Healthy Single Bed Mattress Choices

Help for People with Allergies and Sensitivities

Are you in the market for a healthy, affordable single bed mattress? Do you also suffer from persistent allergies and/or multiple chemical sensitivities?

What's all the fuss about choosing a mattress, anyway? You just go to the mattress store, lie down on a few, then buy one that's comfortable and in your price range. Right?

Well, if you suffer from multiple allergies and chemical sensitivities, it's a little more complicated than that. You have to determine what materials the mattress is made from, which are most likely to out-gas and for how long, and whether you're likely to struggle to get a decent night's sleep.

Chemical Out-Gassing: The Problem And The Solution

Out-gassing is a particular problem for people with chemical sensitivities. The compounds used in the manufacture of many traditional mattresses— such as flame retardants, plastic, and petroleum-based chemicals--tend to evaporate into the air for long periods, causing considerable discomfort.

Allergic and chemically sensitive individuals can become ill from nightly exposure to these gases. While out-gassing can be a problem anywhere in your home, it's more of a problem when the source of the chemicals is your mattress or pillow.

A memory foam mattress single bed is marketed as a good choice for people with dust mite allergies, however memory foam is one of the worse offenders when it comes to chemical outgassing.

You spend the entire night in close proximity to the source of the gases, exacerbating their adverse effects. Ordinary problems include difficulty sleeping, allergic reactions, night sweats and cough. More serious is the fact that some of these petroleum-based products can compromise your immune system; in the worst cases, long-term exposure to them can actually be carcinogenic.

For all these reasons and more, it makes sense to shop for a hypoallergenic, all-natural or organic single bed mattress. Some people report a complete reversal of adverse effects and symptoms after switching from a polyurethane mattress (or mattress cover) to an organic twin mattress, or one made of 100% natural latex.

These products are entirely free of volatile chemical compounds, and can be a godsend for people with allergies. Both natural latex (Talalay or Dunlop) and all-natural wool repel dust mites and other pests; they rarely cause or aggravate allergies.

Other natural hypoallergenic fibers include organic cotton and hemp. There are certain foam mattresses which do an excellent job of repelling pests and resisting allergens.

Single Bed Mattress Pricing Concerns

Generally speaking, organic and all-natural mattresses are more expensive than their traditional counterparts, even in the single twin size. Internet-based companies offering good deals on organic mattresses abound, however; you can check online for easy price comparisons.

Of course, while a natural mattress may be more expensive at the outset, it can be a highly valuable asset for allergic and chemically sensitive people; one that lasts for years and prevents discomfort and illnesses.

Think of the long term cost both financially and also emotionally of waking up feeling sick every morning, having no energy to do anything, and having to go to the doctor more often. When seen in this light, the higher cost for a chemical free single bed may be very small by comparison.

Another solution for the single bed mattress consumer, one which can save both space and money, is the futon mattress. Smaller and more easily portable than ordinary mattresses, futon mattresses can be used as for both sofas and beds.

Futons are made of foam, cotton, or a combination; recently, manufacturers have begun using all-natural latex and organic materials to construct futon mattresses. Again, these are the materials of choice if you are allergic or chemically sensitive.

The Comfort Factor

The fact that you're chemically sensitive shouldn't mean you have to sleep on an uncomfortable mattress! In fact, customer reviews reveal that mattresses made of natural latex are very comfortable indeed.

They give your back the firm support it needs, while conforming naturally to the curvature of your spine. They are also reputedly an excellent way to stay cool in warm weather and warmer in the winter. Generally speaking, Talalay latex is recommended if you prefer a softer mattress, and the Dunlop latex mattress if you need firmer support.

By law, latex can only be called "organic" unless both the rubber tree serum and all the other components parts of the mattress are 100% natural. All latex mattresses are not created equal: some are constructed using sand filler, others with partially synthetic materials; still others are sprayed with flame retardants.

To be certain you are buying a 100% organic latex mattress, you need to carefully read about the process by which the mattress was designed, and whether all its component parts were derived organically.