Choosing a new mattress is a daunting task. Gone are the days when you chose from four different sizes in soft, medium, or hard. Today’s beds come in all shapes, densities, and flexibilities—from water beds, to air mattresses to high-tech foam, to . . . organic?

While we were sleeping, turns out a July 1st 2007 California law went into effect to require all mattresses including cribs to be flame resistant in order to be sold in the United States. Of course, fire protection is a good thing, but consumer advocates are up in arms against the new law, because they claim that flameproof mattresses contain harsh and dangerous chemicals.

According to the January 2006 Risk Assessment from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), “the average adult will absorb a daily dose of .802 mg of Antimony (Arsenic), .081 mg Boric Acid (Roach Killer), and .073 mg DBDPO (Deca) from flame proof mattresses, every night.”

If you suffer from allergies, are chemically sensitive, or simply fear exposure to mattress chemicals, a natural mattress is a great choice. If you lose sleep over the environment also consider an organic mattress-natural latex, wools and cottons turn to dust in landfills and leave virtually no eco-footprint.

Posted on September 23rd, 2007 by Olivia Zaleski