The Scary Truth About What’s Hiding in Your Mattress

Did you know the traditional spring mattress you’re sleeping on right now holds a lot of icky secrets?

Yup, thanks to all the space around the springs and sub-par components there are lots of nooks and crannies for dust mites to hide where they then feed off of your dead skin and sweat! Did you know that dust mites and the dust mite feces that accumulate in your mattress can be a major allergy trigger? If you struggle with allergies, your mattress may be the culprit.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when talking about traditional mattresses. Choosing the right mattress to sleep on each night can be a daunting task. The right mattress will improve your quality of sleep and comfort throughout the night, but it should also be a safe, healthy choice for you. Unfortunately, many mattresses are made with harsh, dangerous chemicals that can produce lasting side effects. When researching different types of mattresses to choose from, one of the first decisions you must make is whether or not you want to purchase an organic or non-organic mattress.

We prefer to keep stuff this scary in the movies! To help inform your decision-making process, we have compiled information about some of the dangers of non-organic mattresses and the benefits that organic mattresses possess.

The Truth About Traditional Mattresses

The range of different mattress options available on the market has expanded considerably in recent years, giving consumers increased freedom and control over what they choose to expose themselves and their loved ones too. Mattresses seem relatively innocuous, they are the soft surface on which people rest their tired bodies against after a long day, but despite this aura of safety, non-organic mattresses pose a number of serious dangers that many people are not aware of.

Mattresses are required by law to meet certain mandated standards for being flame retardant. Many of the materials and substances used to form mattresses are not naturally flame retardant, which means that many manufacturers add additional chemicals and substances to the mattress to satisfy the requirements for being flame retardant. In order to be considered appropriately flame retardant, mattresses must be able to withstand fire from a blow torch for a certain amount of time in order to pass. This is a grueling standard for a mattress to meet and has led to a significant amount of chemicals being added to mattresses without public awareness and knowledge.

To meet the flame retardancy requirements, manufacturers will often add chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ether, which is also known as PBDE. Manufacturers do not need to disclose this information for consumers, despite the fact that polybrominated diphenyl ether has been banned in Europe, Canada, and several states. Polybrominated diphenyl ether has been shown to build up in the human body over time and does not disperse or leave the body after exposure has ceased. You should be extremely concerned about this chemical exposure because of the significant health side effects associated with polybrominated diphenyl ether.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether has been linked to:

• Decreased sperm count
• Thyroid problems
• Brain damage
• Reproductive damage
• Cancer (in cases of prolonged, high levels of exposure)

These types of chemicals have become extremely pervasive in household items, particularly in non-organic mattresses. Polybrominated diphenyl ether is just one type of chemical added to mattresses to achieve flame retardancy, others include antimony, boric acid, and formaldehyde, all of which are linked to serious health side effects when exposed to for an extended period of time.

The average human being spends roughly one-third of their life asleep, making the time spent sleeping a significant time to risk exposure to harmful chemicals. To spend six to nine hours every night with your face pressed into a chemical-laden surface, breathing in and absorbing harmful substances, can be dangerous and unhealthy. For many, it is even more frightening to imagine a child being exposed to harmful chemicals as they undergo vital development and growth processes. In addition to the dangers of chemicals in non-organic mattresses, the springs used to support some mattresses are magnetized, which can amplify electromagnetic radiation. Non-organic mattresses may seem to be a safe option, but upon further examination, they can be a dangerous choice that risks exposure to harmful chemicals and electromagnetic radiation.

The Organic Mattress Difference

You may be asking yourself, “What is an organic mattress?” or “Are organic mattresses worth the price?” Organic mattresses are a healthy, safe choice for individuals and often undergo a more rigorous screening process than non-organic mattresses, but it is important to keep in mind that not all organic mattresses are created equal. When looking for an organic mattress, you’ll want to be sure you choose a mattress that avoids using wool or cotton batting which acts as a nesting ground for dust mites otherwise you will be running into the same obstacles you would face with a traditional mattress. Not to mention, you’ll want to avoid springs to avoid the icky build-up of dust mite feces, sweat, and dead skin.

Essentia mattresses, made in Essentia’s GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic factory, are the only to offer a healthy sleep surface made of natural hevea latex foam without any wool or cotton batting. Essentia’s Performance and Wholebody Recovery collection of mattresses also do not contain springs.

Finding the right therapeutic mattress will aid in helping you sleep better at night, and for some, it can lead to better breathing, sleep habits, and fewer instances of sleep disorders since there is no longer chemical exposure throughout the night. Organic mattresses are often much more sustainably manufactured, do not contain pesticide residue, are free of harmful chemicals, and are made using hypoallergenic materials. Purchasing an organic mattress is an investment in the safety and well-being of you and your loved ones and can make a tremendous difference in the quality and safety of your night of sleep.