One of the most ignored elements of our day-to-day lives is the bedroom, more specifically the bed itself. How often do you give this critical element of your home, the place where you will spend about 30 percent of your life, some really considerable thought? That is a long time, if you consider that a person who lives to the ripe old age of 100 years will have spent a whopping 30 years asleep!
Many of us are crawling out of bed each morning feeling achy, lethargic and sometimes more exhausted than we felt before climbing into our bed. With people working longer hours and experiencing higher stress levels than any other time in history, it is crucial that we invest as much as we can into the one place of solitude we have – our bed.
Adjusting a few crucial components of your sleep environment can, in most cases, help you to sleep better and wake up feeling well-rested and alert. Allergy and skin disorder sufferers may also benefit from a better night of sleep and even find overall improvement in symptoms throughout the day – just by changing the sheets.
Switching to Eco-Friendly Organic Bed Sheets
While much attention has been given to the idea of investing in a quality mattress over recent years, bed sheets have been somewhat pushed aside as an important element of a good night's sleep. Choosing high-quality, hypoallergenic bed sheets made from natural materials can go a long way in providing you with a healthier, more peaceful sleep experience.
Understanding how eco-friendly bed sheets can provide a more human-friendly sleeping environment is the first step – deciding which bed sheets will serve your needs best is a little more of a challenge.
With so many fabrics, price-ranges and manufacturers to choose from, trying to sort through them all can be overwhelming if you're new to the world of eco-friendly fabrics and manufacturing processes.
The good news is, you don't have to be a textile guru to choose the right type of bed sheets. Here are some of the best fabrics to consider when looking to vamp up your bed for a more luxurious and indulgent sleep.
Silk Bed Sheets
Who doesn't love the lavish sensation of silk sheets against their skin? Silk is long known to be associated with luxury and royalty. Silk, by its nature, is inhospitable to dust mites and other microscopic critters that feed on the dead skin cells that rub off onto your sheets.
Using silk bed sheets can help reduce allergy symptoms for people who are allergic to dust and mites. Because silk is so tightly woven and causes less friction and pressure against the skin, it can also help reduce symptoms of osteoporosis, eczema and shingles. Silk also allows heat to escape, which can allow for a more restful sleep in people who have a tendency to become overheated.
Linen Bed Sheets
For generations, mothers have been passing down their quality fine linen sheets from daughter to grand-daughter and so on. If you happen to have a set stashed in your attic somewhere, you may want to go pull them out and give them a good laundering.
Linen sheets are known for their splendid texture and highly durable quality which can last for generations. What many people don't know, however, is that linen bed sheets are also hypoallergenic and can contribute to a less hostile sleep environment. If you were not so fortunate to have had a set of these sinfully delightful sheets handed down to you, search for linen sheets made from flax, hemp or a mixture of both.
Flax helps reduce static-electricity between the sheets and both fabrics are eco-friendly, renewable and help reduce the amount of allergen causing dust mites and dander. Like silk bed sheets, linen also has been proven to ease skin disorders, asthma and allergies.
Bamboo Bed Sheets
Bamboo bed sheets made from organic, renewable bamboo sources are simply exquisite. They are naturally hypoallergenic, but also great for people who suffer from night-sweats (hyperhydrosis).
Bamboo sheets wick moisture away from the body to reduce moisture. The bamboo fabric feels soft and comfortable on your skin and they can even help you keep your bed odor-free as bamboo is a naturally odor inhibiting material.
Cost Benefit Ratio
Changing to more natural, organic and toxic-free bed sheets that are made without being processed with harsh chemicals, bleaches and dyes is a great way to create a more peaceful and eco-friendly sleep environment.
While it's true that these high-quality bed sheets will cost more to buy than your standard run-of-the-mill sheet sets – the benefits of creating a more eco-friendly and healthier sleeping environment are certainly worth considering.
Sources:
AchooAllergy.com. "Allergy Relief Bedding" (accessed March 9, 2011).
EcoBusinessLink.com. "Non Toxic, Natural & Organic Bedding" (accessed March 9, 2011).
Washington University. "Faculty Facts on Sleep in Humans" (accessed March 9, 2011).
Beyond Allergy. "Healthy Bedding" (accessed March 9, 2011).
I Love Linen: Linen Fabric Information. " What Different Types Are There? " (accessed March 9, 2011).
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