Revealed! Things that sleep in bed with you

It’s about the main item in the bedroom, and its importance therein cannot be overemphasised. In fact, without it, the room is like an empty space.

Apart from being a good place for sexual congress and a

comfortable venue for pillow talks, the bed is unarguably the

best place to sleep, regardless of where it is placed in the

house, and it has been found to reduce stress levels,

increase sleep quality and allow for quality thinking. Suffice

it to say that the mattress qualifies as an exclusive place for

sleep, rest and sex.

Whether the mattress is placed on the floor or on a piece of

furniture, when covered with a good bed sheet, coupled with

the quality of the mattress, warmth and comfort become a

given.

Studies have shown that most people sleep for an average

of five hours daily, which means that people spend a

considerable part of their lives sleeping or resting and

previous studies pointed out that people spend about one-

third of their lives sleeping. Since everybody sleeps, mostly

on the bed, useful information about the bed could be just

as important.

However, in spite of the much succour the bed offers,

coupled with its importance in ensuring the overall well

being of people, findings by some scientists have shown

that many mattresses are filled with germs, bacteria,

moulds and fungi such that could lead to skin infections,

asthma and other ailments.

They found that a mattress that has been in use for some

time could have as much as 101 billion dead skin cells and

that these cells would provide food for about 10 million dust

mites on the bed.

This implies that beyond sleeping alone or sharing the bed

with a partner, many people unknowingly share their beds

with germs, bacteria and moulds, because when these

bacteria feed on dead cells that the skin naturally sheds on

the bed, it becomes a haven for them.

The study, published on Mail Online, added that germs such

as E coli and staphylococcus aureus bacterium can also be

found on the bed and their presence can trigger coughing

and worsen asthma and eczema in the users.

The study pointed out that because of the way some people

use their bed, such as sleeping on it while sweating, eating

on it, carelessly soaking it without drying, bedwetting and

more importantly the way the skin naturally sheds skin cells

on the bed, these give room for the growth of such bacteria

and fungi on the bed.

The lead researcher, Lisa Ackerley, pointed out that these

germs build up over time and their effect on the body could

be harmful.

She said, “Most people would be rather surprised about the

things they can find in an old mattress. Mould and bacteria

build up over the years and, although invisible, people could

be breathing in harmful spores at night.

“Bacteria such as E coli indicate the presence of faecal

contamination, which shows that if someone was carrying

an infectious disease, it could be passed onto someone

sharing the bed.

“Some staphylococcus aureus bacteria found on the bed

can cause skin infections and there are some strains that

are antibiotic resistant, including MRSA. People tend to

focus on cleaning the things they can see – pillows and

sheets – but the mattress itself can be a hotbed of potential

illness.”

The study noted that one good way to insulate the bed from

having a direct contact with the body is to use bed sheets,

and that such must be washed frequently to avoid mites.

Ackerley explained that when people stand up from bed,

they should endeavour to remove the bed sheets so as to

allow some fresh air penetrate the mattress, otherwise the

sheets would preserve some heat in the bed, which may be

home to bacteria.

It emphasised that certain habits, such as eating and

drinking should be taken away from the bed to reduce the

likelihood of introducing germ-inducing substances to the

mattress.

Some experts have, however, pointed out that people should

try and change their bed once it has been used for about

five years because of the accumulation of sweat and dust

mites on it, the implication of which could include infection

and lack of good sleep.

Meanwhile, scientists have proven that having a good sleep

has a direct link with people’s productivity and

concentration and that not having good sleep could be

detrimental to people’s health as well.

The National Sleep Foundation had recommended seven to

nine hours of sleep per day, noting that to have a good

sleep, people should exercise daily, sleep on a comfortable

mattress and pillows, avoid alcohol and caffeine before

bedtime, turn off electronics and practise a relaxing bedtime

ritual.

A study by Fast Company, with the aim of identifying how

people can have healthy sleeping habits, has pointed out

some sleeping habits that could increase productivity and

concentration during the day.

The report, published on Mail Online advised that people

should endeavour to set a bedtime so as to develop a

consistent sleep pattern, avoid alcohol and creating an ideal

sleep environment, among others.

The Sleep Research Laboratory director at West Virginia

University, Dr. Hawley Montgomery, stated that an

indication that people who usually rely on alarm clock had

evidently not had enough sleep. “If you are someone who

needs your alarm to get you up in the morning, or worse,

you continue to hit the snooze button on the alarm device

for as long as possible, you most likely need to get more

sleep,” she added.

The NSF also advised that people should pick a bedtime and

wake-up time that they can stick to, which would allow their

body’s internal clock to get used to a certain bedtime and

help them sleep faster and wake up more easily.

According to the report, alcohol has been found to reduce

rapid eye movement sleep, while caffeine could disrupt

sleep if taken about six hours earlier.

The study added, “People should switch off their electronics

before bed because the blue light emitted from their screens

suppress melatonin, the hormone that controls people’s

sleep/wake cycle, and keeps the brain alert.

“For increased productivity at work, taking a brief nap, like

one hour, at work can boost and restore brain power and

increase productivity.”

Commenting on the study, a medical practitioner, Dr. Rotimi

Adesanya, said a mattress, like any other surface, harbours

dust and germs which could have some effects on the skin

if they come into contact. He added that sweat, which is a

waste product of body metabolism, could over time also

breed bacteria and germs.

He added, “Sometimes, when people sweat excessively, the

sweat passes through the bedspread and enters the foam.

As a result, bacteria and germs are being harboured. Also,

when the skin comes in contact with any surface, there is

usually something left behind. Thus, such small cells could

be left on the bed and these bacteria can act on them.

“Mattresses also harbour dust, and over time, they are

accumulated and as a result, they can breed bacteria and

fungi, which could be a source of allergy for those who have

asthma. It tends to trigger the asthmatic attack over time.”

Adesanya therefore advised that people should endeavour

to use bedspread and fumigate the bed periodically. “People

should fumigate their beds periodically. In the villages,

people take their bed out into the sun periodically so the sun

can help to kill these germs, but ideally, they are supposed

to fumigate the beds periodically,” he added. 

PUNCH.