Is Trouble Lurking in Your Bed?

Think about this...if you sleep eight hours per day as recommended, one third of your day is spent in bed. You may be surprised to learn there are all sorts of things lurking in your sheets that you may not be aware of, and these "things" could pose a threat to your health if cleanliness isn't maintained.

If you put your sheets under a microscope, you'd probably be "freaked" out by what you'd see. Almost every bed has dust mites, which are microscopic bugs that feed off of dead skin cells. These little things live, die and reproduce in the same bed sheets that you sleep in. The only way to keep these creatures under control is to wash your bed sheets on a regular basis. If you don't stay vigilant, you may develop an allergy, or even suffer a lowered immune system.

As disgusting as dust mites may be, here are some other things you could be hiding in your bed:

Dead skin cells - Your body sheds about a million skin cells a day, so some of those are bound to come off when you sleep. Unfortunately, dead skin cells are a tasty snack for dust mites.

Oils - Your body secretes natural oils as you sleep, which, of course, end up on your bed sheets.

Sweat - If you get too hot during the night, your body will sweat to cool off.

Bodily fluids - Saliva, blood, urine, fecal matter and bodily fluids from intercourse are all liable to show up on your bed sheets.

Food crumbs - If you like to bring that midnight snack to bed, there's probably crumbs and other food particles that are begging to be eaten by bugs.

Marissa Ramiccio, SymptomFind, stresses the importance of regularly washing your sheets. She says washing your sheets only once a month isn't going to cut it. Your sheets need to be washed at least every other week, but weekly is ideal.  Wash your pillow at least twice a year. Pillows can harbor mold, yeast and bacteria, which can cause diarrhea, asthma or bronchitis. If you have never washed your pillow, you may want to consider throwing it away and getting a new one.

For tips on caring for your bedding, check out Bedding Care.com .

Posted in: bedding care,clean bed linen,Dust Mites,Lifestyles,The Emerald Quill,wash bed sheets