Bed buggers or not?

Dear Reader,

If you've gone shopping for a mattress recently, you know that buying a bed these days can cost a small fortune.

But it doesn't matter if you've spent thousands on the latest and greatest, or hundreds for a bargain brand, it won't take long before some unwanted visitors show up.

From bug poop to fungi, bedding is a breeding ground for all things that can make you sneeze in the night -- and could be the real reason why you're not getting a good night's rest.

For most of these pests, however, it won't take a lot of effort to evict them.

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Clearing the air
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We've all heard about bed bugs, but even if you've never encountered one of those little bloodsuckers, your mattress is most likely home to plenty of other nasty things.

Take pets, for example. If your dog or cat sleeps with you at night all that dander and saliva -- yes saliva -- has to go somewhere. And even if you change your sheets like you're a hotel maid, you still need to vacuum the mattress and your pillows at least once a week.

In fact, vacuuming your bedding is probably one of the most neglected, but important things you can do to keep it allergen-free.

But by far one of the biggest pests in the bedroom (aside from your better half snoring!) is the dust mite. It's a microscopic creature that eats your dead skin cells that accumulate in dust.

Dust mites, which are said to be found in four out of five beds, don't bite and don't suck your blood. It's their droppings -- or poop -- that causes the trouble.

"Dust mite droppings are highly allergenic," said allergy specialist Dr. William Burger. And even for those who don't have an allergy reaction, they can still be highly irritating.

Other bedfellows can include contaminates such as mold and fungi. In one study, it was found that your average pillow contains a "substantial load of many species of fungi." And what's feeding all that fungi is our own perspiration. And I'm talking about sweating to the tune of 26 gallons a year -- all while we're sleeping!

So if you want to sleep better and breathe easier, try following these simple tips:

Tip #1: Vacuum your mattress weekly. As I mentioned for those who share the bed with a pet, vacuuming the mattress and pillow will not only help with pet dander but do a number on dust mites, too. Mattress covers can help, but only if they're woven-type ones that have openings 6 microns or smaller

Tip #2: Wash bedding in hot water. Sure, we all like to conserve resources (and money!), but when you're washing sheets and pillowcases, hot water is what you want to use.

Tip #3: Invest in a portable HEPA air filter. Placed in your bedroom, this will not only clear the air where pets are concerned, but will take care of a lot of the mold and fungi living in your pillows. They come in a variety of sizes for use in small to large rooms and are sold in most all big-box stores.

Now, if you're asthmatic, or suffer from bad allergies or sinus infections, you may want to take some extra measures in your bedroom.

Those would include:

• Reducing humidity by using air conditioning and dehumidifiers. Dust mites thrive in high humidity.
• Wet-moping and wet-dusting frequently, and
• Eliminate carpeting wherever possible.

And for the easiest tip of all, a study out of the UK found that by simply not making your bed in the morning and letting the sheets aerate you can substantially decrease dust mite numbers!

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson