On September 14, 2010 I will be turning 22, which will bring me to a total of 183,960 hours on this earth. Now it’s safe to assume that for the past 21 years of my life I have averaged about eight hours of sleep a night (based on the assumption that the twelve or more hours I was sleeping as a toddler have averaged out the three or less hours a night I was sleeping during my four year college career!). Now I am sure you’re wondering why I would be sharing with you the hour-by-hour breakdown of my unconscious life, but let me assure you I have a point.

About 1/3 of my life has been spent on a mattress and I cannot even begin to stress the importance of finding a crib mattress that is built with your baby’s wellbeing in mind. Imagine with me you just bought your first crib and you have researched and measured and researched some more to be sure that with your new crib you are creating the safest sleeping environment possible for your baby. Now it’s time to pick out a mattress, the sales woman (or man) leads you to a display where they show you what a great deal they have on mattresses. Now, to someone who is unfamiliar with the crib mattress industry, you’re hearing about a great mattress with 150 coils and waterproofing to keep accidents from soaking into your mattress; but to someone who has done their homework (or at least read this blog) you’re hearing about a 3 inch polyurethane foam core that has been sprayed with chemicals including phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony to keep their product up-to-date with fire retardant codes, and then sewn into a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cover which will slowly off-gas over the years, creating a thin layer of gas that will sit on top of your baby’s mattress. Now you’re realizing that right now saving a few dollars might sound good, but in the long run it will not be worth it. (Off gassing can cause serious health side effects for your child physically & neurologically. While some of these issues may arise during the use of your mattress. Most side effects will develop over a long term period due to the damage and weakening of your child’s immune system over the year.)

 About 50% of your baby’s first years will be spent sleeping, and it is important to know what is in their mattress. After many long hours of research and meeting with manufactures, GreenPea Baby has decided to carry two lines of mattresses that we have found to be proven safe for baby. My personal favorite, the Moonlight Slumber mattresses, are an all-foam or innerspring line of mattresses created with the same standards as a mattress you would find in a hospital. Its non-toxic, medical-grade, stretch knit fabric cover and medical grade all foam interior make it safe and easy to clean. Made in the USA, these products are treated with Ultra Fresh for antimicrobial protection and assembled with an eco-friendly water based adhesive with Green Guard certification, allowing this piece to be waterproof and hypoallergenic. (For more information on Ultra Fresh please visit WWW.Ultra-Fresh.com). In an effort to do away with the need for chemical fire retardants Moonlight Slumber has designed their mattresses with a fireproof barrier that has been proven completely safe and effective (fire safety standard 16 CFR part 1633 complaint). Their crib mattresses are built with squared edges creating a tighter fit and leaving less space between the crib and the mattress. Moonlight Slumber offers their mattresses with dual firmness allowing you to give your baby an extra firm sleep surface for the first year as opposed to the firm side which is recommended for toddlers. Built with dense foam side rails (meant to help keep your child centered on the mattress) the Starlight Support Standard by Moonlight Slumber is a great transitional mattress for baby from crib to a toddler bed. In the past few years infant related injuries and deaths have shown that the drop-side cribs are not safe and have been recalled off the market.  When it comes to changing sheets, this means that many cribs are harder to reach into making it harder to pull up the mattress. An all foam crib mattress is lighter weight and will be easier to take in and out of the crib.

 So… from our first days of life and all the way through it, sleep will be a major part of everyday. Shouldn’t our choice in mattresses reflect that? I think so!