You may be surprised to know that the spring mattress you are lying on could be acting as a radio frequency antenna! This could be a major problem as antennas can amplify electromagnetic waves, and some electromagnetic radiation has been linked to certain health problems including cancer. You don’t want to be spending a third of your life lying in an electromagnetic field, yet this is exactly what you could be doing if your mattress has metal in it.
How could my spring mattress act as an antenna?
If you have any metal on your mattress or base (e.g. the coils in a box spring mattress), the metal can act as an antenna that amplifies FM or TV radiation of certain frequencies. The weak electromagnetic waves captured are then amplified by metal objects such as springs. Any piece of metal which has similar, half or one quarter of the wave length of an electromagnetic wave of a specific frequency can act as an antenna. It doesn’t have to ‘look’ like an antenna to behave in the same way.
What is the real-life evidence?
Researchers noticed that in Japan, the rates of breast cancer and prostate cancer are much lower than in Western countries. A plausible reason for this difference in cancer levels could be that the beds are different. In Japan, futons are the usual bed of choice whereas spring mattress and box spring are more commonly used in Western countries such as Australia. A futon does not have any metal in it, while a spring mattress contains a lot of metal inside. Thus, researchers speculate that the electromagnetic field of a spring mattress in combination with a box spring could be causing an increased risk of cancer.
If your mattress contains metal coil springs, there is a possibility that your mattress could be acting as an antenna for radiation. This is an issue because the low-level EMR from your electrical equipment is not enough to be a factor in the development of cancer alone. However, a mattress containing metal in the springs may amplify the intensity of EMR and become a danger to your health.
The EMR reaches maximum strength at 75cm from the metal springs, which is right about where your body is. If you sleep on your right side, as people are scientifically proven to have a tendency to do, the maximum wave strength will be on your left side. It is very phenomenon which could cause the left-side bias of breast cancer rates in the west.
Of course, there are many other differences between Japanese and Western lifestyles besides the beds. Therefore, it is not 100% certain that the electromagnetic field of a box spring mattress is the main cause of the increased breast and prostate cancer rates in Western countries. (ref Scientific America).
However, there is additional evidence linking electromagnetic radiation with cancer. One of these is the link seen by researchers who noticed an increased risk of melanoma in areas where there are FM, TV or telephone transmission towers. Such towers broadcast a massive amount of electromagnetic radiation.
The situation is a complex one and we need to be aware that these is still uncertainty over the correlation between cancer risk and electromagnetic radiation. A review of many studies suggests that the link depends on the type of cancers and the type of electromagnetic radiation. Thus, certain types of electromagnetic radiation may cause certain types of cancers, but not other types.
In any case, eliminating the antenna effect of the mattress is clearly the safest and most sensible thing to do, it’s just not worth the risk.
A safe sleeping environment
Caution and care is the best way to look after your health. You spend about a third of your life sleeping, and so creating safe bedroom environments is the easiest way to reduce your EMR exposure.
One of the simplest things to do for peace of mind is to remove unnecessary electrical equipment from your room. Leave your mobile, television, radio and internet router outside and enjoy healthy sleep, free of electro smog. However, it isn’t always that simple to remove your electrical devices, and some may want to go the extra mile to ensure they are 100% safe. This is where the strengths of a natural mattress some to play.
The good news is that this problem of electromagnetic fields is within your control and you can do your part to minimise exposure. This is because it’s not the small amounts of TV, FM radiation typically present in your room that your need to worry about. It’s the amplification of this radiation by your mattress (if it contains metal) that you should worry about. By changing to a springless mattress you can avoid sleeping in an increased electromagnetic field.
How can I pick a safe mattress?
You can eliminate this antenna effect when you select a mattress which contains no metal. You’ll want to ensure your bed base is also free of metal for the same reasons, of course.
A latex mattress is a superb choice as it is made from a block of latex with no metal in it anywhere. Latex also has the added benefit of being a product made from natural sources. You’ll also be pleased to know that latex is naturally mould resistant and dust mite resistant without the use of added chemicals.
Not only will a latex mattress eliminate the antenna effect, it’s also wonderfully comfortable. Many people love the initial ‘sinking’ feeling followed by a sense of supportive comfort when they lay on a mattress purely for its unparalleled comfort. As a bonus, Natural latex mattresses are known for being very long lasting, dust mite resistant, hypoallergenic and biodegradable. Being a natural product with a very low carbon footprint, the earth will be a better place when you sleep on this wonder, nonconductive natural product.
For further information try looking up Steven Magee on You tube – Author of Toxic Electricity. 2 of his views are titled ‘Using a metal coil mattress as a AM radio antenna’ August 10 2013 and ‘The voltage on a metal coil mattress form multiple electrical circuits’
References
- Michael N. Bates “Extremely Low Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer: The Epidemiologic Evidence “Environmental Health perspectives, vol. 95, 1991.
- Orjan Hallberg, Paavo Huttunen and Olle Johansson “Cancer Incidence vs Population Average Sleep Duration on Spring Mattress” Advanced Studies in Medical Sciences, vol. 2, 2014.
- Bates, Michael N., Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer: The Epidemiologic Evidence
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1568419/pdf/envhper00415-0140.pdf
- Fields, R. Douglas, Left-sided Cancer: Blame your bed and TV?
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/left-sided-cancer-blame-your-bed-and-tv/
- Environmental Radiation LLC, Using a Metal Coil Mattress as an AM Radio Antenna
