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Bedroom tips
From TipThePlanet
- Heating waterbeds can be expensive, so keep the setting at the lowest comfortable temperature. Place a blanket over the waterbed mattress (under the bottom sheet) to help keep in the warmth. Never use an electric blanket on a waterbed.
- If you use an electric blanket, set it on 'high' about 15 minutes before you go to bed, then turn it off. An extra blanket on the bed will help keep you warm as you sleep.
- We spend about a third of our lives in bed which, for many of us, means that we spend a third of our lives in contact with the flame retardant chemicals, VOCs, dust mites, and pesticide residues associated with conventional beds. Change to healthy beds and bedding using pure natural latex, pure wool and organic natural fibres. Numerous retail companies specialize in organic cotton, including bedding manufacturer Coyuchi, outdoor clothing guru Patagonia, and furniture maker H3Environmental.
- Or try these 100% Bamboo bed sheets: Bamboo has natural antimicrobial properties and feels slightly silkier and softer than cotton.
- Get a natural fiber pillow. These are sold by the same dealers that sell mattresses. Natural fiber pillows are just a dream to sleep on. While feathers and down have been the customary choice, try an organic cotton or organic wool pillow, or one stuffed with kapok or hemp.
- Use a bodyclock if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Winter blues - it improves mood, energy, productivity and quality of sleep and awakening. Bodyclocks work on the principle that we evolved to wake up with the sunrise and that our circadian rhythms respond to a realistic imitation of sunrise by accelerating the wake-up process. Research indicates that it’s important for the light to come on very gradually, so simply having a light on a timer switch, or using an alarm clock with light will not have the same effect.
