Although my blog is regularly focused on food, it is more broadly focused on helping people achieve a healthy, happy life and long term wellness. Equally important to eating whole foods is exercising regularly, getting enough sunshine, laughter, relaxation, water and SLEEP. In this post I will be sharing my experience with my new mattress, how it has affected me, and how beneficial it could be for you. If you have back problems, neck problems, sore muscles when you wake up, trouble with tossing and turning all night or waking up still feeling tired, then this mattress is your saviour. If you are concerned with toxins in your mattress, just wanna sleep better or are looking for a new bed, this will also be very relevant read.
Note: if you click on any of the "IntelliBED" or "IntelliGEL" links in this post, it will take you to the IntelliBED website where you can check out their mattresses and if you want to buy one, you get a discount because you came through my blog.
PART I: THE RAD NON-TOXIC INTELLIBED
A handful of months ago, I was learning on the internet about toxic products most of us unknowingly have in our homes that we use everyday and that are no good for the planet or possibly our health. That was when I discovered most conventional mattresses from big brands are made with potentially harmful ingredients that can leak out... into our skin and homes. Yikes. In the US, it is legally required of mattress companies to include fire retardants in their beds. Great, right? Nope, not the way it's being done. The fire retardants many companies use can contain asbestos, formaldehyde, and other cancer-casing materials. Naturally this freaked me right out and I decided I should start looking into non-toxic mattresses that won't pollute my body or air while I sleep.
That's when the magic happened.
I had been checking out non-toxic mattress company websites and comparing prices, but it seemed like I was gonna have to pay $5,000 for a decent queen size mattress. Then I got an email from a guy named Justin who started telling me about the mattress company he works for: IntelliBED. He informed me that their non-toxic mattresses are designed based on scientific studies and medical research focusing on back health, made mostly of organic cotton and food grade mineral oil, and that they wanted me to try one out for myself. After several phone calls and emails, they eventually had their queen size mattress delivered to my house, and now my parents are very jealous. I have never slept better in my life. I would like to point out that I had always taken a long time to fall asleep, even after becoming vegan. It could take me anywhere from 1-3 hours every night, lying awake, staring at the ceiling. When I became vegan my sleep definitely improved, but I'd still wake up with soreness and be tossing and turning much of the night. Relatively speaking I slept well, but not great. Now I do not need as much sleep as I did before, and I have no soreness when I wake up in the morning. I can comfortably lie on my side without messing up my shoulders, or I can lie on my back all night without feeling the need to move.
This mattress is unique, because it is made with IntelliGEL, the main ingredient of which is, like I said, food grade mineral oil. The company's main mission with their beds is to precipitate proper posture while you sleep. When they first told me this it was like an "Ah-ha!" moment; I'd never thought about my posture while I slept even though I make sure I always pay attention to it while I am awake. When you think about it, it's because of poor posture in our beds that we can wind up with soreness upon waking, or that we toss and turn during the night. When you have a hard mattress, it forces your hips to be pushed up; messing up your posture and misaligning your body. If your mattress is soft, it lets your hips sink in and ultimately causes the same problem. With other mattresses the design and shape of the bed gradually wear down and after 5-7 years, and you're left with a less than suitable place to sleep because your body has completely changed the shape of the bed. But IntelliBED mattresses have been proven to cure pressure sores in hospitals, due to the fact that they let your blood flow throughout your body while you sleep, instead of limiting blood flow like many beds can do. The mattresses include foam and fire blockers, but these materials are certified non-toxic.
With IntelliBED, their trademarked main ingredient - IntelliGEL - doesn't break down. You will see about a 5% softening within the first little while of sleeping on it but after that it won't wear down any further. The bed comes with a 30 year warranty, meaning I will be 50 years old (!!!) when my warranty expires. When 700 medical professionals recommend IntelliBED, it's hard to ignore. Finally, I learned - or relearned, since I vaguely recall this from psychology class - that during stage 3 and 4 of sleep (also called REM) is when your body releases hormones to heal, rebuild and recover. Unfortunately, if you're tossing and turning because you can't get comfortable in bed it disrupts this stage of sleep and your body does not have sufficient time or effectiveness in doing those repairs. Uh-oh. This really caught my attention because I personally would often be tossing and turning all night. When I started sleeping on my new mattress, this changed.
PART II: BUYING AN INTELLIBED
You're probably thinking, "Well it's easy for you to recommend this bed - you didn't have to pay for it!" But honestly, even if I had to pay for this bed, I would. It's worth it. (Yes, still easy for me to say...) You have to ask yourself how much healthy, deep sleep means to you. This bed will last a lifetime, and it will probably provide you with countless hours of more life, because you will not need as much sleep, or if you love sleep as much as I do, your sleep will be better quality. Now down to the nitty gritty. How much does it actually cost? They sent me one of their most expensive beds and it is in $3,000 or $4,000 range. After having done my own research, I think this is a fair price because of the kind of mattress this is (designed based on back health research, made with non-toxic materials, etc.). If $3,000 or $4,000 isn't in your budget you can find more affordable ones in their product line. If it's not the right time for you to buy a new bed, you can consider getting their pillows. They sent me a pillow as well - made with IntelliGEL just like the mattress - and I bring it everywhere I sleep. You get 60 days to try the bed and if you aren't in love with it you can return it with no charges.
Jack and I both sleep so much deeper at my place that when we sleep at his - and he just got a new mattress, by the way - I've noticed we both need more sleep, and we both wake up groggier. I can't wait to move in with him so we can jump into MY bed every night! Cheers to deep sleep and uninterrupted dreams!
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