On a side note: Am I the only one who struggles reading these articles made of one-sentence-paragraphs? I completely lose the flow and the structure of the argumentation (Is there any?).
Untidy beds may keep us healthy
21–26 of 26 posts
Re: Untidy beds may keep us healthy
#22As someone with dust mite allergies this is what I'm going to start doing: 1. Leave blanket rolled up at end of bed 2. Turn fan on to blow over the bed, drying it out Much cheaper than buying those fairly pricey dust mite cases that seem to have dubious effectiveness.
Or you could invest in an electric blanket. As a bonus you will get more sleep in winter (because it takes time for your body to warm the bed otherwise).
Be aware that if you are doing this because you are (putatively) allergic to dust mites, which is triggering breathing issues:
Breathing cold air, especially through the mouth, can exaggerate breathing problems.
Re: Untidy beds may keep us healthy
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
The only thing I know about electric blankets is that elderly people seem to burn to death from them or get severe burns on their body from them on a regular basis. It happened to my granny, too (just the burns, thankfully). Overall, they just seem like a silly idea to me. Or maybe it is just an idea from another era, when people thought that electricity would solve every problem and being exposed to x-rays could mak…
You'd be surprised at the advances in Electric Blanket technology. My mother actually bought one earlier this week and I was surprised at how much better they are now. It automatically adjusts it's heat settings to maintain a constant body temperature and to remove the chance of burns, is waterproof and has extra layers of underlay to prevent the mattresses from damage (and in the extreme cases, fire)
Still, I remain skeptic of the concept. I think it is not even very good to have too much warmth while sleeping? If the blanket is waterproof, what about sweat - can it evaporate?
And what about the body regulating it's own temperature? It seems better equipped for that than an external device.
Also the thought of sleeping with electrical wires leading into my bed makes me uneasy.
To be honest I haven't really considered the pros and cons, though. I am biased.
If it is too cold for going to bed, how about a hot-water bad or cherry pit pillow?
Re: Untidy beds may keep us healthy
#24Unfortunately, you might be less happy as a result: http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2009/08/m...
She also mentions that not making your bed could make you feel more happy, because it is resistance against your parents rules.
Re: Untidy beds may keep us healthy
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
You'd be surprised at the advances in Electric Blanket technology. My mother actually bought one earlier this week and I was surprised at how much better they are now. It automatically adjusts it's heat settings to maintain a constant body temperature and to remove the chance of burns, is waterproof and has extra layers of underlay to prevent the mattresses from damage (and in the extreme cases, fire)
Still, I remain skeptic of the concept. I think it is not even very good to have too much warmth while sleeping? If the blanket is waterproof, what about sweat - can it evaporate? And what about the body regulating it's own temperature? It seems better equipped for that than an external device. Also the thought of sleeping with electrical wires leading into my bed makes me uneasy. To be honest I haven't really consid…
Waterproof means it won't electrocute you if it gets wet.
As to self-regulation, the body's heat controller seems to release adrenaline to increase temperature. This works fine but is not so good for sleeping.
Re: Untidy beds may keep us healthy
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you're not allergic, you're not allergic. Then they're just there, eating your dead skin cells. You shouldn't worry too much about microorganisms unless they cause you problems -- they are everywhere, and you can't get rid of them.
In fact, each and every one of us has billions of microorganisms hanging out on our skin and inside our bodies. Many of them are our friends, helping us digest things we can't otherwise digest and warding off infections.
Incidentally, one theory as to why allergies are so prevalent these days is because chlorinated water killed off a gut parasite that hooks into the intestine and excretes an immunosuppressant. Without that suppressant action that we evolved with the "expectation" of having, we now all have more potent immune systems than "designed". The result is that it reacts to things that pose no harm, like pollen and dust mite debris.
On the other hand, dirty water has killed a lot more people than allergies have.