You're 3 Tweaks Away From A Sustainable Sleep Sanctuary

These days, indoor air is oftentimes more polluted than outdoor air1, thanks to chemicals lingering in our furniture, cleaning products, and home treatments. And considering the fact that the average person now spends 90 percent of their time indoors, it’s worth it to put the effort into keeping your home in tiptop shape.

If you’re looking to nix toxins, your bed is the first thing to pay attention to. Research shows that some mattresses, like petroleum-based foams and synthetic latex models, contain potentially harmful chemicals that can spur headaches, fatigue, and increase the risk of respiratory diseases like asthma. The worst part is that, thanks to a process known as off-gassing, these chemicals continue to seep out of the mattress and into the surrounding air night after night.

In order to make sure your sleeping environment is clean and safe, go with a mattress made of materials extracted straight from nature, like Avocado Green Mattress' model. Their nontoxic mattress is made of 100 percent natural latex, New Zealand wool, and organic cotton. By nixing foams and synthetics, they deliver a product that is free of harmful compounds like flame-retardants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and chemical adhesives.

One you tackle your bed, make the area around it a sanctuary by adding flowers and other relics from nature to your bedside table. Science says that looking at scenes from the natural world can help reduce our stress levels and increase our productivity. So start a habit of treating yourself to some fresh flowers every week to reap some of these restorative benefits. Make sure that they’re sustainably sourced, and don’t keep them around past their life span. (Dead flowers are a serious feng shui no-no!)

While changing up your window and wall décor can be a bit on the pricey side, it’s worth it if you’re going to be staying in the same bedroom for the long run. First, make sure that your paint is low- or no-VOC. It’s unclear how the VOCs—or volatile organic compounds—in older paints affect our health in the long run, but they’ve been associated with headaches and dizziness. Best to avoid them altogether, and thankfully many brands on the market today now offer certified-safe options.

Top off your new paint job with a print that evokes memories of nature—either one you took yourself or a professional shot that you’ll never get tired of looking at.