Bedding

Beds, where we spend one-third of our lives. It’s crucial to make thoughtful choices. Below, I’ll highlight two essential bedding items and important considerations.

Pillows:

Reevaluating the pillow that suits your body is vital for a good night’s sleep. Especially if you sleep on your side, it’s crucial to ensure that the pillow fills the space between your neck and shoulder, maintaining your shoulder at its natural width. Additionally, the pillow should provide proper neck support, ensuring a straight airway from the cervical to the spine.

I recommend a pillow with an S-shaped curve, like the one in the photo. Depending on your shoulder width, you can place an extra pillow underneath it when sleeping on your side. This adjustment keeps your neck straight and maintains your shoulder at its natural width without being squished. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your shoulder joints and neck stay in their natural positions, preventing circulation issues. I’ve experimented with various pillows, but this shape offers the most stability and firm support for the neck, and I’ve been using it for the past five years.

Furthermore, I suggest choosing a pillow with a removable cover for easy replacement, good ventilation, and one that doesn’t trap heat. In traditional Eastern medicine, the recommended sleeping order is facing upward, then on the right side, and finally on the left side (sleeping on the left side can place pressure on the heart).

Simply by changing your pillow, you may find that snoring stops in some cases. I encourage you to reconsider your choice.

Futon, Bed

It depends on personal preference, but without biased view me being Japanese, I believe that Japanese futons placed on Japanese tatami mats are the most ideal as mattresses. They are neither too soft nor too firm, easy to air out, well-ventilated, and don’t take up much space. One major drawback of bed mattresses is that they are not easy to air out, which can lead to the accumulation of mold and various bodily wastes. Many modern bed mattresses also contain fire-resistant materials (especially regulated by law in California), and sensitive individuals may react to these substances.

Bed mattresses can also contain various chemicals. Particularly, mattresses that come vacuum-packed for transport often use highly toxic gases, which can give off a strong, paint-like smell when unpacked. Most of these chemicals don’t have an immediate impact when they enter the body in small amounts, but they can have long-term health effects. If possible, I recommend airing them out for about a day in a well-ventilated, sunlit area to allow the gases to dissipate before use.

Additionally, in the United States, there are standards for organic beds such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Greenguard. By looking for these certifications, you can avoid such chemicals.

To reiterate the points to be cautious about with bed mattresses, since they are not easily aired out or cleaned, they tend to accumulate dust, dirt, and bodily waste. These substances, including mold, can have adverse effects on the nervous system, nasal passages, throat, and overall health. It may be advisable to occasionally air out the mattress in a well-ventilated, sunny area.”

In the next episode, I will write about Mind and Qi relating to sleep.