Your body may be feeding critters, your bed a chemical mine field and radiation is cooking your insides like last nights leftovers in a rusty microwave.

Sin #1 – Dust Mites

Every night you are sharing your bed with up to 6 billion dust mites and they are feeding on the 40,000 dead skin cells you shed every minute. And they especially love the comfort of your pillow as much as you do.

Dust mites are a common cause of asthma and allergic reactions in people.

Keep dust mites at bay by keeping the humidity level in your house below 50%, wash your bedding weekly in hot water and put them in the dryer and use a steamer on your mattress monthly.

Sin #2 – Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

Low frequency electromagnetic fields are present anytime an electrical current is passing through an appliance or lighting like your nightstand light or your clock radio. They create both magnetic and electric fields and a Swedish study showed an increase in childhood and adult leukemia when exposed to such fields.

Keep electric devices a good arms length away from your bed and never use an electric blanket while you’re sleeping – use it heat up your bed then turn it off.

Sin #3 – Metal Bed Springs

Metal bed springs act as an antenna for radio waves and your bed may develop magnetic hot spots throughout the mattress and box spring.

This has been shown to cause chronic fatigue and insomnia by interfering with your body’s own magnetic field and may be a possible factor in breast cancer and melanoma.

Switch to a wooden bed frame and get a mattress without metal springs.

Sin #4 – Bed Bugs

Bed bugs feed on human blood and are reddish-brown, flat, and oval in shape and about the size of an apple seed. They come home with you from your vacation and make themselves comfortable in your furniture, clothing and your mattress.

Check for them around your mattress and box spring. You may have red bite marks on your arms or since they love your face they will feast on your cheeks while your slumber.

You can try Diatomaceous Earth because it kills the bed bugs by dehydrating them. Since they can be hard to eradicate, sometimes you just have to call in a profession exterminator.

Sin # 5 – Mold and Mildew

Your body sweats to cool down and you put out over a pint of sweat every night that gets absorbed into your sheets and seeps into your mattress.

Leaving your mattress on the floor or up against an outside wall invites mold to invade your bed from the bottom and the sides.

Make sure your mattress is up off the floor, install a headboard, use a mattress pad and wash it monthly and get a fan to circulate the air or a dehumidifier if your bedroom is too damp.

Sin # 6 – Formaldehyde

Used in the glue of pressed wood products to make new furniture like your bed frame and night stands. It is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a carcinogen. Some of the effects of formaldehyde include respiratory problems, nausea, burning of the eyes and throat and headaches.

It also gasses off from water proof or wrinkle free bedding.

Avoid cheap pressed wood products, also known as Beaver puke. Solid wood furniture and all cotton sheets can drastically reduce your exposure.

Sin # 7 – Radon Gas

Radon is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, according to EPA’s 2003 Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in rocks and the soil and is found all over the country.

Radon gas can creep into your home through your concrete block basement walls. You can get a testing kit at your local hardware store to determine the level of radon gas in your home.

Don’t sleep in a basement bedroom, seal all cracks in basement walls and install a fan system what vents the air in your basement to the outside. If radon gas levels are over 4 picocuries per liter then call an experienced contractor for help in making your home safer.

If you take the time to save yourself from the seven deadly bedroom sins you will be healthier, sleep better and reduce your risk of an early death.

If you don’t, then don’t blame me if you’re awake all night listening to the bugs much away at your flesh, the hum of electric fields cooking your organs and the hiss of the deadly gasses surrounding you.

Have a nice sleep.

How safe is your bedroom? Leave a comment below.

Some people claim they sleep better when their head is pointing in either a north or easterly direction. This can have something to do with the magnetic fields of the earth interacting at a quantum level with their body’s cells, or because their head is pointing away from their window and away from the moon or early morning light. Give it a try. Use a compass and orient your bed to east, north, west or south. Give one direction a try for a few weeks and see it improves your sleep.

Maybe the realignment of your bed is just a pleasant change from the boring old way your bedroom furniture has always been placed.

Some people have claimed that they sleep better hanging from their feet because it provides the deepest, most relaxing sleep, bat I doubt it.

If the air is too dry while you’re sleeping, it may cause your nasal passages to dry out.  You can use a portable humidifier for your room, or to make your entire house more comfortable, install a humidifier onto your furnace. Whichever way you go, keep your humidifier clean to prevent the spread of mould, mildew, or some virus that will cause your eyeballs to turn green.

During a sweltering, steamy summer, a dehumidifier is the way to go. When you can’t roll over because you’re suctioned to your sheets, it’s time to do something. A portable dehumidifier or one attached to your furnace will do the job. Same as before, keep it clean.

Some smells can help you relax and to fall asleep. A lavender spray onto your pillow works wonders (avoid toilet de cow udder).

Sometimes a smell can wake you up. I was in a deep slumber when the unmistakable odour of skunk quaffed through the open window. The only thing to do was to close the window and spray an air freshener into the room. Another time, in the middle of winter with all the windows closed, I was awakened to the stench of death on a hot July afternoon. Then I remembered the double bean burritos I had for dinner (see skunk above).

     Ear plugs can be purchased at the hardware store. They are a sponge like foam you can roll between your fingers, then insert the ear plug into your ear. The plug will expand to provide a good seal. You can also see you doctor about having custom made ear plugs designed to perfectly fit your ear. Don’t use weiners (don’t ask).

