The hidden chemicals that can disrupt your sleep—and harm your health

Most of us spend a third of our lives sleeping. And even though it might seem like wasted time, sleep can be surprisingly productive from a health perspective, fortifying your mind and body in countless ways.

“Think about sleep as an opportunity,” says Meredith McCormack, MD, MHS, a professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “You spend so many hours in bed, surrounded by products and materials, breathing in the air around you. If you can optimize that environment, you can give yourself a serious health advantage.”

An unhealthy environment and poor sleep can contribute to a range of health risks, meanwhile. These include heart disease, stroke, and weight gain. Everything from your bedding to your sleep accessories could contain potentially harmful chemicals, disrupting your sleep.

The good news: With knowledge and a few simple steps, you can improve your sleep space and ensure a better and healthier night’s slumber. Here’s how.

Clean up your nightstand

Many scented products on a typical nightstand—including candles, reed diffusers, essential oils, and scented eye masks—are designed to help promote sleep. But the truth is, most of these items contain chemicals that can disrupt sleep and hurt your health.

These products often have two labels, one on the front and one on the back. Don’t let promises made on the front labels—like “all natural,” “organic,” and “kid- and pet-safe”—deceive you. These labels aren’t regulated and can mean different things from one product to the next. Ingredient lists, located on the back labels, provide more accurate information.

Even then, ingredient lists often contain misleading terms like “fragrance” and “parfum” (a French word for fragrance). These catchall ingredients are especially common in household and personal care products and are designed to conceal the chemicals they contain.

“What’s misleading about ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’ ingredients is that they can refer to hundreds of different chemicals that companies do not have to disclose. And each of those chemicals may be associated with different health effects,” says Lesliam Quirós-Alcalá, PhD, MSc, an assistant professor in the department of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

For instance, many “fragrances” release gasses called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These typically show up in paints and varnishes but may also appear in a wide range of personal care products. Depending on the chemicals they contain, VOCs are linked to various health risks, including several types of cancer.

It's important to avoid “fragrance” or “parfum” in anything you buy, says Quirós-Alcalá. “And it’s not enough to opt for ‘unscented’ products,” she warns. “‘Unscented’ just means there’s no detectable scent. It doesn’t mean the product is chemical-free. In fact, the manufacturer may be using chemicals to mask odors, including odors from other chemicals.”

Your best bet for avoiding “fragrance” chemicals is to look for a product labeled “fragrance-free.” And be sure to read the entire ingredient list to make sure the front label is correct.

When researching products for your bedroom (or any room), these resources can help:

• The Safer Choice list from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes information across many product categories, including cleaning products.
• The Healthy Living app from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) allows you to type the product name into the search bar or use the barcode scanner to check the product’s safety. A green rating in the app or the EWG seal of approval indicates it’s a safer choice.

Pro tip: Candles can lend a cozy feel to the bedroom, but most of us should not be using them at all. Why? Most candles contain potentially harmful ingredients. And even truly “non-toxic” options still emit smoke and fine particles that reduce air quality. If you can’t resist that warm evening glow, follow these safer candle shopping tips. Of course, never leave a candle burning when you turn in for the night. It’s a serious fire hazard.

Know what’s in your mattress and bedding

“You are in direct contact with your bedding materials all night,” says Quirós-Alcalá. “These materials may include hazardous chemicals like phthalates and flame retardants.”

Phthalates are synthetic chemicals used to make products soft and flexible, like memory foam and plastic linings. Flame retardants are chemicals added to consumer products to keep fires from starting or spreading. Many of these chemicals are recognized or suspected endocrine disruptors, which means they may change how hormones work in the body. Hormone changes could potentially lead to serious health issues over time, including certain cancers.

Aside from these examples, thousands of unregulated chemicals are used in beds and bedding products. You can visit the EWG’s healthy mattress guide to help understand which materials to avoid. If you have a choice, aim for at least 95-percent organic cotton mattresses and 100-percent organic cotton bedding. Global Organic Textile Certification, which is the highest standard for non-toxic mattresses today, can offer peace of mind, as well.

Many people don’t have a choice, though. “Not everyone can afford to run out and buy mattresses or bedding products that are free of harmful chemicals,” says Quirós-Alcalá.

Even if you can only afford a new mattress cover or new linens for now (while saving up to buy a new mattress in a few years), it’s worth starting with these smaller steps. Once you know which materials to avoid, you can weigh that knowledge to make safer product choices. You can also advise friends and loved ones when they’re shopping for a new mattress.

Pro tip: Love a good bargain? If you shop for linens and mattress covers in discount stores, look for products in original packaging with materials labeled clearly so you can make informed decisions. If you’re considering used or secondhand mattresses or bedding materials, use caution. In addition to being illegal in certain states, buying used or secondhand beds or bedding makes it nearly impossible to verify materials. Used mattresses also pose a risk for bedbugs.

Shop smart for your child’s crib

Kids and babies are especially vulnerable to environmental health risks because:

• Their bodies are still developing, which makes their organs more susceptible to chemicals.
• They tend to spend more time sleeping than adults.
• Healthy sleep is essential to kids’ growth and development.
• Depending on their age, children may want to “gum” or chew on bedding materials, toys, and crib rails.

That means it’s especially important to make safer choices when it comes to children’s beds. In addition to opting for organic cotton beds and bedding, think about the objects in and around their sleep space.

