recall for programming the massage program every time it is turned on.

About the author:

Adjustable Beds Info provides detailed information on electric, medical, cheap, and used adjustable beds, as well as adjustable air beds and adjustable bed reviews. Adjustable Beds Info is the sister site of Massage Chairs Web.

Written By: Jimmy Sturo

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