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Is Your Mattress Making You Sick?


Dr. Doris J. Rapp, MD, board-certified as both an environmental medical specialist and pediatric allergist, discusses the dangerous chemicals that may be lurking inside your mattress.

Dr. Rapp is a homeopath and the author of the bestselling books Is This Your Child? and Is This Your Child’s World?. She has published 29 medical articles, eight chapters in medical texts, and 11 other books about allergy.

Dr. Rapp has also produced a number of educational videotapes that vividly demonstrate the dramatic physical and behavioral changes in children and adults that can be achieved using her method of allergy testing called Provocation/Neutralization.

To hear the entire expert interview, please join the Mercola Inner Circle.


Dr. Mercola''s Comments Dr. Mercola's Comments:

As of July 1, 2007, all U.S. mattresses are required to be highly flame retardant, to the extent that they won’t catch on fire if exposed to a blow torch. This means that the manufacturers are dousing them with highly toxic flame-retardant chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ether, better known as PBDE, which do NOT have to be disclosed in any way.

PBDEs, which have been banned in Canada, Europe and several states, build up in your body over time, and what you absorb or inhale does not go away. This is concerning not only because of the health problems PBDE is associated with (brain and reproductive damage, decreased sperm quality, thyroid problems and even cancer at high levels), but also because of how pervasive these chemicals have become.

PBDEs are not only in mattresses, they’re also in furniture and countless other household products. Not surprisingly, the chemicals are now showing up in breast milk, blood tests and even umbilical-cord blood and livers of fetuses.

Other flame-retardant chemicals currently approved for use in mattresses include:

• Boric acid, a toxic respiratory irritant used to kill roaches
• Antimony, a metal that may be more toxic than mercury
• Formaldehyde, which causes cancer

“They have maybe a cup and a half or two cups of this material on the mattress. They sprinkle it over the top or they put it into some kind of a coating on the mattress. And this can make people very, very ill,” Dr. Rapp says.

Think about it.

You spend from six to nine hours every night with your face in close proximity to your mattress, breathing in these chemicals. And if your children jump on the bed, or you bounce on your mattress, even more of these toxins can be released into the air.

What are the Risks of Sleeping on a Chemically Treated Mattress?

The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has tested the fire-retardant chemicals currently used in mattresses and found the risks to be “insignificant.”

However, they also found that the chemicals do, in fact, leach from the mattresses. A person sleeping on a chemically treated mattress will absorb .8 mg of antimony every night, an amount that is 27 times more than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is safe.

Five-year-old children, meanwhile, will absorb .5 mg of antimony every night, according to CPSC, which is 63 times more than the EPA’s safety limit!

Given the fact that antimony accumulates in your body over time, this could clearly present a significant risk over time.

Meanwhile, the CPSC study did not include children under 5 in their study because crib mattresses are usually covered in vinyl, and it was assumed the chemicals would not pass through this material. European scientists, however, have found that antimony leaches through vinyl on crib mattresses and can be absorbed by infants. And this is not even including the toxic impact other toxic chemicals in mattresses, like boric acid and formaldehyde.

Aside from the chemical composition, you may also want to consider electromagnetics before you buy your mattress.

Is Your Mattress Magnetized?

The springs used to support your mattress can be magnetized, but sleeping on a mattress that has magnetized springs is not a good idea for your health. A simple way to confirm that the mattress you’re purchasing isn’t magnetized is to take a liquid-filled compass and move it over the entire surface of the mattress.

If the compass reading for the north pole is not deflected more than 10 degrees, then the likelihood of the springs being magnetized is pretty low.

Shopping for a Safe Mattress

This is not an easy task. Mattress manufacturers are not required to label or disclose which chemicals their mattresses contain. Further, many state that their mattresses are chemical-free, when in reality they are not.

One way to find a safe mattress is to have a doctor or chiropractor write you a prescription for a chemical-free mattress, and then find a manufacturer to make one for you. You can also search for 100% wool, toxin-free mattresses.

A second option that seems reliable is finding a mattress that uses a Kevlar, bullet-proof type of material in lieu of chemicals for fire-proofing. These are available in most big stores, and will help you to avoid some of the toxicity.

If cost is a concern, Dr. Rapp also suggests making your own mattress.

“You buy 100% organic cotton or flannel blankets. Sew them together at the end, just put them in cotton berry or cloth cover and you’ll have a mattress that’s relatively inexpensive,” she says.

If you already have a mattress at home, putting it into a waterproof mattress cover may also help to reduce your exposure to toxins.

Finally, if you would like to voice your opinion you can sign a petition from PeopleForCleanBeds.org that is trying to get the laws allowing flame-retardant chemicals in mattresses overturned.

I recently needed to purchase a mattress and selected a Stearns and Foster mattress as when I discussed this issue with their chief engineer and requested to order a mattress produced without antimony or PBDEs, he explained to me that none of their mattresses had it.

Apparently they have developed a patented process that actually weaves Kevlar fibers (the material they make bullet-proof vests out of) into the mattress covering and this is sufficient to pass the fire safety standards. I am very happy with this mattress as it is FAR more comfortable than a number of the organic mattresses I had purchased in the past.

