As a parent, I am not a stranger to sleep deprivation. It seems like something that accompanies parenthood. When you aren't woken up by your child, you wake up because your kid or kids aren't waking you up, but here's the thing.
It is important to figure out a way to sleep better, and to do that, you have to come to terms with all the surprising things that could be keeping you up, like dirty bed sheets.
How can Sleep Hurt Parents?
You'd be surprised how many people are suffering from some kind of sleep deprivation. Sure, some people could blame parenthood, but this is not always the case, and the issue is widespread.
People can go through the following simply because they aren't sleeping well:
● Unprovoked irritability, which can sometimes scare your kids.
● Having trouble focusing or even becoming forgetful.
● Given enough time, you might start to feel a little depressed.
How are Bed Sheets Linked to Sleep?
Okay, I have a confession. I do not wash my bed sheets that often. As soon as I see a little discoloration, I want to throw the bed sheets in the washer, but that doesn't always happen. An article online pointed out that one reason I could be having trouble sleeping was my bed sheets.
I couldn't believe it or some of the other claims, like how you are supposed to sleep with the temperature set somewhere between 60 to 68 degrees, but that turned out to be true.
Apparently, the problem is dust mites. Now, there is no way you are going to get rid of dust mites completely because they live everywhere and feed off dead skin cells, but the problem is they multiply, and it is that multiplication that ends up hurting sleep quality.
I should point out that the more I looked into this, the worse things got. I found out all sorts of information that you won't love hearing about. In addition to dust mites and dead skin cells, you can find fecal matter, urine, saliva, genital fluids, and bacteria all over your bed sheets. What is worse is that some of these things could accumulate in about a week.
Most of the things you find on a dirty bed sheet won't affect your sleep, but now that you know this information you might not be able to sleep on your bed sheets if you haven't washed them. Once I learned all this, I started washing my bed sheets more often. Knowing that all that stuff could be embedded in the fabric stressed me out a bit, and I could not sleep comfortably.
The reason dust mites could be a problem for you is if you are sensitive to allergens. The following are some of the symptoms you could experience simply because there is a built-up of dust mites in your bed sheets:
● Unexplained sneezing
● A runny nose
● Itchy eyes
● Some nasal congestion
● Itchy throat
● Varying degrees of cough
● Facial pressure or even pain
Not only was I having trouble relaxing because of my child's interruptions, but I was also experiencing some of these symptoms at night, and they kept me up. I didn't know what was going on at the time, which is what prompted me to go on one of those deep internet dives to figure out what might be going on.
What do You Need to Do?
Okay, so besides washing your sheets every week, I would recommend buying a number of bed sheets, and I think you should consider buying bed sheets that are more natural or hypoallergenic, like linen or silk.
You are going to want to have these types of materials because if you are allergic to dust mites, you might also be allergic to other allergens that could be present in bed sheets that are not hypoallergenic. It might also be a good idea to make sure you shampoo the carpet in your room because dust mites live in carpets, and you might be picking them up and bringing them to bed every time you lay down after walking on your carpet.
Having a number of bed sheet sets makes it easier to clean your sheets and never be without a fresh set. I'm not saying you have to wash your bed sheets every day though I did think about it after learning what I learned. I've settled down to washing the bed sheets about once a week, and it has helped me be at peace, and those allergic reactions I was having are now gone.
Those who get a bed sheet set made from natural materials, like silk, are going to have to learn how to care for this material. Silk is not like regular material, and to care for it, you are going to have to be a little more careful, and treat the sheet delicately to ensure it lasts as long as it should.
There are a lot of things to consider when washing your silk pillowcases and sheets, like making sure you handwash when the bed sheets are 20 Momme or less. It should also be pointed out that you cannot really wring silk out because it is going to be extremely wrinkled. Do your best to gently squeeze moisture out yourself using the folding method, and then, just let it air dry without putting the sheets under direct sunlight.
Hopefully, you understand why it is important to make sure your bed sheet set is cleaned often. You might have to deal with some disturbances while sleeping, but you may be able to teach your kids overtime. Still, cleaning more often definitely helped me, and it might help you, too.