What’s their crib made from? Does it have chipping paint that can come off in their hands or mouths? Are there lots of stuffed animals and plastic toys in or around the bed?

The safest materials for children’s products are often single ingredients, like untreated wood for cribs or 100-percent rubber or silicone for toys. While new or high-end cribs can be pricey, untreated wood options are common and available at various price points, including discount prices.

Pro tip: Wash kids’ sheets in laundry detergent from the EPA's Safer Choice list—or look for the EPA’s seal of approval.

Clear the air

It’s easy for pollutants from other rooms to blow into bedrooms.

“Think about the different sources of air pollution in your home,” says Dr. McCormack. “In the United States, we tend to have our biggest meals at night, for example, and cooking is a major source of indoor air pollution.” After cooking, smoke and gas particles can remain in the air and hover in the bedroom. Always use your kitchen exhaust fans and, if possible, keep bedroom doors closed while cooking.

“Smoke from cigarettes and vape pens is another example,” adds Quirós-Alcalá. “Vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking. And secondhand smoke of any kind contains hundreds of harmful chemicals that can easily make their way into the bedroom.” (Secondhand smoke refers to the smoke you might inhale that is produced by other people nearby who are smoking.)

Aim for an indoor smoke and vape ban, both in your car and at home. Encourage people who smoke or vape to immediately place their clothing in the washer upon entering the home. Why?

If smoking happens anywhere in the home, the chemicals will eventually penetrate the entire home. Plus, smoke residue that sticks to fabrics and furniture (known as thirdhand smoke) also poses a health threat to loved ones and pets. If you’re ready to quit smoking or vaping, there are people and resources that can help.

Pro tip: While it might seem like opening a window is the obvious way to let dirty air out, it may sometimes let dirty air in. This is particularly the case if you live near sources of pollution, like highways or factories, or if there are air quality issues in your area, such as from wildfires. Check the local air quality before welcoming in outdoor air. Open your phone’s weather app, visit AirNow.gov on your computer or via the AirNow app, or listen to local news.

No matter the source of indoor air pollution, most families would benefit from a portable air purifier. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are designed to capture airborne dust and smoke, which is one of the smallest particle sizes. If your filter can remove tobacco smoke, it can capture many other dangerous pollutants, too.

If you can’t afford a store-bought HEPA filter, you can make an air purifier at home using products available at most hardware stores. Follow these tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to build your own air purifier.

Consider dust and animal contaminants

In addition to the chemicals you may inadvertently introduce into your sleep environment through the products you purchase, some pollutants may drift—or crawl—into your space. These can hamper anyone’s sleep but may pose extra problems for people with allergies or asthma.

“When it comes to kids’ bedding and stuffies, we need to think about allergens,” says McCormack. Common allergens include pet hair and dander and dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic organisms that live in dust and are often found in fabrics.

Wash sheets and stuffies in hot water at least once a week to kill dust mites, says McCormack. “This is something that’s simple and feasible that anyone can do—and it makes a big difference.”

While it can be tough to say no to pets, McCormack recommends keeping them out of the bedroom to help create an “allergy-safe zone” in your home. That way, you can love your pet even if you have asthma or allergies.

Carpets and drapes are also major collectors of dust. Like stuffies and sheets, they should be washed weekly. Floors and surfaces should be wet-dusted or mopped weekly, as well. Most households would benefit from skipping fabric floor and window coverings altogether. To eliminate tripping hazards posed by area rugs, consider easy-to-clean 100-percent rubber or silicone floor mats. These can be mopped or thrown in the washing machine.

Finally, pests like roaches and mice can leave droppings in vents and on bedroom surfaces. Roaches and mice contain serious allergens on their own—and so do the pesticides typically used to remove them. If you need pest control, work with an integrated pest management company. These companies use safer practices and products. For example, they may focus on blocking openings where pests enter instead of broadly spraying pesticides throughout a space.

Lastly, bathrooms, which often connect to bedrooms, are prone to mold growth. Molds are a type of fungus that grow in warm and moist places. Breathing in mold can cause symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and rashes. For people with asthma and allergies, mold can cause serious and potentially life-threatening reactions like asthma attacks.

Pro tip: Sure to set up a regular cleaning schedule for your home, particularly if you have allergies or asthma.

Create a healthy sleep haven at any budget

Making changes like these may be deeply personal and expensive, acknowledges McCormack.

“Think of these practices as a spectrum,” she suggests. “Aim for little changes over time. If your cleaning products contain ‘fragrance,’ you could start by replacing one per pay cycle. If your child has a bunch of stuffies in their bed, maybe help them narrow down to a couple of favorites.”

Each step will add up. While it’s possible to design a healthy sleep haven at any budget, the key is to start where you are now. It doesn’t all have to happen overnight.

This article has been written in collaboration with the Center for Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Racism (CHARTER) at Emory University. CHARTER works to develop strategies to translate research findings on children’s environmental health for stakeholders in the community, academia, and health care with the goal of improving children’s health.

For expert tips on how to avoid other harmful chemicals in your home, read 3 cancer-causing chemicals that may be hiding in your home and The potentially cancer-causing chemicals that may be hiding in your beauty products. To learn about additional risk categories like nonstick pans, candles, and plastic baby teethers, visit our Shopping guide for safe, non-toxic gifts.