Sweet dreams… healthy, natural and safe sleep | Part 2

Sleeping in a healthy and “natural” environment has been proven to promote high quality sleep, which is crucial for our psychological and physical wellbeing. So, how best to furnish your bedroom? In Part 2, we share our tips on materials and fabrics, which also happen to be made of COEX!

NATURAL WOODEN FURNITURE
A natural environment means choosing natural materials (made from wood) and fabrics. Select those most appropriate for each season to ensure optimal temperatures. Natural fabrics offer both style and comfort for clothing, soft furnishings (covers, bedspreads, pillows, curtains, etc.) and bed linen, and when these are made of COEX you have the added security that it is fireproof.
When it comes to furniture, natural wood comes in many varieties: birch, ash, beech, etc. Swiss pine, for example, is incredibly strong and has a pleasant aroma. The wood and resin contain high levels of essential oils, which can lower and stabilise heart rate and improve circulation, enhancing wellbeing. Due to all of these features, Swiss pine has a positive impact on the quality of our sleep and, compared to other species, also has antibacterial properties and makes damp environments healthier.

THE SCENT OF SLEEP
In terms of essences, there are certain aromas that slow down mental chatter and therefore promote relaxation, whether this is through herbal teas, vaporisers, potpourri or as drops on the pillow or into a hot bath. Aromatherapy (a branch of phytotherapy, which uses essential oils to cure a wide range of symptoms) crowns lavender as the queen fragrance of sleep; followed by vanilla, lemon, marjoram, lemon balm, sandalwood and valerian, in addition to bergamot and bitter orange essential oils.

SWITCH OFF
Sleeping in a healthy and natural environment has been proven to promote high quality sleep. Scientists are currently divided on the effect electromagnetic fields have on sleep and whether or not they “charge up” our bodies; synthetic fabrics, in turn, generate static and attract dust and polluting particles while metal goods appear to amplify the negative effects of electromagnetic waves. Whatever your opinion, ensuring that the bedroom is free from electrical sockets, modems and PCs (and therefore work), noise, not just from the radio and TV, as well as switching off your mobile phone, can all help us to enter the land of nod. 

BEDFRAME, SLATS AND MATTRESS
If the story of The Princess and the Pea demonstrates that even a minor factor can disrupt sleep, metaphorically it makes sense to choose a high-quality bed. Here too, it is important to choose a bed that is natural: from the materials to the fabrics to the mattress!
There is also current debate around whether or not mattress springs generate electromagnetic fields; the belief is that the magnetic force emitted by bed frames and slats should not be overlooked. As for assembly, some bed models use tongue and groove, avoiding metal components. 

Rather than metal slats, these can be made from natural wood (birch, ash, beech) and spaced according to the flexibility of the chosen mattress. Latex or memory foam? It depends on who we are (weight, constitution, body thermoregulation) and how we sleep. Memory foam is more appropriate for those who tend to stay in one position when they sleep are as it “memorises” our position, while those who tend to toss and turn are better off with a springier latex mattress.
While memory foam can be natural or synthetic, 100% natural latex (in which the percentage of natural plant-based latex – India rubber –  is at least 85%) is more elastic (does not put pressure on the spine), ergonomic, highly breathable and antibacterial.
Other natural materials currently used to make mattresses include coconut fibre (which ensures proper support), cactus fibre (to naturally regulate moisture), seaweed (soothing the respiratory tract), soybean essential oils, etc. (COEX can personally recommend COCO-MAT “sleep on nature!” a company that produces hand-crafted beds made from 100% natural materials).
Natural bedlinen is just as important as the material the mattress is made from: choose 100% natural cotton, bamboo and wool; and since memory foam fits the contours of the body, particularly in relation to the amount of heat it generates, it is worth ensuring it is covered with the most breathable fabrics.
The two largest companies in the mattress industry and COEX partners (the only technology that makes 100% fireproof fabric) are Stellini and Crespi.
By choosing made of COEX natural materials and fabrics you are making yourself extra safe. And, if you feel protected, you will sleep like a baby!