Under Bed Storage: Good Idea or Catastrophic Mistake?

There are raised platforms, storage beds and other types of mattress platforms that creatively utilize the space under your mattress for storage, but if not done correctly can lead to long term issues with your mattress. 

Mattresses, whether they are organic mattresses or memory foam mattresses share a key characteristic: YOU. Your body in the mattress. And your body, depending on many factors, will lose moisture during the night. Some people sweat profusely while they sleep while others the sweat loss is negligible. And while causes of sweat at night can be anything from normal to the sign of a medical condition, the fact is there is moisture in your mattress. Where does it go?

If you have your mattress sitting upon a box spring or slats, those surfaces are usually sufficient for allowing proper air flow around your mattress. However, if you have the area directly beneath the platform or box spring stuff to the brim with junk, you are potentially cutting off the air flow beneath your mattress, thus inhibiting the mattresses ability to dry out. That lingering moisture can cause ongoing issues from as relatively innocuous as providing a great breeding ground for dust mites to providing the perfect environment for mold, which can have devastating affects on your health.

Take a look under your mattress. What is your mattress sitting on? Keep in mind, that if you have a memory foam mattress or an organic and natural mattress, regardless of the material, moisture will act the same. Mold and Mildew will proliferate equally under latex as it will memory foam. If you have your mattress on slats or a box spring and you have a glut of boxes or storage containers beneath the surface of your mattress, you may want to reconsider where you store them. An excess of stuff under your bed could be inhibiting proper air flow under the bed and leading to increased heat in the mattress and ultimately causing the moisture from your body to linger and accumulate in the mattress and under the mattress.

If you have your mattress on a captain's bed or pedestal with drawers and clothes, you can remove some of the clothes or leave a drawer or two empty to increase the air flow under your bed. Some of those beds have plywood on the top surface where the mattress lays. This is not a good idea. Consider pulling up the plywood and replacing it was slats at your local hardware store. Some mattress stores, such as Nest Bedding, have slat systems available to replace the plywood.

If you do sleep hot, here are some tips to help you sleep cooler and cut down on some of the sweat your body produces:

• Sleep in lightweight, loosely-fitting, absorbent cotton pajamas.
• Sleep in organic cotton sheets with a light organic wool or cotton blanket instead of a heavy comforter.
• Keep a glass of ice water beside your bed, and take a drink if you start to feel yourself sweating at night.
• Set your thermostat to a cool temperature at night.
• Keep a fan running in your room.
• Consider switching to an organic mattress. Natural materials dry out and breath better than traditional poly foams and fabrics.