Interested in Provocation Neutralization Therapy?

We have been doing the provocation neutralization therapy that Dr. Rapp describes in our office for the last fifteen years and have had very good results with it.  You can contact our office for further information.


Related Links:



Comment on This Article Community Comments (49)
 
 
Posted On Oct 29, 2008
There are a lot of choices for organic mattresses:
OrganicMattressReviews

Do some research of organic companies as well, and if you're chemically sensitive or have other allergies, most of these companies will send you a mattress sample for testing. Take heed from Rosalind Anderson from Anderson Laboraties:

"Mattresses are a big one right now. People are buying  mattresses which are really devastating for their health. We have called the CPSC and we got their list of complaints and we know that about 800 people have called and said “my health totally collapsed when I bought this mattress”. It is of course difficult for individuals to send us a mattress. But people have done it. We got actual mattresses and they tested very toxic to mice. This includes the high price, the low price, semi-organic ones, guaranteed organic ones. Mattresses are really very dangerous at this moment."

 
Swami Barmi
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 10/2006
Swami Barmi  
Replied

Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Oct 29, 2008
So true. I bought myself a gift of a 'good' mattress about 7 years ago before I knew anything about how dangerous they can be...mine was treated with some anti mold garbage. Needlesstosay, I suffered from
eczema and all kinds of issues for years, never putting 1+1 together....

Thanks for the link Swami...


Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Oct 31, 2008
Good grief.... Who gives negative points for this comment on a personal experience...?


Swami Barmi
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 10/2006
Swami Barmi  
 
Posted On Nov 02, 2008
"Good grief.... Who gives negative points for this comment on a personal experience...?"

Between some petty, ignorant posters and moronic Little Hitlers for moderators, Vital Votes is turning into a kindergarten playground.

 
 
 
Posted On Oct 30, 2008
I wonder about the latex cores as a lot of people, including myself, are allergic - especially as I've seen a lot of advertising lately for organic crib mattresses.
Does anyone know?


 
BeeGirl
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 4/2008
BeeGirl  
Replied

Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Oct 30, 2008
...I thought about the latex core as well, beegirl.  I wondered if the fact that the latex doesn't touch the skin if it made a difference....? I would prefer not to have latex either, but some of these other mattresses I looked into had a foam core with cotton ticking and batting and a muslin shell. I wondered if the foam might degrade and give off fumes? 

Actually, I have to say...the best mattress I ever slept on was one I made back in school... natural, untreated wood frame slats with a  queensize wool and cotton 8" futon...don't know why I ever got rid of it!? lol (may need to find the time to make a new one at this stage)...

Any suggestions or comments from anyone, including yourself, on the 'best mattress ever?"




Aaltrude
Moderator User Moderator User Joined On 4/2007
Aaltrude  
 
Posted On Oct 31, 2008
SMB - when we were looking for a new mattress we liked the comfort of the memory foam mattresses but the price was more than we had budgeted for a mattress and we settled on a latex mattress ( I do not have a latex allergy) and memory foam pillows. I am retrospectively very glad we did not get the memory foam mattress because those pillows made me feel very ill and they were very quickly returned. Had we bought a memory foam mattress, I am sure the company would not have been quite so ready to refund our money on a larger item when the problem was the effect it had on me rather than a fault with the mattress.


Swami Barmi
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 10/2006
Swami Barmi  
 
Posted On Oct 31, 2008
The biggest problem with latex is when it is insufficiently washed to remove loose latex. This is why so many medical people get latex allergies: surgical gloves are notoriously underwashed. When staff take their gloves off (the wearer or those around them) the powder that coats the inside of the glove fills the surrounding air, with tons of free latex attached. People who were not latex allergic in the past can become sensitized this way.

Latex allergic people show varying degrees of sensitivity. Many are routinely exposed to latex via touch without even knowing it. Many latex products are sufficiently bonded so that free latex is not released. I spoke with a representative (at Lifekind I believe) who explained their latex washing process, which seems very thorough. Your best bet as I said before, would be to request a sample and expose yourself to it in increasing degrees. If one of your regular symptoms is throat tightening and/or anaphylaxis, be sure to have an epipen nearby to be on the safe side!


BeeGirl
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 4/2008
BeeGirl  
 
Posted On Oct 31, 2008
No Sweet M, but I could probably give you some input on the worst mattresses ever, lol. Whatever happened to the days when a sleeping bag on the ground made a fine bed?


Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Oct 31, 2008
...beegirl...stories on the worst mattress ever!!  Do tell!  Ah, yes, the days of the old lumpy Coleman sleeping bag on the floor of a British Columbia pine forest...not bad until the needles went places they were NOT supposed to...lol

Swami, thanks for that. I have noticed that after years of latex exposure with my surgical gloves, I have found my hands itching intensely at night many hours, and many hand washes later. So, you are saying that if your mattress has a latex core, is washed well, and it never touches your skin you may be alright but keep an epi-pen handy?  YIKES!  Think I'll go back to my Japanese bed...lol

Aaltrude, I slept on my sister's memory foam mattress not too long ago and I totally overheated!!   It was like sleeping on a heating pad cranked on HIGH for me. Anyone else experience this?


