What is a Hypoallergenic Mattress?
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Last Updated on Jun 27, 2022
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Your bed is the ultimate place for you to relax, unwind, enjoy deep, restful sleep, and wake up fresh and rejuvenated the following day. But not many can enjoy this experience. One of the primary obstacles is the pesky dust mites, bacteria, and other allergens that love to thrive on your mattress.
The panacea comes in the form of a hypoallergenic mattress. Essentially, it is a mattress crafted of dust and mite-resistant material and has anti-allergy covers. Due to it, allergens do not thrive or penetrate inside the mattress. It proves a boon to people suffering from allergies.
Here, we take an overview of hypoallergenic bedding and its importance. Finally, we walk through a few of the best mattresses for allergies. Read on!
Causes of Bedroom Allergens
You might be wondering from where do the allergens flourish in your mattress. When you sleep on your mattress you lose some moisture and skin on it. It accumulates over time and creates a fertile ground for various allergens to take to your mattress and flourish inside it.
A few of the common causes that contribute to the aggregation of bedroom allergens are:
Dust
The open doors and windows effortlessly allow the dust to flow into the room and settle on the mattress. Your clothes and insects are also carriers of dust. The dead skin shedding from your body also holds on to the dust and fixes it on the mattress.
Dust Mites
Invisible to the naked eye, these microscopic critters inevitably thrive on carpets, upholstery, bedding, mattresses, curtains, etc. Feeding on your dead skin cells and humidity caused by your body sweat on the mattresses, they multiply fast and leave behind feces, causing allergic reactions. So regardless of how intense your cleaning sessions are, you cannot escape dust mites.
Mold and Mildew
These are nothing but fungi that thrive in humid environments like moisture-ridden beds, rooms with high humidity, etc. Your mattress is highly vulnerable to it if you sweat profusely or if your mattress is a victim of liquid spills.
These can trigger severe allergic reactions and even asthma attacks.
Pet Dander
If you have a pet at home, you might be inviting them to your bed and cuddling up together. It might feel cozy, but it also breeds allergens. Your pet’s fur, skin, saliva, urine, etc., settle on your bedding and trigger allergic reactions.
They also bring dirt, pollen, and dust with them that can intensify allergens breeding on your mattress and cause deep discomfort to you.
Pollens
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by plants, especially flowers. It is vital for their reproduction. During the plant reproduction season, they are produced in abundance and easily reach your bedroom and mattress by floating and traveling through the air. Naturally, they settle on almost all available surfaces of your bedroom, including bedding.
The Center for Disease Control states that these seasonal allergies are leading culprits for triggering reactions like constant coughing, sneezing, and running nose.
Toxins
Apart from the external sources, your mattress and pillows might also induce the breeding of allergens. Suppose your mattresses and pillows are crafted of materials like synthetic latex or memory foam, they might also have harsh chemicals like VOCs, flame retardants, heavy metals, etc.
While they have their benefits, they also trigger allergic reactions like rashes, itchy skin, difficulty in breathing, runny nose, and even asthma attacks.
How to Fight with Allergens in Your Mattress
The presence of allergens in your mattress is detrimental to your health. It obstructs sound sleep and causes other medical problems like allergic reactions and asthma attacks.
Given the severity of the problem, let’s look through some ways to combat allergens in your mattress.
Switch to a Hypoallergenic Mattress
Whether you are sensitive to allergens or not, a hypoallergenic mattress is the key to healthy and peaceful sleep. If your mattress is not hypoallergenic, you should consider replacing it with one.
A. Benefits of a Hypoallergenic Mattress
A hypoallergenic mattress offers you several benefits like:
- Being allergy-resistant, it reduces and even prevents allergies and asthma attacks.
- It prevents bacterial growth as most are treated with antibacterial cover technology.
- It protects you from problems like a runny nose, watery eyes, skin irritation, and itchiness.
- Inhibit the growth of molds and mildew on its surface.
- Most are softer, more comfortable, induce better sleep, and help you attain better overall health.
B. Which Mattresses Are the Mattress for Allergies?
Given the plethora of mattresses available on the market, you might be wondering is memory foam mattress hypoallergenic? or which mattresses are hypoallergenic.
Generally, all mattresses crafted of natural materials or all-foam and springless mattresses are hypoallergenic. It is because foam has an impenetrable structure. Various hypoallergenic layers further strengthen them and enhance their properties.
A few of the popular hypoallergenic mattresses include:
- Memory foam mattresses
- Natural latex mattresses
- Gel foam mattresses
- Reflex foam mattresS
C. Choosing the Best Hypoallergenic Mattress
We have already talked about the hypoallergenic mattress types. Apart from it, you should also check out other features like:
- Ensure that the mattress has hypoallergenic fillings and not any toxic substances.
- It should have an authentic antibacterial mattress treatment.
- The hypoallergenic bed should not have harsh chemicals like phthalates, formaldehyde, flame retardants, etc.
- Ideally, the hypoallergenic mattress must have a few certifications like the CertiPUR-US, GREENGUARD Gold, STANDARD 100, MADE SAFE, or Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS). It testifies to authenticity.
Simultaneously, remember to invest in hypoallergenic pillows as well.
Use a Protective Mattress Cover
An excellent way to keep your mattress clean, fresh, and allergen-free is to use a hypoallergenic and water-proof mattress protector. They generally come as a fitted sheet and become a second skin to your mattress.
The protector effectively blocks all liquids like sweat, water, urine, etc., and other allergens like dust, mites, pollens, etc., from reaching your mattress. This way, it even increases your mattress’s durability and longevity. A remarkable fact about mattress protectors is that most are machine washable. Regular washing keeps them fresh and allergen-free as well.
