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n greening up your home, it’s natural to turn first to the rooms you and your family fully live in, like your kitchen and den, but it’s just as vital to detoxify your bedrooms. Maybe even more


so. After all, according to The National Sleep Foundation, experts recommend adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, which means you should spend about one-third of your life in bed.


Harmful ZZZs: Sleeping with the Enemy While you sleep, your immune system is designed to recover


so your body can repair itself and prepare for the coming day. But if your mattress is conventional—that is, if it’s comprised of oil and polyester, and laden with truly toxic flame retardants, polyurethane foam, and water-, stain-, or wrinkle-resistant chemicals, your skin (your largest organ) absorbs the toxins, your lungs breathe in the airborne vapors, and your immune system does battle rather than repair itself. Talk about a nightmare scenario!


Rest Assured, You Can Easily Have a Good Night’s Sleep


Unlike conventional options, organic mattresses are carefully


crafted using renewable materials found in nature—like wool, cot- ton, all-natural rubber, coconut fiber, and even sea grass—and they avoid unwelcome additions like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), blended latex, soy-based foam, and chemical flame retar- dants. You might be surprised to learn you’ve got plenty of options when it comes to organic mattresses, so you can rest assured that you’ll find a bed that’s just right for you.


Identifying Your Perfect Organic Mattress Mattress retailers have jumped on the eco-bandwagon, and


many make false claims of selling natural, green, or sustainable mat- tresses. Often, this is marketing hype. For example, a manufacturer can say their latex mattress is “natural” even if only 60% is natural


14 Essential Living Maine ~ May/June 2014


rubber, while 40% is a synthetic blend of unnatural petrochemicals. To avoid getting green-washed, here are a few questions to ask your mattress salesperson:


1. What percentages of the mattress materials are organic?


You’ll get a healthier night’s sleep on a mattress made only with materials that are certified organic or all-natural. If you find that the outer cover is the singular organic element, know the rest of the mattress is conventional and does contain toxic materials and chemical flame retardants.


2. How does the mattress meet the U.S. Fire Code burn test?


The answer shouldn’t be a list of elements you’ve never heard of or can’t pronounce. Manufacturers you can trust use wool or silica (a blend of sand and baking soda) which self-extinguish when put to a flame.


3. If you’re looking at a latex mattress, ask: What percentage of the latex is actually rubber? It should be 95-97% to be “all natural”.


A Smart Investment for the Whole Family


Every bedroom—Master Suite, nursery, guest room, and even dorm—can and should have an organic mattress. From crib and toddler bed to extra-long twin and California King, organic mat- tresses come in every size; they may cost more than their conven- tional counterpoints but, frankly, not much more. Whatever you spend, think of this investment like you would the purchase of your family car: do your research, see what feels right, and invest in safety, comfort, and peace of mind. Remember, you and your loved ones will be sleeping on this organic mattress for 10 years or more (longer than you might drive that car!) so invest wisely.


Creating Your Eco-Friendly Bedroom Going green in your bedroom begins with an organic mattress,


but it doesn’t have to end there. Here are some additional elements


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