Believe it or not, a roll in the sheets actually can be hazardous to your health. Your sheets can contribute to certain health concerns and may not always be the healing place that you envision them to be. Think dust mites and allergens and reconsider this very common belief. Your allergies, asthma or lowered immune system can be a direct result of the bed you’re sleeping in, or rather, the sheets on which you sleep.
Sheets that are cleaned regularly pose less risk for undesirable health conditions. There are still several things you should be aware of when caring for your bed. Rest easy with these helpful hints.
How Your Sheets Might Make you Sick
Different people may be more or less susceptible to certain elements found in the typical bed. Whether a certain person reacts negatively to these elements really just depends on his or her current health, genetic makeup, and personal sensitivities. Consider the following potential health hazards that could be lurking in your bed, and make a plan to put these dangers to bed by following the cleaning instructions later in this article.
- Toxins: This might seem unlikely, but it’s a fact. Many fibers used to make cotton sheets retain toxic chemical residues used to treat the fibers in production. Cotton itself is often subjected to chemical treatments when it is being loomed and prepared for cutting. For anyone sensitive to such chemicals, prolonged contact between the skin and the affected sheets may cause undesirable symptoms and feelings of illness. Allergies and asthma are two conditions that are often aggravated by sleeping on cotton sheets. If you want to avoid any reaction to such chemicals or toxins, consider purchasing organic cotton sheets, which promise to be free of these contaminants. Organic sheets are made with raw materials cultivated without the use of chemicals or toxins and are dyed with natural colorants such as clay. Many holistic practitioners believe that organic cotton is good for the body’s chi (energy) and may offer healing properties for those who sleep on it, as well as reduce the potential for allergies and asthma.