My mother used to tell me, ?There are two things in life for which you should spare no eexpense, your bed and your shoes.? Her reasoning was that if you are not in your bed, then you must be in your shoes, and your health and quality of life is greatly affected by either one. In this article I will discuss the first half of this equation, the health of your bed, which affects all aspects of your physical and mental performance.

I have written other articles on the importance of using an organic mattress, but it is equally important to use organic sheets, pillowcases and blankets on top of your bed because your bedding makes direct contact with your body for 8 hours every night. Just as using a natural mattress protects you from the toxic effects of petrochemical foams and polyester in conventional mattresses, organic bedding protects you from harmful chemiicals present in most commercial bedding.

I am sure you are thinking, ?My current bedding is fine, it can?t harm me, especially if I would wash it and change it more often.? While I can?t help you wash and change your bed more often, you need to know that most commercially available sheets and pillowcases are made from a 50/50 blend of conventionally grown cotton and polyester, which is not safe. Let me explain why:

Cotton is a very useful fiber that has many good qualities: It is hypoallergenic, it wicks away moisture well for a nice dry feel, it is relatively soft, and it washes and dries well. But cotton is also the most heavily sprayed crop on earth and 25% of the world?s pesticides are used for cotton production. These p