The 3 Dangers Lurking Inside Your Child’s Mattress You Must Know!

September 9, 2019

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The desire to protect our young exists from the moment we become parents. For mothers, it begins the moment we find out we are pregnant. We change what we eat, drink, and the medicines we take all to ensure our baby’s safety. Parents spend the whole pregnancy researching how to create a safe nursery, car seat safety, and proper diets. We spend the toddler years helicoptering over our children to ensure they are out of harm’s way. But how often do we even think about safe mattresses beyond the newborn stage?

National Make Your Bed Day is coming up soon, so make your kids’ beds safe and healthy to celebrate!

The Lowdown on Kids’ Bedding

Do you know what the cheapest beds at the store are made of? Usually the most inferior materials, hence their low price point. And that means the store, and a commissioned salesperson don’t really make much off of these inexpensive beds. Many times, when a salesperson learns you’re shopping for a “kid’s bed,” they rush you out the door to move on to their next buyer. They don’t take the time to explain what exactly you’re buying or the dangerous materials inside these mattresses. There is very little incentive to educate you or make sure you’re purchasing safe mattresses.

3 Hidden Dangers Inside Your Child’s Mattress

There is so much research about what foods we should feed our children, what sunblock is considered safe, and what cleaning products are healthy to use in your home. But there is a huge danger in your child’s bedroom right now. You’ve probably never even thought twice about what your child breathes in while they sleep.

To be honest, neither did we.

So take a moment. Have you ever thought about what is inside your child’s mattress or YOURS, for that matter? My sisters and I didn’t know much about this topic until recently, and let me tell you, it was shocking. Most children spend 8-14 hours a day sleeping face down on their mattress. So what exactly are they sleeping on for sometimes half the day?

1. Spiders in my bed…no thank you!

Do you know what a dust mite is? Dust mites are microscopic relatives of the spider. They live on mattresses and bedding. These tiny creatures feed on the flakes of skin that people and pets shed daily, and they thrive in warm and humid environments.

Being a Floridian, this realization is particularly eye opening, as we live in a very humid climate. House dust mites are one of the most common allergens for asthma patients. Your mattress needs to be breathable and allow air to flow freely.

2. Allergies and Eczema

Did you know that your mattress can aggravate your child’s asthma or eczema? As a pediatrician, parents are always asking me for tips and tricks on how to prevent eczema flares and asthma attacks. A lot of parents invest in expensive air filtration symptoms, creams, and humidifiers to relieve symptoms.

But parents rarely invest in their child’s mattress for the same reasons.

Kids who suffer from asthma, allergies, ADD, ADHD, ASD, and neurological disorders are particularly sensitive to environmental toxins and triggers. One of my top tips for parents is to make sure your children sleep in a non-toxic and healthy environment. Getting a non-toxic mattress free of harsh chemicals is an often overlooked but very important step in helping to overcome these health concerns!

3. Toxic Chemical Off-Gassing

Many mattresses today are filled with harmful VOCs, chemicals, and carcinogens. Mattress off-gassing is a hot topic these days and could very well be the lead paint of our generation.

That is a very scary statement!

If you aren’t aware, off-gassing refers to the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals from various materials and manmade products found in our homes. The EPA identified indoor air quality as one of the top five environmental risks to health.

There has been a lot of research studying off-gassing and how it may bind to DNA, potentially causing cancer and mutations. Keeping your home, especially your bedding, free of radon, allergens, VOCs, and PBDEs is important for your entire family’s health and wellbeing.

So do safe mattresses even exist?

Why do we allow our children to inhale these toxic chemicals for hours a day? Price is often a factor. But simply not knowing or understanding the dangers in your child’s mattress is perhaps the biggest factor.

In the past, lack of access to safer options has also been an issue. Many mattresses today are imported or assembled with imported materials, often leaving you sleeping on low quality, potentially dangerous materials. But there is a new option and new hope for helping your family get better sleep!

Little LUFT is a fantastic option for parents on a budget who are looking for safe mattresses for their kids. Little LUFT is Oeko-Tex certified. This designation is one of the highest independent ratings in fabric for babies and children and guarantees the materials contain no harsh chemicals or carcinogens. The mattresses are also Certipur Certified, meaning all of the foams are certified through a third party for quality and safety.

LUFT guarantees the following of all of their mattresses:

Made with no ozone depleters
Contain no heavy metals (including mercury and lead)
Made without prohibited phthalates
Contain low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
No BPDE (Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers) in fire retardants
Made with no formaldehyde

In addition to the fantastic health benefits of sleeping on LUFT mattresses, Little LUFT mattresses are designed to support smaller bodies. The individual coils contour to your child’s pressure points during sleep.

Who doesn’t need a better night’s sleep?!

Little LUFT is designed to cushion and absorb pressure, and the air support technology keeps the bed nice and cool all night. The fabric is a breathable 360 stretch material, so air circulates to the surface continuously. Breathability of the fabric is key to keeping out those pesky dust mites and other allergens that wreak havoc on your little ones’ sensitive systems!

Final Thoughts

We created Forever Freckled to help educate parents and help to create the safest and healthiest life for your families. Whenever we partner with a brand, there is always an important mission. Whether safety is our main focus or simply ways to make your life easier, we want to be there to help guide you in the right direction. That’s why we are so excited to be partnering with LUFT to give you information on non-toxic, affordable, and safe mattresses for your entire household!

With Memorial Day around the corner, we are SO excited to share some amazing LUFT discount codes for you and your family below. My sisters and I are in the process of switching out ALL of our mattresses in our households and hope this shocking information motivates you to create a safer environment for you and your little ones as well!