In the storybook world of Grimm Brothers fairytales such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, mattresses were naturally perfect. Today, if the brothers were alive to rewrite the tale, Goldilocks would be tearing away parts of each mattress to see if they contained a fluffy surface layer of cotton batting containing boric acid, as well as a deeper layer of compressed cotton batting treated with boric acid and antimony. These two popular fire retardants are toxic chemicals that leach into the body. Antimony resembles arsenic and has been linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Boric acid is a pesticide for killing roaches. Undoubtedly, Goldilocks would be looking for a different house with mattresses labeled “organic”.

If we heed the advice of Huffington Post Editor in Chief Arianna Huffington, who is also the author of The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night at a Time, in rebooting our health, sex life and career by consistently getting seven to nine hours of sleep—an “organic” mattresses will be as important as removing electronic devices from the bedroom, creating bedtime rituals, using a real alarm clock and drinking no caffeinated beverages after 2 p.m.

“Many individuals unknowingly spend one-third of their lives sleeping on the 30 or more chemicals typically found in traditional mattresses, ” advises Jerry Lecompte, owner of Naples Mattress, in Naples, the only local authorized retailer that carries the 100 percent Certified Organicpedic mattresses and sleep accessories recommended by O magazine. The mattresses are handmade by OMI, which operates an organic factory in Northern California. “Their mattresses are so pure that OMI guarantees if you can find a purer mattress, they give you theirs for free. No one else makes that kind of claim,” clarifies Lecompte.

Prior to Time magazine’s 2007 “Sleep Goes Green” article, organic sleep systems were a niche market, and the majority of individuals interested in buying them were those that also made regular purchases in health food stores. But things have been changing. Today’s wise consumers are showing an increased interest in purchasing bedding constructed with natural latex, organic wool and organic cotton. These green sleep systems have been emerging as the first choice for shoppers in search of an alternative to traditional mattresses, constructed of mostly synthetic materials such as polyurethane foam and vinyl.

Many individuals unknowingly spend one-third of their lives sleeping on the 30 or more chemicals typically found in traditional mattresses. ~Jerry Lecompte, owner of Naples Mattress

A list of overall benefits of organic sleep systems begins with the fact that pure wool is naturally flame retardant, while natural rubber is antimicrobial and mold- and mildew-resistant. Neither rubber nor wool attract dust mites, an added benefit for anyone suffering from allergies.

“Many products may be referred to as organic, but it’s still necessary to look for the proper certification; a shopper's assurance that a purchase is truly organic, not organically produced in one place and artificially processed in another. Stringent standards for organic certification are established at local levels, by private organizations. Certification serves as an industry watchdog seal of approval, and is not the same as government regulation. Certificates of sustainable textiles specify that no pesticides be allowed in fields where cotton grows or where sheep graze,” explains Lecompte.

All organic sleep systems such as Royal-Pedic, Vivetique, and Green Sleep’s Vimala, as well as more the affordable green options of Lifekind, Cozypure, EcoChoices and Keetsa, also have to abide by these standards.

A night spent enjoying the support and softness of a natural rubber mattress topped with natural wool and cotton is the next best thing to sleeping on a cloud. This type of restful sleep provides a heavenly rest that only angels enjoy—or the occasional Bear family and their sleepy, bold, blonde-headed guest.

Naples Organic Mattress is located at 13800 Tamiami Tr. N., at U.S. 41 and Old 41.For more information, call 239-597-5333 or visit NaplesMattress.com or OMIMattress.com.

For more information on organic mattresses, visit OMImattress.com, GreenSleep.com, Vivetique.com, Royal-Pedic.com, Lifekind.com, CozyPure.com, EcoChoices.com or Keetsa.com.