Updated on February 11, 2023
We spend more time in bed than in almost any other place. We sleep, cuddle, relax, massage, read stories, make love; honestly, there are so many things that we do in bed, that it seems crazy that there may be things we do not know about the mattresses we sleep on. Below we discuss some interesting topics and some facts about sleep which may come to surprise some of you..
Bed Bugs, Harmless Or Not?
The mattresses we sleep on can actually harbor uninvited guests. Bed bugs are not something made up to scare little kids but are very real things. Bed bugs eat the skin cells that naturally come off us. Before you take a flame thrower to your mattress though, you should know that bed bugs are harmless. They pose no threat to your health or general well-being. It is important to make sure that you wash and change your sheets often, at least once every two weeks. This will maintain a clean atmosphere for you to sleep in.
The Spring Mattress
The innerspring is the most common type of mattress, however, it is probably the least comfortable. Not to mention that buying one actually leads to spending more money, due to the fact they break down quicker than other types. Coil types do not offer the same support or comfort level that a memory foam variant or latex mattress would offer, so another reason to consider all aspects before you buy.
Flame Retardants
If you managed to grab a flame thrower and use it before I was able to stop you then you have just learned something. Mattresses as of 2007 were mandated to be able to withstand the heat of a flame. The federal government enacted this law due to the number of deaths related to mattresses catching on fire. Often the fires were started by cigarettes or candles. I have no proof but I think both of these things are actually related to the lovemaking being performed in bed.
“Make Your Bed!”
While some experts state that making your bed each morning can actually mentally help you feel accomplished and start your day off right, others state that by making your bed in the morning you are physically creating the perfect warm environment needed for bed bugs to thrive. According to the BBC, a study at Kingston University found that as we sleep at night not only are we shedding dead skin cells but we are also sweating. The sweat then creates a moist environment needed for bed bugs to grow.
No More Television In The Room
Televisions are horrible to have in the room. They can prevent your body from getting a good night’s sleep by altering the light in the room. The sound can distract thus preventing you from relaxing. So do yourself a favor and throw it out.
We Have To Have Sleep
The average hours of recommended sleep by experts needed by adults is 6-8 hours. For children, it is even longer between 8-10 hours. An odd fact for you to take to the water cooler tomorrow, humans can only survive 10 days without sleep. If you’re suffering from insomnia, check out these 10 tips for better sleep.
Exercise Before Sleep?
Although exercising is generally a good way to tire the body out and can certainly aid in falling asleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation, exercising right before you go climb into bed will make it more difficult to fall asleep. Tiring out the body is a good way of sleeping faster and generally getting better sleep, but, allowing your heart rate to drop and letting your body re-adjust to normality is a must before climbing into bed. So, if you plan to go to the gym or do some press-ups late at night, try and do it at least an hour before bedtime.
Sleep Tight
The age-old adage “Sleep Tight” is actually derived from when bed frames had ropes tightened between the posts holding the mattresses up. Previously they were supported this way between the 16th century and all the up until the 18th century.
Don’t Throw That Away
After your coils give out and you begin to search for a new mattress remember that you can donate the old one to a thrift store. Some cities will even allow you to bring it to the local recycling center. Alternatively, you can contact a third party company like LoadUp, who will come and collect your mattress and begin the recycling process for you. There will obviously be a charge, but it’s usually not a huge amount.
Double The Weight
In the early 2000s, a study was performed that determined that your mattress will actually double its weight in 10 years. The extra weight actually comes from dead skin cells and bed bugs.
The Mattress Lifespan
The average mattress life expectancy if you take care of it is 10 years. Although the type of material that yours is made of can change that timeline. An innerspring for example will not last as long as latex and will begin to sag sooner and become unusable.
Comfort Equals To Sleep
A good mattress can actually help relieve some of the aches and pains you are feeling. Having something that offers good support can even equate to more sleep. Some experts actually say that a good supportive mattress can equal an extra hour of sleep. Make sure that next time you are looking for a new mattress after you recycled your old one you think about comfort, not just the cost. Getting an extra hour of sleep could mean an extra 7 hours of kip throughout the week, and 392 hours per year. That is time you don’t get back.
Moving Around?
Sleep studies have been done that say how much the average person moves/rolls around throughout the night. And the lucky number tossing and turning is… 65 times per night.
Safe Storage?
We all know someone or have heard of someone who is scared of the banks. They talk about how it is some government-run operation designed to steal all of our money. These people don’t trust banks to hold their money and so they hide it. Some people hid it in the freezer. Others hide it under their beds. Well someone interviewed thieves and asked them the most popular places they look at. The majority actually admitted to checking under the mattress before they searched anywhere else in the house. So do yourself a favor and find a better hiding place if you don’t trust the bank.
You Can Be In Control
Making sure you get a good night’s rest can actually give you more control of your weight loss or weight gain. Getting more sleep means your body is well-rested and better able to shave off the extra pounds. The less sleep you get the more weight you will put on and be unable to shave off.
Well now that you know all of that, I have a question. Why are you not in bed?