All Memory Foam Mattresses

Reasons not to Purchase a Memory Foam Mattress Made in Asia

With the surge to puchase memory foam mattresses and memory foam products, we are seeing inexpensive mattresses coming from Asia. China by far exports the majority of these mattresses. The fact is each mattress made in China has been compressed for months, and no one is sure what effect it will have on the life of the mattress. Another fact to consider is many Asian companies use toxic chemicals to manufacture their mattresses and this can make you sick. Don't be fooled with low prices, you really get what you pay for. Look for the "Made in the USA logo and be assured you are getting a high quality memory foam mattress, pillow, or mattress topper. Memory Foam Matttresses purchased from China are sold in lots from importers who not only purchase mattresses, but electronics, clothing, etc. Most of those E-Commerce businesses offer a 20 year full replacement warrantee. Who handles the warrantee? The importer? A company in China?

Unfortunately, not all foam is created equal. Many companies will put together the mattress in the U.S., but buy the foam overseas to save money. With overseas foam, we cannot be sure of the quality or the composition. The overseas foam makers produce memory foam that seems to flatten out with compression, even though it may feel comfortable upon the first feel. Therefore, the memory foam made overseas may not last as long, be as safe to sleep on, and offer enough support. Unfortunately, many companies state their beds are made in the U.S. because the mattress is put together in the U.S., even though they do not use U.S. produced foam. Protect yourself and your wallet, make sure if you purchase a memory foam product, it's made in the USA.

Shift Work and Sleeping

A shift worker is anyone who follows a work schedule that is outside of the typical "9 to 5" business day. In the past few decades the United States has become increasingly dependent upon shift workers to meet the demands of globalization and our 24-hour society. From a competitive standpoint, shift work is an excellent way to increase production and customer service without major increases in infrastructure. Millions of Americans are considered shift workers, including doctors and nurses, pilots, bridge-builders, police officers, customer service representatives and commercial drivers. However, while shift work does create potential productivity advantages, it also has many inherent risks. Some of the most serious and persistent problems shift workers face are frequent sleep disturbance and associated excessive sleepiness. Sleepiness/fatigue in the work place can lead to poor concentration, absenteeism, accidents, errors, injuries, and fatalities.

The issue becomes more alarming when you consider that shift workers are often employed in the most dangerous of jobs, such as firefighting, emergency medical services, law enforcement and security. Managers and policy makers who are responsible for writing and enforcing rules regarding employee work hours must address the specific issues of a 24-hour work force in order to succeed and benefit from such a labor force. Although addressing these issues may require some investment up front for training and other measures, the bottom line is that improved sleep in workers may lead to improved productivity. In fact, to ignore the needs of the shift worker is reckless and irresponsible when you consider that billions of dollars in yearly costs, thousands of deaths, and some of the most notorious of modern catastrophes such as the failure of the Space Shuttle Columbia and the crash of the Exxon Valdez have been attributed to human fatigue.

In addition to fatigue in the workplace, shift workers are at increased risk for a variety of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. Also, shift workers are at elevated risk for obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder found in approximately 5% of the general population, but 11.6% of the shift work population. Whether this is related to the fact that shift workers are awake and active during the night hours or because they tend to get fewer hours of sleep overall than traditional workers is not known. Also, shift workers often miss out on important family and social events due to their work schedules. Most managers recognize that understanding and addressing these issues improves employee morale, performance, safety and health, and can dramatically improve the bottom line of the company. People who work in the transportation industry face some of the most serious challenges. They battle fatigue because of their irregular sleep schedules and endure long tedious hours at the controls or behind the wheel. In fact, driver fatigue behind the wheel caused by sleep deprivation is one of the leading safety hazards in the transportation industry. According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, shift work sleep disorder is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. Circadian rhythm refers to the ~24hr rhythmic output of the human biological clock. It is considered a disorder because of the frequency with which people suffer from sleep disturbance and excessive sleepiness in trying to adapt to a shift work schedule.

SYMPTOMS: Insomnia Disrupted sleep schedules Reduced performance Difficulties with personal relationships Irritability/depressed mood Unfortunately, treatment for shift work sleep disorder is limited. Both behavioral and pharmacological remedies can help alleviate symptoms.

COPING: If you are a shift worker and have difficulty sleeping during the day, chances are you also have difficulty staying awake at work. Also, the more sleepy/fatigued you are, the more likely you are to experience a "microsleep," an involuntary bout of sleep brought on by sleep deprivation that lasts for a few seconds. Here are some tips for staying alert on the job: Avoid long commutes and extended hours. Take short nap breaks throughout the shift. Work with others to help keep you alert. Try to be active during breaks (e.g., take a walk, shoot hoops in the parking lot, or even exercise). Drink a caffeinated beverage (coffee, tea, colas) to help maintain alertness during the shift. Don't leave the most tedious or boring tasks to the end of your shift when you are apt to feel the drowsiest. Night shift workers are most sleepy around 4-5 a.m. Exchange ideas with your colleagues on ways to cope with the problems of shift work. Set up a support group at work so that you can discuss these issues and learn from each other.

For some shift workers, napping is essential. It can be extremely effective at eliminating fatigue-related accidents and injuries and reducing workers compensation costs. Although most employers do not allow napping in the workplace, a ban on napping may soon prove to be a legal liability. Thus, efforts to make workplace policies nap-friendly may soon gain popularity as the issue increases in global significance. Here are some tips for sleeping during the day: Wear dark glasses to block out the sunlight on your way home. Keep to the same bedtime and wake time schedule, even on weekends. Eliminate noise and light from your sleep environment (use eye masks and ear plugs). Avoid caffeinated beverages and foods close to bedtime. Avoid alcohol; although it may seem to improve sleep initially, tolerance develops quickly and it will soon disturb sleep.

For a Healthy Nights Sleep may we suggest a memory foam mattress? Visit us at All Memory Foam Mattresses

• Previous Posts:

• Reasons not to Purchase a Memory Foam Mattress Made in Asia
• Shift Work and Sleeping

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