     If the noise is from outside your home, you can call or talk to your neighbour, call the superintendent of your building or the noise control department of your city or the police. These may or may not have much effect. Other people that make a lot of noise at all hours are brain dead ignoramuses that are incapable of behaving in a way that shows even some consideration for others.  I had a neighbor who would cut his lawn at 9pm by flashlight because it was cooler. Forget trying to get kids to sleep with that kind of person next door. You can’t change other people, so you have to change. Either you get used to it or move (I moved). It would be easier to teach your cat to solve Rubik’s Cube under water than expect some people to get with the program.

     If the sound that is keeping you awake is within your ability to stop, then do it. Fix the tap or pay someone to fix it.  Change that buzzing light or get rid of that noisy fan and you’ll sleep better.

     If it’s something like traffic noise, you can try to mask the sound. Play light, easy listening music on your clock radio, or a CD or tape (what’s that?) of sounds of nature like a gentle rain, waves lapping the shore, or the sound of a babbling brook. Some people like to adjust their clock radio so it’s between stations and generates “white noise” (a low, hissing sound).

     Whatever method you use, always keep in mind that if you fixate on the noise, nothing will help. If you focus on that dog barking all night, keeping you awake and ruining your sleep, you will get just that – be awake all night and have a lousy nights sleep. You have to learn to push the noise out of your mind and rise above it.

Keeping your bedroom dark will make it a lot easier to get to sleep and to stay asleep. Any light entering your bedroom can be registered by your eyes and that can signal your brain that it’s time to wake up.

One way to keep your bedroom as dark as possible is to use heavy drapes (like they use in hotels) that block out rays from the early morning sun. Even a full moon can cast enough light through your window to awaken you, as can the glare of street lights or car headlights if your bedroom faces the street.

Keeping your bedroom dark is also a challenge for anyone who is working shift-work and are trying to sleep during the day. You can try wearing an eye shade or sleep mask but it may take a while to get used to it before you get a good night’s sleep. I’ve used one and they work very well.

You may also want to remove any electronic devices from your bedroom that have power on lights. Some of these lights are small but they can cast a very bright light. When I have wondered into my living room at night I’m amazed at how bright it is in there. Light from the TV, computers, modems, routers and a gaming console are bright enough to make it easy to get around without turning on any overhead light. My son’s gaming console has a green power light that could illuminate Toledo.

Light can come from many sources like your alarm clock. I once had a clock radio that had green lights for its display. It was so bright the international space station could locate my room from where they were. I now have a clock that has a button I can use to dim the display light.

If you must sleep with a light on, use a soft, white bulb that’s 25 watts or less and keep the light indirect and be sure to keep it out of your eyes.

What do you do to keep your light out of your bedroom? Leave a comment below.

I have always found that it’s easier to get to sleep in a room that is cooler rather than one that is hotter. The best sleeping temperature is between the low to mid 60’s Fahrenheit. If it’s too warm your sleep may become less restful, especially if every time you move you suction off your mattress like pulling your rubber boot out of deep mud.

If you are too hot at night, try using an air conditioner just in your bedroom.  Turn it on a few hours before you go to bed so it has time to cool the room without running all day.

When shopping for an air conditioner, buy one just big enough for the size of your room.

          Room Size (square feet)   BTU

                    150                         5,000

                    250                         6,000

                    300                         7,000

                    350                         8,000

                    500                         10,000

                    600                         12,000

Factors that will affect the size you need are room size, whether the room is in the sun or shade, number of windows, quality of the wall insulation, appliances in the room and the number of people in the room.

Air conditioners work best when they are constantly running. One that is too small will never cool your bedroom and one that is too large will cycle on and off constantly. Find one that is quiet and energy efficient. I once bought a hardware store model that was a great price, but it sounded like a jet aeroplane taking off and it sucked more electricity than the Griswold’s Christmas lights. I saved $50 over a better model and was awake most of the night because of the noise and it cost me a lot more to run it than I saved getting the “deal.”

Another way to beat the heat is by using an electric fan, either a portable one that you can set up beside your bed on an overhead one. The air circulation will help cool your body. Portable fans are usually quiet and fairly inexpensive. Just don’t wait for the first big heat way to get one or you’ll find yourself in the midst of a stampede or looking at empty shelves. Pick one up early, before it gets hot.

You can also cool off by running cool water over the inside of your wrists to cool your blood and by splashing cool water on your face and letting it evaporate. Misting your face with a dollar store spray bottle of water is also effective.

I once lived in an apartment that was between the sun on one side and hell on the other. I filled my bathtub with cool water and dunked myself whenever I got too hot (leave the water in the tub). A cool shower also works, just remember to lightly pat your self dry. Rubbing with a towel will stimulate your skin and heat you up.

If your room is too cool you may stay in bed longer since it’s so cosy. If it’s too cold you’ll be tossing and shivering. Try wearing flannel pyjamas instead of nothing or silk. You can throw an extra blanket on your bed, just don’t pile them on.

You can shut your door and use a small electric space heater just to heat your bedroom. Keep it away from the sheets of your bed, curtains or any other flammable objects like thousand dollar bills. Never use kerosene or a propane heater in the house as the fumes are toxic and you may wake up dead.

Try to avoid using electric blankets or heating pads while you’re sleeping. The electromagnetic fields produced by them may damage the cells of your body. Use them to heat up a cold bed then turn them off when you get in.