Mattress Protection: The health story

In support of the recent national bed month, our partners Protect-A-Bed have been researching the grimier side of the UK population’s sleeping habits. Protect-A-Bed is a healthy sleep expert; they commissioned research to find how our health and hygiene is suffering from a bad night's sleep.

The startling figures revealed that over a 5th of the population change their bed sheets as little as once a month. This, when considering the average person produces between 1-2 pints of sweat every night, is scarily unhygienic. Not only are these habits affecting the quality of our sleep, dirtier beds also are a breeding ground for dust mites and bacteria.

Why is that important? Why should we worry about dust mites? Unknown to many, dust mites are microscopic spiders, invisible to the naked eye. However enzymes in the fesses of the dust mite are the second largest cause of allergies in the UK.

A house dust mite allergy is commonly associated with asthma and eczema. Figures from Asthma UK show that 5.4 million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma. Of which, 1.1 million are children (1 in 11). Sleeping in a bed without allergen-proof barriers can cause many to have a poor or uncomfortable night's sleep.

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What does it mean for the hotel industry?

As awareness for a healthy sleep environment grows, the need for Hoteliers to provide their guests with a healthy sleep increases. Fluids from normal bodily functions leak through our sheets and into the mattress. This causes the growth of dust mites and bacteria, which in turn are a major cause of asthma and skin conditions like eczema. The Protect-A-Bed Mattress Encasement’s miracle membrane provides an anti-allergen barrier, prohibiting the growth of bacteria and creating a healthy sleep zone.

An unprotected mattress typically may have anywhere between 100,000 to 10 million alive and dead dust mites inside the mattress. Dust mites feed on our dead skin cells and flourish in this warm, moist, food rich environment. The bed is an ideal breeding ground due to the constant supply of dead skin cells, moisture and heat from our bodies.

Looking at the activity in an unprotected mattress under a microscope would cause many to think twice before getting in, let alone a mattress guests know has been used by others before them.

How does mattress protection help you protect your investment?

A mattress represents a considerable financial investment, worthy of protection against spills, mishaps and premature deterioration. Today, hotel owners and operators are becoming increasingly convinced of the need to protect against fluids, dust mites and bed bugs.

Hoteliers can save cleaning and labor costs by protecting against human damage, stains and bed bugs. In fact, the encasement pays for itself the very first time a mattress is protected from a human accident. This is the very reason why it is beneficial to have a mattress protector that is both waterproof and allergen-proof.

From a guest point of view, hoteliers are the ultimate sleep experts. Being able to provide their guests with the assurance that they are in safe hands is part of every hotelier’s duty; providing them with some advice on how to take care of their own mattress at home is an added bonus their guests will not forget.