BeeGirl
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 4/2008
BeeGirl  
 
Posted On Oct 31, 2008
Sweet M - worst mattresses ever, huh? Let’s see, #1 is definitely an unheated water bed, #2 would have to be a saggy old fold-out couch with a deep horizontal ravine and #3 is probably the hood of a ‘70 Chevelle with the windshield as a backrest, or maybe it’s an ‘83 Escort with back seats that don‘t fold flat and a cargo space so short your feet hit the deck lid all night long, causing the dome light to come on.
My sleeping bag was more likely to be full of sand than pine needles. I love morning coffee in front of a camp fire. (as well as evening libations, lol)



Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Oct 31, 2008
beegirl...I can't stop laughing...lol ....oh thanks for the belly giggle!!
A windshield as a headrest!!  Oh dear!  I am laughing so hard I can't hardly type...!  LOL


INKY DINKY
Novice User Novice User Joined On 10/2007
INKY DINKY  
 
Posted On Nov 12, 2008

SMB..Yes, I bought a Sealy True Comfort Memory Foam bed over a year ago and it does get might hot during the summer, but isn't a problem during the summer months.  My question to ANYONE using a memory foam bed...HOW DOES THE MEMORY FOAM BED CONTRIBUTE TO JOINT ACHES?  I UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS TYPE OF BED WAS BENEFICIAL FOR ARTHRITIS PAINS...IF YOU OWN A MEMORY FOAM BED...WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH JOINT COMFORT WHILE USING THIS TYPE OF BED?????????????  GREATLY APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU!!



INKY DINKY
Novice User Novice User Joined On 10/2007
INKY DINKY  
 
Posted On Nov 12, 2008

CORRECTION:  ISN'T A PROBLEM DURING THE WINTER MONTHS... (comment to the foam beds)



CSC
Novice User Novice User Joined On 12/2007
CSC  
 
Posted On Nov 12, 2008

Latex makes a great mattress although it can be expensive and some people are allergic to it. I used to work for a large polyurethane manufacturer and Dr Rapp is incorrect in saying the PBDE is sprinkled on the foam. It is polymerized within the foam during the manufacturing process. All furniture that is sold in California has to be fire retardant as well and they contian PBDE. PBDE shows up in mothers milk and well water becuase of landfill leachage from all the polyurethane that is diposed in trash dumps. There are some other type of fire retardants that are less toxic but they are still made from  petrochemicals. Most mattress foams do not contian a lot of PBDE but the outside barrier sack that is the main protection and fire retarder probably does. Getting away from all petro-chemicals is probabaly the best choice.


 
 
 
Posted On Nov 11, 2008

Dear Readers

To me this is a good read, I have rarely bought new items of clothing and bedding because of the chemicals impregnated in/on the item. After reading this article I feel tad more supported & justified of my position of corporate greed pouring junk onto the market that will eventually kill off their own customers - us.

Bedding, clothing, furniture, toys. the article claims a child will get 5 mg per night, that’s only related to the bedding. What about the dosage they (and we all) get in every day life for all kinds of junk.


 
Voir_Diar Y
Users with negative points NoviceUser, Joined On 12/2007
Voir_Diar Y  
 
 
 
Posted On Nov 11, 2008

After much searching for a TRULY chemical free mattress, I finally found one that sleeps like a dream!  And a chemical- free one!  My husband and I bought a wool mattress (King size) from http://www.surroundewe.com/  It is like sleeping on a supportive cloud.  The wool breathes with you and works with your body temperature.  I frequently overheated in my old, standard bed with down comforters.  I have been the perfect temperature, even when it's 29 degrees outside with this mattress!  We also purchased the comforters, pillows, and linens.  I have had back problems in the past, and this is the most supportive bed I have ever slept on.  Apparently it's also great for people with fibromyalgia, arthritis, allergies, even snoring!

I highly recommend this company.  If you want truly chemical free sleep, this is the best place to get it.  And it's way more affordable than other organic cotton mattresses!


 
Mark10
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 3/2007
Mark10  
 
 
 
Posted On Nov 11, 2008

I bought a Tempurpedic due to having a neck herniation about 8 months ago and at first, for a month, it had a bad smell and the company said "your mattress may have a slight odor remaining from our unique manufacturing process.  All polyurethane based materials have this characteristic.  This is normal and completely harmless and will dissipate within a few days."  The Tempurpedic mattess is recognized by NASA, 25,000 medical professionals, Good Housekeepings Seal of Approval and Consumer Digest's best buy. It asl earned the Arthritis Foundation's Ease of Use Commendation.  Since using it myself, the smell has dissipated and I have never been more comfortable on a mattress.  Additionally a chiropractor I go to highly recommends them and would not sleep on anything else. The organic mattresses get mold and dust mites and are very expensive.


 
MTNPOSH
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 4/2007
MTNPOSH  
 
 
 
 
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