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Flame Retardants: Friends or Foes?

Sep 21 2018

Once upon a time, furniture and textiles were made using natural materials. Couches, mattresses, rugs, curtains—they all consisted of materials found in nature. “When you walked into a house back then, almost everything was natural,” says Barry Cik, environmental engineer and co-founder of Naturepedic. “But now? Nothing is natural.” What changed? Where did we go wrong? Why did companies stop using natural materials? If you’re into pointing fingers or placing blame, you can (fairly) point towards petroleum and money. “Companies started adding petroleum to almost everything. Natural fibers aren’t nearly as flammable, but petroleum is much cheaper.” Check out this video to see the difference between a modern home fire with petroleum-based furnishings and a legacy home fire with more natural furnishings: Petroleum can be found in TV cabinets, plastic wood, detergents, paint, toilet seats, furniture, etc. (Click here for a list of more petroleum-based products that may shock you.) Because it is common in so many products, America saw[…]

The Benefits of Making Your Bed | Naturepedic Blog

Sep 07 2018

Growing up, many of us had “make the bed” as the first item on our chore list, and many of us resented it. You were just going to get back in it at the end of the day, why did it matter? Who was even going to see your room? Turns out that your parents weren’t just trying to torture you first thing in the morning by making you do work. Fostering this habit was meant to help you develop healthy habits in the long-term. But how does neatly tucking in your sheets make a positive impact on your day, and why should you continue completing this morning chore every day? 1. It Encourages Better Decisions All Day Long Some refer to making the bed as the easiest success-driven decision you can make. Making the bed sets you up to make better choices throughout the course of the day. Whether it’s being productive at work, being more motivated to hit[…]

Stay Informed: The Accurate Labeling Act | Naturepedic Blog

Sep 05 2018

We understand our consumers. Most of the people who love the Naturepedic brand are health-conscious and appreciate transparency, especially when it comes to making purchases. When we find information that could help our friends make the best possible decisions for their own families, we feel that it is our responsibility to share that information. It has been brought to our attention that a new bill will soon be voted on—The Accurate Labels Act (H.R. 6022.) The Accurate Labels Act is introduced and sponsored by Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R) – Ill. The Overview of the proposed bill states: To amend the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act to require that Federal and State mandated information declarations and labeling requirements applicable to the chemical composition of, and radiation emitted by, consumer products meet minimum scientific standards to deliver accurate and clear information, and for other purposes. At a time when consumers are demanding more transparency when it comes to products they use in[…]

What Is Organic Latex? | Naturepedic Blog

Aug 28 2018

Material Break-Down: Organic Latex When you hear the word latex, the last thing that probably comes to mind is “natural” or “organic.” In fact, the material is typically associated with synthetics and chemicals. But did you know that latex is originally sourced straight from nature? Latex is a great material to include in a mattress because of its ability to relieve pressure points. As a company that prides itself on using all certified organic materials in its mattresses, we had to find a way to still bring pressure point relief to our customers while maintaining our use of organic materials. So what actually is certified organic latex and what are the benefits? What is Organic Latex? Latex begins from the milk of a rubber tree. This process is very similar to maple tapping. While organic latex starts from the rubber tree milk, synthetic latex does not. It is then brought to the factory and is processed to fit the organic[…]

Aug 23 2018

Adequate sleep can be a struggle to achieve for most of us, especially the third of Americans with at least one insomnia symptom a night and the 10 percent of people with chronic insomnia (National Sleep Foundation). Since sleep is so integral to the health of our minds, constantly having unsatisfactory sleep is a serious issue, one that many have trouble managing. While you should always visit your doctor to properly address your medical issues, we suggest a three-step process to couple with your doctor’s advice to help you fall back to sleep after a bout of insomnia. Step 1.) Start with guided visualization Instead of lying in bed thinking of how you are waking in the middle of the night, use your mind to transport yourself somewhere that will lull you back to sleep. Through guided visualization you can imagine yourself in a place that relaxes and soothes you. Whether it’s a beach, your childhood home or a park,[…]

