Avocado Mattress Labor Day Sale is here!
Today on the blog, I’m sharing my Avocado Mattress Review and why we switched to non-toxic and organic mattresses for our family of four.
Let’s get right to it: sleeping is not a luxury, it is a necessity. While we sleep, our bodies are repairing, detoxing, creating long term memories and new neuronal connections, releasing necessary hormones and fighting inflammation.
If you have autoimmune disease, chronic illness or life stress, sleep is even more important for your health and wellbeing. When we don’t get quality sleep, our immune function decreases, blood sugar is harder to stabilize, and we don’t have the mental or physical energy to approach our day mindfully and with controlled cortisol levels.
Many years ago when most of my peers were staying out late, I was digging into all the research surrounding sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene includes a set of routines and habits that create a positive and restful sleep environment.
Some examples of good sleep hygiene I practice include:
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wearing blue light blocking glasses once the sun sets – this helps your body move away from producing cortisol (wake hormone) to producing melatonin (sleep hormone)
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limiting the use of screen and technology in the evening (screens at night affect natural melatonin production)
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getting enough morning and daytime sunlight to regulate my circadian rhythm so I tire naturally as the day progresses
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having a “no stressful conversations at night” rule – and definitely no news, scary or intense TV or movies
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a set bedtime routine and sleep time (the 10 pm to 2 am sleep is thought to be most restorative)
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creating a comfortable sleep environment (inclusive of non-toxic mattress and bed sheets, cool temperature and air circulation and quality)
Here’s the thing: when you actually fall into that glorious deep sleep, you don’t want to be breathing in harmful chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption and allergies. You may not smell them (or maybe you do – off-gassing VOCs can be potent) or see them, but with conventional mattresses and even some organic ones, they are present.
While you spend 33% of your life in bed, you are likely being exposed to flame retardants, formaldehyde, toxic glues and water-based adhesives, foam, phthalates (carcinogens) and pesticides, if you’re still sleeping on a conventional mattress.
It may take some time to save up for a truly healthy mattress, but it will be worth it to significantly decrease your daily toxin load, especially when your body is working hard to detox while you rest.
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When I became pregnant with my first, we decided to toss our old conventional mattress and opt for something more natural. We dutifully went to our local natural mattress store and chose the one that fit our price range, not taking into consideration comfort or quality.
Our old (but still safer) mattress retained heat and had little give or spring – we were waking up with muscle cramps, overheated and just couldn’t get as comfortable as we did with our old conventional mattress. We put up with it for 5 years (because mattresses are not cheap, hello!)
But I’m here to say: don’t compromise your sleep comfort and safety if you can help it.
I had my eye on Avocado Mattress for years since it has become the industry standard and #1 rated organic mattress company. Avocado‘s mattresses meet the rigorous safety standards of several certifications, and they are handmade to order in their own Los Angeles factory.
Look at this impressive list of commitments to safety, transparency and comfort. I was truly shocked to see a mattress company go above and beyond like this!
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GOTS Certified Organic
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Uses Organic Latex, Cotton and Wool
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Green Guard Gold Certified
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No Flame Retardants (which are linked to cancer and hormonal disruption and present in conventional mattresses)
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Hand-Tufted, Not Glued with Chemical Solvents
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Recycled steel springs (also biodegradable)
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Ergonomically designed for back and neck safety
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American-made in California
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B Corp: committed to the safety of people and the planet
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First mattress company to create negative carbon emissions (offsetting all of their environmental emissions and then some!)
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Fair Trade Certified
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More than 10,000 5-star reviews
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25-year warranty
You can geek out with even more information about all the steps they take to ensure your mattress is safe, comfortable and ethical here.
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One Response
What kind of sheets do you like and use?