Allergy-Free Sleep in the Bedroom

By Dave Donovan

For years we’ve known how important sleep is to our health, but when you suffer from allergies, sleeping can be a frustrating and less-than-refreshing experience. From everyday dust to more serious problems like bed bugs, there are dozens of irritations that affect the quality and soundness of one’s sleep. Luckily, most of these issues can be eliminated or prevented by following a few easy steps.

Step 1: Check the Bedroom’s Humidity

Humid air is a breeding ground for mold spores and dust mites, so if your bedroom’s humidity level is greater than 50 percent, then you need to do something about it. Using the air conditioner or a dehumidifier throughout the summer months will remove a lot of the excess moisture from the air and help you sleep better at night because dust mites and mold spores won’t be as active in the low-humidity environment.

Step 2: Use Bed Bug-Proof Bedding Encasements

Bed bugs and mites can quickly grow from a pesky nuisance to an all-out infestation and this will wreck havoc on you if you're an allergy sufferer. In addition, you’ll also find yourself suffering multitudes of nightly bites which produce red, itchy welts. To reduce the chances of bed bugs and other critters from taking up residence in your bedroom, cover your mattress and boxspring in bed bug-proof encasements and make sure they are sealed completely. For even more protection, bug-proof encasements are also available for pillows, comforters and other bedding products.

Step 3: Install Vent Filters

Changing the filter in your furnace on a regular basis is an important step in keeping your bedroom allergen-free, but in some cases, this isn't enough. Individual filters are available that are designed for installation over each vent. By adding this additional layer of filtration, you’ll stop even more allergens from entering your living space.

Step 4: Wash Your Bedding Often

If you suffer from allergies, then you should wash your bedding in very hot water every 10 days. The water needs to be between 120 and 140 degrees to kill any mites and/or allergens. You can also purchase specially-made detergents designed to eliminate allergens regardless of the water temperature if you’re looking to save money on your hot water usage.

Step 5: Get Rid of the Bedroom Carpet

The bedroom’s wall-to-wall carpet provides great hiding places for mites, excess dust and bed bugs. Get rid of it and install hard surface flooring instead and you’ll breathe much easier. You can use some throw rugs to help soften up the space if you prefer, but if you do, treat the rugs with an anti-dust mite powder or spray.

Step 6: Vacuum the Bedroom Frequently

Having a hard surface floor in the bedroom will make it easier to clean and vacuum, so do this often to help prevent the formation of dust bunnies. If you don’t already own one, you should consider upgrading your vacuum to one that features a HEPA filtration system because it not only traps the allergens but also filters the air as it exits the vacuum.

Step 7: Get Rid of Plush Bedroom Furniture

Bed bugs and dust mites love hiding in the crevices of plush furniture, so don’t keep any cushioned loungers or other items of furniture in your bedroom. If you must have additional furniture in your bedroom besides your bed, choose only leather, vinyl, wood or rattan furniture because bed bugs cannot live on the surface of these materials.

Step 8: Remove Dust Catchers From the Room

Bedrooms surprisingly have dozens of items that can collect and trap dust, from fabric drapes to books to stuffed animals. Get rid of everything that collects dust so your bedroom will be easier to clean and less likely to house dust mites. Instead of drapes, use vinyl vertical blinds or shades, but be sure you dust or vacuum them often as they can also collect dust if not cleaned on a regular basis.

Step 9: Place a HEPA Air Cleaner in the Room

Placing a HEPA air cleaner in your room will help remove a great amount of dust and allergens from the air. Choose one that suits the size of your bedroom and run it according to the manufacturer’s directions. You should also clean the appliance’s filter as recommended by the manufacturer to get the best results.

Suffering from allergies will cause you to have to make several lifestyle changes if you want to keep your reactions to a minimum. Since we spend a third of our life in our bedroom, this is one of the most important areas you need to keep allergen-free. Following these steps will help reduce the levels of dust or allergens in your bedroom so you can sleep easier and more soundly every night.