Always Use High-Quality Bed Sheets
Apart from your mattress, your bedsheets are an obvious allergens target. Allergens will naturally settle on your bedsheet and embed in its fabric. Allergens penetrate the mattress only after passing through the bedsheet. It makes it crucial to invest in a high-quality bedsheet for your bedroom.
Bedsheets with higher thread count and tight weaves have minimal microscopic spaces in them. The lack of space blocks the micro-organisms from festering, but they might also obstruct proper airflow which can increase heat and overall discomfort.
Cotton bed sheets reign supreme as they have tight weaves, are cool, and also dust-mite resistant. They are also machine-washable in hot water, resulting in their complete disinfection and sterilization.
Bamboo and Tencel fabric (crafted from tree pulp) are other terrific options. An expensive option is silk, but it is high-maintenance and needs dry-cleaning. Moreover, the chemicals of dry-cleaning might also trigger an allergic reaction.
Wash Your Bedding Regularly
It might feel inconvenient to frequently strip your bed of the bedsheets, pillow covers, and mattress protectors, but it is well worth it. It is the best and a non-negotiable way to keep your bedroom allergen-free. You should clean them at least once weekly, preferably with a hypoallergenic detergent. Always follow the care instructions for your bedding.
If your pillows are washable, you should clean them two to four times a year. Similarly, you should wash your comforters every four to six months. Generally, you need to send them to the laundry as it can be inconvenient to wash them at home.
Finally, allow your mattress to soak up sunlight as much as possible as it is a natural germ-killer. If it is not possible to take your mattress out and sun it, then try to place your bed such that the sun can hit it as much as possible.
Vacuum and Clean Your Bedroom Regularly
You might be keeping your mattress in an absolute spic and span state for complete comfort. But if your bedroom remains a pigsty, you will fail to protect yourself and your bedding from allergens.
Dust and dirt around the room would inevitably float and settle on your bedding. Food particles and remains are sure to attract bugs. Hence, it is vital to vacuum and clean your bedroom regularly, preferably daily.
You should regularly vacuum the carpets, mattress, and other vacuumable surfaces for an allergen-free bedroom. The floors must be swept and wiped with a disinfectant. Likewise, the dusting of blinds and surfaces like doors, windows, tables, etc., regular washing of drapes, wiping fans, lights, etc., should be executed regularly.
Invest in an Air-Purifier, Filter, or Dehumidifier
As already stated, the bedroom environment also plays a crucial role in eliminating all allergens from your bed.
Clean air is a rare commodity today. Dust, pollen, and other allergens will inevitably creep inside your bedroom through open doors and windows. If your room has high humidity, chances are there that bacteria, mold, and mildew will naturally thrive.
Using an air purifier, filter, or dehumidifier, as appropriate, is an excellent way to ensure clean and healthy air in your bedroom and keep potential allergens at bay. Simultaneously, remember to clean them regularly. Else, dirty air would start circulating through the room.
Keep Pets Out of Bedroom
While keeping pets out of the bedroom might look and feel hard, it is for the best. Regardless of how often you brush your pet, the shedding will happen, and allergens will creep inside your bed.
It is also important to wipe your pet’s feet as many times as they enter your house from outdoors.
To prevent unnecessary hassle, it’s best to get a cozy, separate bed for your pet and train them from the start to not enter your bedroom.
Nectar Sleep Mattresses
Nectar Sleep is a brand renowned for offering you the best mattress for relieving allergies. Let’s check out a few of its hypoallergenic mattresses worthy of your consideration.
The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress
This all-memory foam mattress is ideal for all types of sleepers and even for couples looking for motion isolation. Its gel layer relieves pressure, while its breathable heat-wicking cover is a boon for hot sleepers.
The mattress adjusts well to your movement with a quick response and offers good support. It also provides appreciable sinkage and body contouring.
This hypoallergenic mattress is an excellent choice for all except stomach sleepers, who might need a firmer mattress feel. It is also not for you if you need a plush feel or would like it to be bouncy like a hybrid model.
Regardless of that, its hypoallergenic features are impeccable.
The Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress
If you are looking for better pressure relief than the previous hypoallergenic mattress and plush comfort, this is the mattress to go for.
It also has an enhanced cooling technology than the previous model and is revered for giving you relief from shoulder pain.
The mattress offers you a perfect balance between gentle contouring and sturdy support. With a medium-firm feel, it allows sleepers to sink slightly. It also facilitates motion isolation and gives couples a minimal sleep disturbance.
Overall, this hypoallergenic and safe mattress is ideal for all except stomach sleepers, who might crave an enhanced, firmer feel. It is also unsuitable for people sleeping on edge as it lacks adequate edge support. But in terms of preventing allergic reactions, it aces the game.
Nectar Premier Copper Memory Foam Mattress
A proper medium-firm mattress, this hypoallergenic piece gives you an authentic, balanced foam feel. It is crafted of five layers of premium hypoallergenic material.
Compared to the previous two, it offers deeper contouring with more advanced temperature regulating features, thanks to the copper gel layer.
This mattress counts amongst the brand’s luxury models and offers you its best cooling system. On the flip side, it is not recommended for stomach sleepers or those looking for edge support. But its other features are identical and perhaps better than the previous two.
You can choose any of these hypoallergenic mattresses based on your preference and budget.
Conclusion
We hope you now know the cause of your allergic reactions and asthma attacks during your sleep and how to deal with them comprehensively. Investing in a hypoallergenic mattress, mattress protector, pillows, and other bedding accessories helps you enjoy a healthy and restful sleep while ensuring optimal health.
