Achoo! If you’re allergic to anything, you know just how annoying it is when something triggers your allergies and you start sneezing left and right. Sometimes, you can pinpoint the reason and identify exactly what caused the reaction. But there are times when it seems like a mystery, and the culprit could very well be something you’re least expecting – your bed.
Yes, your bed. Now we know how much you love your bed, and we know that you spend one-third of your day, every single day, in it. Now if your bed is the source of allergens, and you’re spending so much time sleeping in it, then that’s probably why it could very well be the problem.
Why your bed might be the culprit
A normal mattress can contain tens of thousands of dust mites, and a single dust mite can produce around 20 droppings of waste in a day. Now imagine having all of that in your mattress without you knowing, because you can’t see it and the only way you’ll know it’s there is if you have an allergic reaction.
Unfortunately, many people are allergic to a certain protein in the dust mite feces, and if you combine this with the dead skin and other allergens in the mattress, it’s definitely a recipe for disaster.
Dust mites don’t bite, but they can trigger allergies and asthma. If you’re allergic to dust mites, it’s not just sneezing you should worry about either. Other signs of dust mite allergies include itchiness, eczema, red or watery eyes, a runny nose, shortness of breath, wheezing, and many others.
Now if your bed is the culprit, your allergic reaction definitely won’t go away until you do something about it. Replacing your mattress with a good mattress such as Leesa mattress is the best way to solve the problem, but if you don’t want to go as extreme, there are other ways to go about it.
What you can do about it
The good news is, there are steps you can take to minimize the allergic reaction that you’re getting from your bed:
1. Consider going hypoallergenic.
There are people who are extra sensitive to everything, so even if your mattresses didn’t have dust mites, they could still elicit an allergic reaction because of a number of things – the material the mattress is made of, for instance.
You can always opt for hypoallergenic mattresses, which have been designed to ensure that everything you sleep in is allergen-free. Aside from the mattress, you can also get hypoallergenic bedding, hypoallergenic pillows, hypoallergenic comforters – you get the picture.
2. Cover up.
If you don’t want to get a special, hypoallergenic mattress, you can also make everything allergen-proof by covering up. Dust mite covers can be used to encase your bedding, especially your mattress and your pillows.
Using some sort of mattress pad or covering to protect your bedding will not only keep dust mites away, it also protects your mattress from sweat and spills.
3. Know what to stay away from.
You don’t have to go hypoallergenic, but at least know what you should avoid. If you know you suffer from a lot of allergies, stay away from coil and spring mattresses as much as possible. That’s because the inner cavity found in coil mattresses is perhaps the perfect place where dust mites, dust mite feces, and dead skin cells can accumulate.
The loosely constructed layers in coil/spring mattresses make them an allergen magnet. You should also stay away from quilted tops as well as carpets on the floor if you can, as they can also attract dust mites.
4. Wash your bedding regularly.
Even if you think your mattress is clean, it’s not. Dust mites, dead skin cells, and other allergens are often invisible to the naked eye. And even if you make sure you’re as clean as can be before lying down on your bed, you can still be bringing all kinds of unwelcome elements to it – dust, bacteria, and others.
Washing your bed linens regularly, at least once every 10 days, is the only way to ensure that you’re minimizing the risk. This includes all your bedding as well as stuffed toys if you have them on your bed.
5. Clean as you go.
It goes without saying that if you want a clean sleeping environment, it’s not just the mattress or bedding that you should be looking at. It’s just as important to make sure that your entire bedroom is free from dust, especially if your floor is carpeted.
Vacuuming your room at least once a week should be a habit, and you should also pay attention to the other things in your room that could be collecting dust. Your windows as well as your curtains are also very prone to dust so you should look into it as well.
