Sleep & Beyond FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions - page 9
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waste products. These waste products, not the mites themselves, are what cause allergic reactions. Allergic
reactions range from itchy noses and eyes to severe asthma attacks. Areas where people spend much time,
like a bed or a favorite plush chair, are prime sites for dust mites.
55. What are bed bugs and bed bug allergies?
Bed bugs are small parasitic insects. The name "bed bug" is derived from the insect's preferred habitat of houses
and especially beds or other areas where people sleep. They can be seen with the human eye, but do a great job
at hiding. They feed on human blood preferring to do it in the dark when you're sleeping. Bed bugs love to hide in
the seams of your mattress including: sofa seams, cracks in the bad frame and or head board, under chairs,
couched, beds and dust covers. A number of health effects may occur due to bed bugs including skin rashes,
psychological effects and allergic symptoms.
56. What is a carcinogen?
Carcinogens are substances and exposures that can lead to cancer.
57. How carcinogens are classified?
The most widely used system for classifying carcinogens comes from the IARC, the International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC). It is a part of the World Health Organization (WHO).
In the past 30 years, the IARC has evaluated the cancer-causing potential of more than 900 likely candidates,
placing them into one of the following groups:
Group 1: Carcinogenic to humans
Group 2A: Probably carcinogenic to humans
Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans
Group 3: Unclassifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans
Group 4: Probably not carcinogenic to humans
58. What chemicals are found in conventional bedding?
One of the main chemicals found in conventional bedding is Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or vinyl. This chemical
is used as the surface material in nearly all conventional mattresses and home furnishing products and is
considered one of the most toxic and environmentally unfriendly plastics today.
Then, there are added chemicals to the PVC surface which can include lead, cadmium, phosphorus and
others. These chemicals are absorbed into the bodies and are very harmful and are found within one inch of a
baby 10 or more hours a day.
Conventional bedding textiles are often treated with chemical finishes to repel water and stains, as well as to
prevent wrinkles. These ―permanent-press,‖ ―no-iron,‖ ―stain-proof,‖ and ―water-repellant‖ finishes can off gas
formaldehyde.
59. What are the flame retardant chemicals?
Most major mattress brands treat their sleep products with hazardous and cancer-causing toxic chemicals in
order to acquire the anti-flammable property necessary to withstand the two-foot thick open flame blowtorch
test. The regulation does not mandate the labeling of chemicals used in fireproofing; manufactures are free to
use any and all chemicals including those that have yet to be tested for hazardous side effects. Hazardous
chemicals found in toxic fire retardants are boric acid (causes weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash,
anemia and convulsions), antimony (causes heart, lung, and liver damage, irritation, dermatitis, itching, and
pimple eruptions), decabromodiphenyl oxide (causes hair and memory loss), vinylidene chloride (causes
irritation, symptoms of drunkenness, lung congestion, liver damage, convulsions), bromine (causes blurred
vision, redness, pain, severe tissue burns and eye damage), and formaldehyde.
60. What are the PBDE’s and their side effects?
The chemicals, PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are used to reduce the spread of fire in an array
of plastic and foam products in homes and offices, including upholstered furniture and bedding.
Researchers of the University of California, Berkeley looked at whether levels of PBDEs in women affected
their fertility. The research involved 223 - most Mexican - women on low incomes living in California. The
scientists found, as The Economist reports, that each tenfold increase in the blood concentration of PDBEs
was linked to a 30% decrease in the probability of becoming pregnant each month. The outcome of the study
presents a troubling sign as concentrations of PDBEs in humans in North America have been doubling every
four to six years since the 1970s. European levels are substantially lower because of stricter regulation.