On average, Americans spend one third of their lives in bed – sleeping, or at least trying to!

While much has been written about making the third of our day spent working more productive, interesting and rewarding; and much has been said about improving mealtimes with food that is more nutritious, more satisfying, and more interesting; little attention has been given to how we can make our sleep time more rejuvenating!

Now, get ready for sleep spas! Pay $1 a minute and you can enjoy “quality” rest. The creation of Nicholas Ronco, Yelo Spa on Fifth Avenue in New York City is the latest effort by the sleep assistance industry to help the 70 million Americans who suffer from sleep disorders (Source: CBS This Morning March 16, 2015 http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/how-companies-are-cashing-in-on-sleepless-americans )

But what about the rest of us who do no live in New York or do not want to pay for designer naps? What can we do?

Sleep experts recommend sticking to a regular sleep schedule and that a bedroom be well ventilated, outfitted with adjustable lighting and be free of television and/or monitors. However, they often ignore what a person sleeps on! Items such as the bed frame, mattress, pillow, sheets, nightstands, etc. all of which could potentially off-gas chemicals and inhibit a good nights sleep.

Thankfully, industry changes are being made. The next generation mattress has blossomed in the last 20 years. Naturepedic, Savvy Rest, Essencia and many other brands promote eco friendly, organic and healthy sleep products. Like all things, some are better than others but the ultimate goal is to provide safe soft-goods for all.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of bed frames and accessorial pieces sold today are made of composite materials which often contains formaldehyde, toxins, petrochemicals and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Most furniture comes from Asian factories where the regulation of potentially hazardous materials is virtually non-existent. Not only do these components emit harmful vapors, but the consumer is exposed to these vapors over the life of the product – a situation that can contribute to long term health issues from allergies to extremely serious disorders such as Parkinson’s and autism.

A good place to start evaluating what you can do to improve your sleep is to determine what kind of bed frame you are sleeping on and what materials were used to make your nightstand and dresser. Are you spending 1/3 of your life breathing harmful vapors from these items? If so, think long and hard about how much your health is worth. It may be time for a change.

Dapwood Furniture has been hand crafting bed frames for 30 years with sustainable American hardwoods which are naturally free of toxins and VOCs. While we would love for everyone to become a Dapwood customer, our ultimate goal is for everyone to look at all potential chemical exposure sources and choose eco friendly products to allow everyone the opportunity to get a good nights sleep.