We face an enormous amount of toxic stressors on a daily basis. Since we spend onethird of our lives sleeping, it makes sense that we take steps to sleep in a healthy oasis to repair and rejuvenate the body.

Unfortunately, research shows that many of us are sleeping in a toxic soup mix of up to 10 times the stress we face during the day. Sleeping six to 10 hours a night in an enclosed space leaves us vulnerable to the environment of that space. Take stock of all the electrical gadgets that surround you as you sleep at night.

What materials are your mattress, bed sheets and pillows made of? How old are the bedroom carpets? How clean are they? What is your bed frame made of? What does your bedroom closet contain and is the space beneath your bed used for storage?

Your immediate environment can also affect your peace of mind and influence sleep. Are your bills on your dresser or in the nighttable drawer keeping you worried at night? Are you sleeping while Aunt Betsy and Uncle Fred keep a watchful eye from a nearby photograph? Has it always been this way? Let's compare.

Our First Nations ancestors slept in teepees made with natural materials. They laid finger-woven cotton mats on Mother Earth, covered themselves with animal hides and rolled their woven mats for pillows. The 19th Dynasty in Egypt slept on wood beds and covered them with woven linen. The Japanese slept on handmade cotton futon sleeping mats, which were placed on a tatami (woven rice
straw mat). They kept warm underneath creatively woven textiles, made from natural materials.

No matter the style of slumber, our ancestors had one thing in common-they breathed in fresh air as they slept in their brick castles, wood homes or grass or bamboo huts. Little did they know they would be our best teachers when it comes to feng shui for a healthy sleep.

Despite our historical sleeping success, today many of us sleep on mattresses filled with synthetic petrochemicals or on petroleum-based foam mattresses and metal springs-all placed in a bed frame made of artificially pressed particle wood. We top this off with non-organic bedsheets made of polyester and acrylic synthetics, which means the body's skin cannot breathe properly all night.

So how do we create a healthy bedroom in which to rest and rejuvenate? Quite simply, let us adhere to as closely as possible to a natural environment. Bed frames and furniture should be made of natural wood or bamboo with non-toxic finishes and glues. Choose products made by manufacturers
that have become part of the green movement and support natural furniture construction.

The ideal mattress does not contain metal springs and has not been manufactured with any chemicals, fire retardants, pesticides, dioxins or formaldehyde. Instead, mattresses and pillows should be made of raw organic materials, such as 100 percent natural wool, cotton, latex, hemp or rubber. Do a search on the Internet to become educated about your many natural choices. When choosing bedding, look for 1,500-thread count Egyptian 100 percent cotton or 100 percent flannel or wool bedding.

Lastly, think feng shui. Create an oasis for sleep. Remove all electrical equipment (use a battery operated clock instead), remove the clutter and avoid storage under your bed so the chi ( energy) can circulate around your body. Paint your bedroom nice earth tones using natural, non-toxic paint. Hang pictures that represent twos-such as two doves, two flowers or two lovers-which will represent the love both partners share. For single sleepers, the twos represent attracting a partner.

Your bedroom is for sleep, sanctuary and intimacy only so find ways to reflect this intention.


Kim Easterbrook is a longevity researcher and Interior Health Stylist. 604-465-5175 www.zenshuionline.com

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