While mattress protectors may seem like just another layer of bedding, they serve a much larger purpose. Keeping your sleep space clean and protected when you spend nearly one-third of your life there isn’t an easy feat. Here are the top ten ways a mattress protector can help.
- Stay Protected from Allergens
Your bed constantly accumulates allergens such as dust mites, pollen, mold, and pet dander. An easy way to safeguard yourself from them is to use an easy-to-clean mattress protector. It will help create a cleaner, safer sleep environment. If you suffer from allergies, read our blog post, “6 Tips For Better Sleep During Allergy Season.”
- Avoid Sweat Buildup
Many sleepers find themselves sleeping too hot at night, and when that happens, night sweats are likely. The moisture seeps into your mattress, causing stains and potentially mold and mildew. A mattress protector acts as a barrier between you and your mattress during sweaty nights.
- Accidents Happen!
Whether from you, your kids, or your pets—accidents happen! And while you can simply throw sheets and bedding into the laundry, your mattress is another story. Having a mattress protector can offer peace of mind and an easier clean up when the inevitable happens.
- Fur Babies in Bed
If you’re someone who sleeps with your fur babies, it’s important to pet-proof your sleep space. Pet dander, fur, and dandruff can build up—all potential allergens and irritants. Plus, their drool and dirty paws can add stains and unwanted moisture. When sharing a bed with your pet, a mattress protector is a must.
- No More Stains
From morning coffee spills to midnight snacks in bed, spills are bound to happen. And even the most careful people may still find stains on their mattress from sweat and natural body oils. Avoid permanent stains by adding a barrier between you, your snacks, and your mattress.
- Protection from Humidity
Along with temperature, humidity can also impact your sleep. High humidity in your bedroom attracts moisture-loving irritants like mold, mildew, and dust mites. If you sleep on a memory foam mattress or pillow, this material absorbs moisture more than other bedding, so it’s crucial to keep it protected. Learn more about “How Humidity Impacts Your Sleep” on our blog.
- Keep Dust Mites Away
While dust mites may not be something you think about often, the American Lung Association has found that around 20% of U.S. homes have dust mites in their beds. Dust mites are attracted to warm, humid spaces, often opting for mattresses and other furniture. A mattress protector not only helps prevent dust mites in your bed but also makes it easier to wash them away if they do invade.
- Stop the Growth of Mold & Mildew
As mentioned, a mattress protector prevents moisture from making its way onto your mattress. Both mold and mildew are formed in damp spaces, so if moisture is collecting on your mattress, these unwanted fungi can spread throughout your sleep space, potentially ruining your mattress and affecting your health. A mattress protector helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
- Avoid Asthma Flare-Ups
Many people with asthma find that their symptoms worsen during the night, often triggered by many of the irritants listed above. Of course, asthma disrupts sleep. While mattress protectors are not a cure for asthma, they can help reduce allergens and irritants in the bedroom that worsen the condition.
- Keep Your Sleep Space Clean & Hygienic
Consider how often you wash your clothes. You do so before they start smelling or feeling too dirty. Now consider your mattress. After sleeping on it night after night, when was the last time you washed it? It is much easier to wash a mattress protector than to try to clean an entire mattress.
Bonus: Protect Your Pillow, Too!
Your mattress isn’t the only thing on your bed that needs protection. Your pillow can also harbor all the same allergens and irritants, as well as additional oils and excess moisture from your face and mouth. Especially if you have a pillow that is not machine washable, a pillow protector is a must.
Sources
“Dust Mites.” American Lung Association.lung/clean-air/indoor-air/indoor-air-pollutants/dust-mites#:~:text=roughly%20four%20out%20of%20five%20homes%20in%20the%20United%20States%20have%20dust%20mite%20allergens%20in%20at%20least%20one%20bed.
“What is Nocturnal Asthma?” Allergy & Asthma Network. allergyasthmanetwork/what-is-asthma/nocturnal-asthma/
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