Our futon goes beyond organics by incorporating a unique combination of natural materials which optimize the body's regenerative energy during rest and sleep. We have considered these factors:
1--Quantum Calming from harmful Electromagnetic Fields and Cell Phone Radiation, grounding the body with an Infrared Field.
Years of Sleep Science Research have gone into this design. For complete report click here:
* Available with unique Quantum Field Calming technology.
* Many customers report this futon has significantly improved their quality of sleep. Scroll down for testimonials.
* Ultimate ventilation and temperature regulation--far beyond that of cotton batting or latex.
* Compact, sleek, minimalist, clutter clearing friendly.
* Customer feedback confirms this design makes the ultimate sleeping surface, combining the best qualities of each material for a synergy no other bed can offer.
* An affordable and comfortable answer to an organic bed.
* Kapok and wool are breathable, allowing ample air circulation. This regulates body temperature and enhances a more restful sleep.
* Flame Retardant Chemicals (PBDE's) leach out of furniture into house dust and we breath these in. Watch this video explaining the dangers.
* Kapok futons can be folded in half and put in a corner or closet during the day to increase the useable space in your house. Folded dimensions are 30" x 40" x 12" .
* Japanese Futons are designed to fit on a tatami mat, which is for only one person to sleep. However two futons placed side-by-side covered with a mattress pad or a simple blanket to hide the crack makes a Queen. This is a traditional custom in Japan.
* A fitted sheet or a flat folded sheet can hold the two mats together. This unites the two sections and has the advantage of being easy to move and put away. Also, this concept has become popular simply because each side can be adjusted to individual comfort. For a softer effect, put a mattress pad on one side.
* The 'futons' you see in stores are Americanized, hardly adhering to the function of the original item. They are more of a mattress than a futon.
* Kapok does not compress over time like cotton batting.
* Cotton batting absorbs moisture and becomes a breeding ground for mold, making it inferior for bedding
* Many health care experts recommend a firm bed for a healthy back. Dr. Nishi, a former Japanese pioneer in the health benefits of sleeping on a firm surface, believed this type of bed alleviates many health problems, especially related to circulation and back issues.
*When your futon first arrives it may be very thick and soft--about 8 inches thick. Usually within a week or two, depending on the weight of the people sleeping on it, it will settle down to about 4 inches thick. You will need to fluff and shape it once a day until it reaches its final break-in point.
*The wool barrier cloth wicks moisture and keeps the kapok with an even density and slightly fluffy. This is also what makes the futon fire resistant.
I love that I can fluff/redistribute the kapok as needed. I could never do that when my last mattress started to dip. My husband had been sleeping on the floor for a year before we bought the futons. We are now, happily sleeping together.
--Ebonie Moore, Chicago, IL
I can't imagine sleeping on anything else. I think it has to do with the natural materials and how they relate to my body. I love this bed so much!
Timothy Redmond, Charlotte, NC
You're products made it possible for my wife and I to move to a small apartment in style. Never slept so good in years--even on an expensive bed. You have obviously put much talent and time into developing deceptively simple concepts that allowed us to walk in and buy off the shelf all that we needed to downscale, simplify, and green our abode. Moving was a breeze! Thank you so much!
Jon Towers, Boone, NC
I had been plagued for many years with constant low-back pain. I take care of myself and try to stay healthy, so this constant pain was getting in my way. Every now and again, I would even get sciatica pains to add to it. It came time to get a new mattress, and I decided to do some research. I was thinking about a futon...and I started reading about Japanese-style. Long story short, I decided to get one from Carolina Morning, and I am so glad that I did. It has been the most comfortable sleep I have ever had. I no longer have chronic low-back pain...and that is just from changing over to sleeping on this mat on the floor! I have not been to a chiropractor or anyone else, the result came strictly from sleeping on this futon. I have been telling people about it ever since! :) Thank you!
Heather Hollywood, PA
About Breathability--the ability to allow air to circulate, transport moisture, and stay dry.
