Health Benefits Of Natural Mattresses And Restful Sleep

We take measures every day to ensure our health like eating a balanced meal, staying hydrated, and incorporating movement into daily tasks, but what about sleep?

Getting a good night’s sleep is paramount to living a healthy lifestyle, but too often we spend the night tossing and turning only to wake up feeling groggy and sore.

If you’re constantly plagued by restless nights, your old mattress may be to blame.

The Sleep Foundation recommends replacing old mattresses every 6-8 years and with so many new mattresses on the market, it’s hard to know which to choose.

If your mattress is at the end of its life, it may be time to explore purchasing a new, natural mattress to keep you and your family healthy and well-rested.

In this article, we’ll explore the health benefits of getting restful sleep and how switching to a natural mattress may make bedtime more comfortable.

Health Benefits of Restful Sleep

The benefits of sleep have been studied by scientists for many years, and while it may seem obvious that we feel better after a good night of sleep, one Harvard article confirms getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night has a positive impact on memory, mood, and overall health.

There are three categories we take into consideration when thinking about memory and those are the introduction of new information known as acquisition, consolidation which refers to the process by which memory becomes stable, and the ability to access information known as recall.

Research suggests that memory consolidation only occurs during different phases of brainwave activity that occur during sleeping hours.

Without adequate sleep neurons and other body, systems become overworked leading to muscle fatigue, inability to access information, negative mood, and inability to accurately assess a situation resulting in the accident, injury, or poor decision making.

Additionally, getting a sufficient amount of sleep has been linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, regulation of blood pressure, reduced inflammation in the body, a stronger immune system, a lower incidence of depression, and stabilization of blood glucose levels.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have linked insufficient sleep to chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

Signs of a Bad Mattress

Sleeping on a bad mattress may cause sleep disturbances leading to restless nights and health concerns.

We already know that age can be a factor when determining if your mattress may be to blame for sleep problems, but let’s look at some other identifying factors of a bad mattress.

One clear indication of a bad mattress is sagging. Once mattresses begin to near the end of their life, they lose their form and you may notice a permanent indentation in the mattress.

This can create uneven support and may lead to pressure issues with the spine or neck. Allergen buildup is another common factor affecting the longevity of your mattress and may lead to an increased risk of health problems.

The permeable layers of a mattress easily trap pet dander, mold, mildew, and dust mites between the layers of material and can cause significant allergic responses in people who are highly sensitive to allergens.

Lastly, if you spend the night on a different mattress either at a friend’s house or in a hotel and you find yourself feeling more comfortable, refreshed, and relaxed it’s likely that your mattress is not fulfilling your needs.

Benefits of Switching to a Natural Mattress

There are tons of mattress options available on the market these days, but switching to a natural mattress may provide increased support, aid in reducing allergy symptoms, help regulate body temperature during sleep, and lower your carbon footprint.

While many commercially available mattresses contain potentially harmful polyurethane, natural mattresses are made with natural latex and organic cotton and wool.

Latex mattresses have been proven to provide more even distribution of body weight and reduce pressure points while sleeping, aiding in more comfortable, restful sleep.

Additionally, the wool used in natural mattresses is antimicrobial and naturally resistant to dust mites, providing a more hypoallergenic mattress for allergy sufferers.

The organic fibers found in natural mattresses also provide better air circulation to keep you cool while you sleep.

Choosing a natural mattress is also the most eco-friendly option and we’ll show you what to look for when choosing a natural mattress.

Choosing a Natural Mattress

When picking a new, natural mattress there are a few important factors to consider and certifications to look for to ensure your mattress is truly made of organic and high quality materials.

The highest quality natural mattresses will be made from materials certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS).

According to GOLS, latex used in mattresses must be made of 95% organic material to receive this certification.

Other certifications to look for are the OEKO-TEX Standard 100  and CertiPUR-US that ensure the materials used in natural mattresses do not contain any harmful components.