Your mattress may be harboring harmful organisms and substances. The older your mattress, the higher the chances that there are alarming levels of these things hiding inside! The average person sweats 26 gallons of sweat every year. Because we spend so much time resting on our beds, our mattresses can become damp environments for fungi to grow. When combined with our body heat and bed fabric, our mattress is the perfect place for fungi to thrive. Your old mattress can hold well over a dozen types of fungi, so you may be breathing in mold spores without your knowledge. These spores are released by fungi and can cause breathing problems, asthma attacks, and other allergic reactions like skin rashes. The greater the fungi build-up, the worse the reaction can be – and the older your mattress is, the more likely it is to have a ton of fungi. Also known as bedbugs, dust mites are small insects that eat the old skin we shed. Because we shed so much skin on our beds, mattresses are a prime breeding ground for mites. As they feast on our skin cells, they also excrete tiny waste pellets that we end up breathing in. The typical mattress may hold anywhere from 100,000 to 2 million of these creatures. Older mattresses can have even more dust mites, which could double their weight. To keep dust mites from burrowing deeper into your mattress, you should vacuum it at least once a week and use a mattress protector. A mattress protector will provide an impermeable barrier to keep more of these invaders out. Over the years, your mattress may have trapped plenty of dust. While dust is mostly made up of harmless things like dead skin cells, there may also be allergy-causing substances such as bacteria and pollen. Once these have made their way into your mattress, it can be difficult to get them out even with deep cleaning. Airborne particles also tend to settle on a mattress’ large surface area. As we shift and roll on a mattress during nightly sleep, we release the trapped dust and breathe it in. The more restless a sleeper you are, the worse this recontamination can be. It doesn’t end there, either. While we sleep, our bodies rub against the mattress material, creating friction that pushes dust even deeper into the mattress. This eventually traps the dust until our sleep movements release them back into the air for us to breathe in. Many of us sleep blissfully on our mattresses, thinking that we’re simply resting on traditional fibers like cotton. However, many mattresses are made with flame-retardant compounds or synthetic fibers. While these materials improve mattress longevity, many of these can have serious, negative long-term effects on your health. For example, polyurethane foam is a common mattress material because it’s budget-friendly. However, it can cause allergic reactions like sneezing and itching in sensitive sleepers or those with compromised immune systems. Boric acid is also typically added as a flame retardant, but it has been linked to health risks like infertility and anemia. Check your mattress label – if it has these substances, you may need to ditch your old mattress. Replace it with a mattress that adheres to Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex, which limits the levels of these harmful substances. You can also opt for organic mattresses that comply with the Global Organic Textile Standard. Replacing your old mattress can be tough because of the sheer number of options on the market. Here are the basic considerations that you should keep in mind as you shop around. Purple offers a variety of mattresses for all sleeping positions and body types. Purples Gelflex Grid is firm enough to support you. While providing the comfort you need.  Mattresses can be described as soft, medium, medium-firm, and firm. Most people sleep best on medium to medium-firm mattresses because they address a wide range of sleeping problems. When choosing the right mattress, consider your sleeping position and body type. Firm mattresses are best for people who sleep on their stomachs. Side sleepers, on the other hand, are more likely to sleep well on soft to medium mattresses that help with spine alignment.  Inquire at your preferred mattress store and try out different fitness levels to see which firmness is best for you. Some sleepers tend to feel sweaty and hot as they sleep, while others get cold at night and need extra warmth. If you’re a hot sleeper, get a hybrid or innerspring mattress with breathable construction to improve airflow. It’s also highly recommended that you switch your bedding to more breathable materials like organic cotton. Chilly sleepers may prefer foam mattresses, which tend to run warmer. A mattress that’s made of 100% memory foam traps heat more effectively, keeping you nice and toasty at night. While most back problems are caused by underlying health issues, a good mattress can go a long way in relieving the pain. If you have back problems, a mattress with foam can alleviate extra pressure. Medium-firm mattresses will give your back sufficient support and help with spine alignment.