We create a warm, humid sleep environment each night by climbing into bed and falling asleep. That's because we generate body heat and perspiration. In fact, we all perspire (and respire) about a cup each night. Our mattress is exposed to this heat and moisture. It must manage these conditions efficiently to provide comfortable, restorative sleep and mattress longevity. When moisture in a mattress is trapped and allowed to build up, our body temperature rises, we continue to sweat, our heart rate and blood pressure rise, our breathing is irregular, and we often wake up. Our sleep is disturbed. We're uncomfortable. And rather than being refreshed and restored, our sleep has given our body a workout.
Trapped moisture also facilitates the growth of natural allergens such as molds, mildew, and dust mites. A mattress construction that promotes air flow and allows perspiration to evaporate helps our bodies cool themselves effectively and maintain a comfortable body temperature.
And because the mattress is drier, the presence of allergens is reduced, which has a positive impact on nighttime breathing. A breathable mattress does more than create a healthy, comfortable sleep environment. It also helps mitigate wear due to heat and moisture, both of which lead to material degradation and premature wear. Many conventional mattresses are topped with polyester and polyurethane foam or memory foam, which are especially vulnerable to environmental stress. Under the weight, heat, and humidity of your body, this non-breathable fabric and cushioning all too often compress prematurely creating uncomfortable, unsupportive body imprints and sag.
Here is an excerpt from www.aboutjapan.com
Although many Japanese sleep in beds in these days, it is still common to sleep on a futon mattress spread on the floor. Westerners call the small couch which turns into a bed a futon, but that is very different from the traditional Japanese futon. A traditional Japanese futon set includes shikibuton (under futon), kakebuton (comforters), and makura (pillow).
Shikibuton is usually stuffed with cotton batting and is wrapped in shikifu (sheets). Japanese uses different types of futon, depending on the season, such as light ones in summer and heavy ones in winter. Futon made from down feathers is light and comfortable but is most expensive. Kakebuton is covered by kakebuton cover. The traditional Japanese pillow (makura) is filled with red beans or buckwheat chaff.
Futon is usually put away during the day in the closet called oshiire. The oshiire closet has sliding doors and usually divided into two shelves. It is best to keep the futon on the upper shelf. Japanese houses are usually small and do not have many rooms, so a room is used for dual purposes. During the day, a room can be used as workroom or guest-room after futon is stored in the oshiire. It is very convenient.
It is important to sometimes dry futon under direct sunshine. You may ruin your futon if you keep them in the closet or spread on the floor all the time. Remember that Japan is very humid especially in rainy season. There is a product called futon kansouki (futon dryer) in Japan. Just place the dryer between kakebuton and shikibuton while it is spread on the floor. Airing your futon really helps you sleep well.
Also, it is commonly said that sleeping on futon is better for the back than sleeping on a soft bed. The hardness of the floor seems to be good for people who have back problems.
Modern Bedding: A Toxic Nightmare
Flame retardant chemicals are in almost everything: Not only in our TV's, clothing, furniture, carpets and electronic equipment; they are also in our air, water, food and our own bodies. Their levels are especially high in our babies and children, because children eat, drink and breathe more than adults. These chemicals disrupt our thyroid function, immune systems, brain development and can possibly cause cancers. Human blood and tissue levels of these toxins have been doubling every two and a half years in the USA.
What are these chemicals and what can you do to protect yourself and your family from their effects?The manufacturers aren't required to put the fire retardant chemicals on the label. The most commonly used chemicals, and their health hazards are:
* Boric acid - Inhaling the dust can cause headaches, coughing, dizziness or difficulty breathing. Prolong contact may cause skin sensitization.
* PBDE's - are prohibited in the European Union after high levels were found in breast milk. California has decided to phase out the use of two of these, penta and octa PBDE by 2008. PBDEs accumulate in the body tissues and cause thyroid hormone disruption, permanent learning and memory impairment, decreased sperm count, fetal malformations, behavioral changes, hearing deficiencies and possibly cancer. U.S. women have levels in their body tissues 50 times more than European women. (For more eye-opening information, click on the link at the end of this report to "Our Stolen Future" Website containing results of a study of PBDEs).
