Sleep Healthier with an Organic Mattress

If you're lucky enough to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night, you're spending a full third of your life in bed. That's nearly 3,000 hours a year spent with your face within inches of your mattress. Unfortunately, conventional mattresses don't exactly promote the pinnacle of health due to the large number of off-gassing chemicals they contain.

The Chemicals Lurking in Your Bed

As of July 1, 2007, the United States requires all mattresses manufactured here to be so flame retardant that they won't catch fire when exposed to the flame of a blow torch. The most cost-effective way to make something fire retardant is to use certain chemicals in the manufacturing process. The chemical flame-retardants most commonly used in mattresses include:

• Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), which has been associated with brain damage, reproductive and thyroid problems, and cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Antimony, a highly toxic heavy metal that causes eye, lung, and heart problems.
• TDDCP, which is linked to brain damage, cancer, and nerve problems.

Flame-retardants are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the toxic chemicals that are used in conventional mattresses. These mattresses also contain harsh chemical dyes, anti-microbial solutions, adhesives, and petroleum-based products like vinyl, pressboard, and polyester fabric. All of these substances off-gas volatile organic compounds long after the chemical smell disappear.

Organic Mattresses are Healthier

By law, a manufacturer can't call a mattress "organic" unless it's certified to be at least 95 percent organic by an independent, third party certification organization like the Global Organic Textile Standard, or GOTS. GOTS-certified mattresses are guaranteed to meet stringent requirements for low toxicity and biodegradability, and manufacturers must have environmental policies in place.

Certified organic mattresses are made from textiles that contain no preservatives, pesticides, or herbicides, and they adhere to strict limits for formaldehyde, phthalates, heavy metals, chlorinated phenol, and many other harmful chemicals. The most common components of a certified-organic mattress are all-natural, organic latex foam, organic cotton, and organic wool, which is a powerful, natural fire retardant.

Especially if you have a compromised immune or respiratory system, suffer from allergies or asthma, or are very young or elderly, an organic mattress can have an important positive impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Organic, and sleep tight know that you're not being exposed to harmful chemicals while you catch your zzz's.