Aug 21 2018

It’s that time of year when Monday through Friday you and your children will have to quickly become accustomed to early alarms. That’s right, it’s time for school! Don’t expect anyone, especially your kids, to all of the sudden be jumping out of bed as soon as the alarm rings. Long summer nights and a more relaxed routine make settling back into an earlier school bedtime harder for your whole family. To help make this transition easier, we suggest a few tips. 1.) Limit TV Time Before Bed During the summer, most parents become pretty lax about bedtimes, nighttime routines, etc. There’s no problem with having a bit of fun and bending the rules, especially when school’s out, but it will have an effect on your kids’ sleep schedule. Sleep will play a large role in your child’s success at school, so even if you let them watch tv late at night during the summer, you should now try to[…]

Aug 14 2018

The older we get, the more we appreciate a nap. Unfortunately, we are often told a lot of things about napping, many negative, that dissuade us from taking an afternoon snooze. Before you try to power through and skip that day date with your pillow, we debunk some of the most common napping myths. Happy napping! 1.) Napping Will Make You More Tired That groggy post-nap feeling may happen, but it doesn’t always have to if you nap “the right way.” Experts suggest sleeping no longer than 30 minutes because after a half hour you will fall into deep sleep which can be very hard to wake from. A 20 to 30 minute nap, however, will leave you refreshed and ready to go. 2.) Napping Will Affect Your Sleep at Night A huge misconception about napping is that taking one during the day will have a negative effect on your sleep at night. In reality, naps should do nothing to[…]

Aug 07 2018

By Lisa Janvrin, YouthfulNest Ahhh, summer time. Kids are home from school and living the dream of long summer days and nights. Maybe you have gotten your kids on a nice summer schedule during the day, but if you are like many parents the nighttime routine can be a bit of a challenge. For those like myself always looking for ways to encourage better sleep and improve the sleeping environment for their child, I have eight tips for summerizing your kid’s room. Each one addresses a unique touch point in the bedroom and if used in combination with each other should have your child falling asleep sooner, sleep easier and staying asleep longer. Lights Out How many times have I heard frustrated mom-friends curse the long summer days that make bedtime a virtual nightmare. With kids asking night after night why they have to go to bed so early and why can’t they keep playing since it isn’t even dark[…]

Special Delivery: Healthy Food Delivery Services That Can Change Your Life

Jul 24 2018

Remember how much fun it was to be a teenager and eat a large order of fries and chug a milkshake and still be able to fit into skinny jeans because our metabolisms were living up to their full potentials? There are dozens of reasons to avoid making changes. “I don’t have the time.” “Money is tight.” “I’m not home enough.” As valid as our reasons may be, it’s important to remember that if we don’t prioritize our health, the rest doesn’t really matter. We have to be good to ourselves before you can be good for anyone else. We want to stick around for the long haul. We want to be active. We want to make better choices and take better care of ourselves. So where do we begin? We know it can be difficult to commit to the healthy lifestyle. It requires research, meal prep, fitness, and possible budget adjustments. Figuring out how to start your new journey[…]

The Three-Day Grace Period: An Essential Tip to Begin Breastfeeding

Jul 18 2018

The three day grace period refers to a remarkable system designed to guarantee your newborn has all the food and water he or she will need in the first three days of life, even though there is nothing really to eat or drink for those first three days. Three facts define what we call the three day grace period: 1. There is no breast milk for the first three days of life. 2. Every healthy baby born has three days worth of food and water in their body at birth. 3. Every healthy baby born loses about 10% of their birth weight in the first three days of life as they consume their extra food and water. Each of these facts are truly remarkable. It is odd, but very true, that nearly every mother has to wait 3 days for breast milk to appear. There is colostrum, but this is simply the bit of mucus in the breast ducts present[…]

Naturepedic Blog

Naturepedic Blog

Flame Retardants: Friends or Foes?

The Benefits of Making Your Bed

Stay Informed: The Accurate Labeling Act

What Is Organic Latex?

How to Fall Asleep After Insomnia Hits

Back to School Sleep Schedule Tips

The Myths of Napping

8 Tips for Better Summer Sleep for Kids

Special Delivery: Organic Food Delivery Services

The Three-Day Grace Period: An Essential Tip to Begin Breastfeeding