* Formaldehyde - the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission states in a report on urethane insulation, "Many health complaints, including irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin, headaches and shortness of breath, have been reported to CPSC over the last several years by consumers who have had UFFI in their homes. Less frequently reported symptoms include chest pain, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. Studies have shown that formaldehyde in liquid solution (and possibly formaldehyde gas) can, through repeated exposure, cause sensitization in certain individuals. When exposed to formaldehyde gas, sensitized individuals may exhibit allergic dermatitis or mild-to-severe asthmatic reactions." This was talking about formaldehyde outgassing from insulation. The same effects would occur from exposure to formaldehyde outgassing while you are sleeping in your bed. CPSC considers formaldehyde to be a potential human carcinogen.
* Decabromodipheyl Oxide - is a developmental toxicant. Exposing mothers to it during pregnancy can cause the death of or disrupt the development of the fetus. It causes birth defects and low birth weight. Behavioral or psychological problems can appear as the child grows.
* Melamine - is a reproductive toxicant, which can cause premature menopause, decreases in male and female fertility, onset of puberty, and changes in menstruation, gestation time, and lactation. It is a development toxicant with all of the hazards of Decabromodiphyl Oxide mentioned above. It is a cardiovascular and blood toxicant. This affects the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen, white blood cells to fight disease, abnormal heartbeat, decreased blood flow, and elevated blood pressure.
* Antimony - The Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage says of antimony," Antimony compounds show toxic properties similar to those of arsenic. This depends on how much antimony a person has been exposed to, for how long, and current state of health. Exposure to high levels of antimony can result in a variety of adverse health effects. Breathing high levels for a long time can irritate eyes and lungs and can cause heart and lung problems, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers. Ingesting large doses of antimony can cause vomiting. When eaten by mold or mildew, antimony releases a poisonous gas called stibine. This gas has caused epidemics of deaths in the past.
These are a few of the chemicals used as fire retardants. Polyols, toluene diisocyante, amines, siloxanes, styrene, limonene, benzene and many others are also used. If you find any chemicals listed on your mattress label, you can search the web for more information. Write the chemical in the search box adding a comma, then write "health hazard." But you can't trust the label, because by law therre is no requirement to list any or all of the ingredients.
Respiratory Toxicity of Mattress Emissions in Mice
SOURCE: Archives of Environmental Health, 55(1):38-43, 2000
"Groups of male Swiss-Webster mice breathed emissions of several brands of crib mattresses for two 1-hr periods. The authors used a computerized version of ASTM-E-981 test method to monitor respiratory frequncy, pattern, and airflow velocity and to diagnose abnormalities when statistically significant changes appeared. The emissions of four mattresses caused various combinations of upper-airways irritation (i.e., sensory irritation, lower-airways irritation (pulmonary irritation), and decreases in mid-expiratory airflow velocity. At the peak effect, a traditional mattress (wire springs with fiber padding) caused sensory irritation in 57% of breaths, pulmonary irritation in 23% of breaths, and airflow decrease in 11% of breaths. All mattresses caused pulmonary irritation, as shown by 17-23% of breaths at peak. The largest airflow decrease (i.e., affecting 26% of the breaths occurred with a polyurethane foam pad covered with vinyl. Sham exposures produced less than 6% sensory irritation, pulmonary irritation, or airflow limitation. Organic cotton padding caused very different effects, evidenced by increases in both respiratory rate and tidal volume. The authors used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify respiratory irritants (e.g. styrene, isopropylbenzene, limonene) in the emissions of one of the polyurethane foam mattresses. Some mattresses emitted mixtures of volatile chemicals that had the potential to cause respiratory-tract irritation and decrease airflow velocity in mice.
Side sleeping on a firm surface is comfortable using the technique shown--hips slightly rotated forward, head supported by firm pillow to expand shoulders.
Half Queen (30"x80"x4") $350
Due to Federal Health and Safety Regulations, bedding products including futons, pillows, blankets, and Quantum Calming Mats™ are not returnable.
REMOVABLE COVERS AVAILABLE
This is a 1/2 Queen futon dimensions 30" x 80"x4". The frame consists of two Eco Squares™ each measuring 30"x40"x16". You can order an optional removable cover to go with your organic kapok/wool futon
Four modular Eco Squares™ combine to create a Queen sized bedframe. These are easy to move if needed yet attach securely together. The slatted frame allows ample air circulation for restful sleep and prevents condensation on the futon.