Happy Earth Day! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since the first one … we’ve come a long way since then but in many ways we still have much progress to make. In honor of the occasion and in keeping with this month’s theme of insomnia, I thought I’d write a post about greening your sleep routine (yes, it’s possible to do this now too!).

I’ve been thinking about buying a new mattress for the past couple of years (the one I’m sleeping on now is probably about 22 years old!). A friend of mine suggested I get one of those memory foam mattress toppers instead of shelling out a small fortune for a new mattress. I took her advice and it’s given my mattress a new life! But the more I read about the toxins in traditional mattresses and memory foam products the more I feel like it might be time to just take the leap and get a green and clean mattress. So I’ve started doing some research to find out what options are available and thought I’d share what I’ve learned so far with you.

It seems that most traditional mattresses are made with metal coils that are coated in some type of toxic chemical to keep them from rusting and degrading over time. On top of that, mattresses are filled with polyurethane foam and other flame retardant materials, and/or cotton that is loaded with pesticides. Then there are the chemicals added to the outer layer of the mattress to make them water and stain resistant. Add all that together and you’ve got a veritable soup of chemicals that slowly leach out (or outgas as the case may be) while you spend close to a third of your life lounging around on them! Phew!

You may be wondering what all this has to do with insomnia. Well it turns out that sleeping on an foam or synthetic fiber mattress retains your body heat and acts like an oven. This in turn raises the body temperature making you sleep lighter. As your body temperature rises you tend to kick off the covers to cool off. Then, during the night, you get colder and get up to grab the covers. This disturbs the pre- R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Movement) sleeping pattern. When you sleep on natural fibers, moisture gets wicked away, which will help keep the body at a more even temperature. This also helps you get a better night’s rest and stay in the R.E.M. (the deep) sleep cycle longer. So optimal sleeping conditions provide a breathable surface to the sleeper. Natural fibers are breathable. Synthetic fibers are basically not.

So what to choose? There’s natural latex (be sure not to get fooled into getting a mattress that is a mixture of natural and synthetic latex), organic cotton, or organic wool. Natural latex is recommended because it’s naturally anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, dust mite proof and relieves pressure points along the body. Natural rubber provides an almost motion-free sleeping experience, is exceptionally breathable and naturally hygienic, and will not house dust mites. In addition, infrared photography has shown that natural rubber reduces pressure-point pain up to 30% better than memory foam.

Wool has the ability to absorb large amounts of natural body moisture and then release it easily through evaporation. This attribute keeps you comfortable while you sleep by minimizing natural body-temperature fluctuations. Wool can also spring back to its original size and shape, and it discourages dust mites. Because of its high moisture content and the protein (keratin) that it contains, wool is also naturally flame resistant.

And last but not least, certified organic cotton mattresses. These can be rather hard but you can make them more comfy by adding a wool mattress topper. Apparently the wool in mattress toppers (and in mattresses) is well encased in cotton so if you’re allergic or sensitive to it there shouldn’t be a problem. If you can’t afford a new mattress then a pure wool or natural rubber topper is an option or you can swing for organic cotton barrier cloths or zippered encasings to protect your lungs from dust mite allergens and putt a little barrier between yourself the toxins being out gassed by your current mattress.