Kids Sleep Safety: What To Avoid When Mattress Shopping

We know when you’re shopping for a mattress comfort and price may be your top priorities, but have you thought about the toxicity of a typical mattress? Babies and kids spend a lot of time in their beds, and during that time they are exposed to chemical off-gassing that synthetic mattresses product. This can be especially harmful to their little growing bodies as they spend between 7 to 12 hours a day on their mattress, their fragile respiratory, neurological, reproductive and immune systems are still developing. This makes them more vulnerable to toxic chemicals which can affect brain development.

Synthetic mattresses are always coated with flame retardants, scary enough you can even find these lurking in children’s pajamas! These PBDE flame retardants have been scientifically linked to several health issues including: 

• Lower IQ 
• Hyperactivity
• Thyroid Disfunction
• Altered Sexual Development 
• Early Onset of Puberty 
• Developmental Issues 
• Cancer 

You’ll notice everything listed above are directly connected to the developmental stages of your child’s life. So what can you do? Here are the top 4 things to look out for when purchasing your kids’ mattress or crib mattress: 

1. Flame Retardants – Mattresses are often treated with chemical flame retardants to meet federal regulations. It is important to choose a crib mattress manufacturer that does not use toxic chemicals to meet these regulations.
2. Polyvinyl Chloride or Vinyl Waterproofing – This waterproofing is often achieved with plastics that contain the hazardous compound polyvinyl chloride or vinyl. This is known to be the most toxic plastic that constantly outgasses into the air that your baby breathes. In the event that you choose to have waterproofing, you must ensure there is no vinyl uses. Healthy crib mattress companies can achieve a safer waterproof surface with he used of food-grade polyethylene.
3. Polyurethane Foams – These foams are petroleum-based material that will emit VOCs into the air. You must also consider that soy-based and vegetable-based foams are simply poly foams mixed with these other elements but the majority of the mix is still polyurethane-based.
4. Fabrics – You want to stay away from crib mattress cover fabrics and fabric batting that is made of polyester. Polyester can cause respiratory tract irritation and even rashes. Moreover, you should be vigilant of options that seem good on the outside. What does this mean? Think of an organic cotton cover over a polyurethane foam mattress. It’s important to pay close attention to all components of the mattress.

Here at Essentia we do things differently and keep sleep safety at the forefront of all of our decisions. When you purchase an Essentia Grateful Bed Jr or Essentia LaLa Crib Mattress you can rest assured it is one of the healthiest sleep surfaces for your little one. 

• Made in Essentia’s GOLS and GOTS certified organic factory, Essentia uses only the highest quality natural and organic components to ensure a clean air environment for baby. You won’t find any synthetic fabrics or poly foams so baby is not exposed to VOCs from these elements.
• Temperature neutral sleep surface and constant airflow through the mattress, even while stomach sleeping. 
• Allergy-Friendly. The LaLa crib mattress and Grateful Bed Jr do not have any nesting ground for dust mites so it will not attract or emit allergens as reported by Dr. Robert G. Hamilton of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
• Essentia does not use any chemical flame retardants on any products. 
• Featuring a touch of Essentia’s patented natural memory ensuring pressure relief for optimal blood flow, proper spinal alignment, and a temperature neutral sleep surface your child will experience fewer sleep interruptions and sleep longer.
• Exclusive to Essentia’s LaLa crib mattress is food-grade waterproofing integrated into the backing of the GOTS certified organic cotton cover.