Toxic Sleep: The Silent Epidemic

SKIPTON, England, March 1, 2011 - Grotty old beds could be behind a growing epidemic of 'toxic sleep'.

A new Sleep Council survey* for National Bed Month (March) shows nearly
half of us are getting just six hours sleep or less a night. And an alarming
four out of five people complain of disturbed or inadequate - or 'toxic' -
sleep.

The solution could be shockingly simple. According to the Furniture
Industry Research Association (FIRA), a bed may have deteriorated by as much
as 70% from its 'as new' state after 10 years.

"People simply do not seem to make the connection between lack of sleep
and the state of their bed," said Professor Chris Idzikowski of the Sleep
Assessment and Advisory Service and Edinburgh Sleep Centre. "It is surprising
to find that 67% of the sample were waking up with neck or back pain and not
connecting their poor sleep with their, presumably old, bed."

"An even higher proportion are reporting disturbed, interrupted or 'toxic
sleep' - that is, sleep that leaves you still feeling tired in the morning."

Said Jessica Alexander of The Sleep Council: "Our survey also found more
than a quarter of us would be embarrassed for other people to see the state
of their mattress and one in six couples experience roll-together which is
caused by a dip in the bed. These are classic symptoms of worn out beds."

These and other symptoms of wear and tear are confirmed in the
just-published results of a scientific 'autopsy' undertaken by FIRA for The
Sleep Council. The autopsy demonstrated that beds as little as six years old
could offer significantly less support and comfort than a new one.

Significant signs of deterioration included height loss, compressed and
rusting springs, compacted fillings, split seams, frayed edging, musty
smelling fillings, indentations, severe discolouration and baggy covers.

The mattresses were also tested for dust mite allergen. According to the
Medical Entomology Centre, Cambridge, around one in five aged mattresses can
contain between two and 10mcg/g and one in 20 above 10mcg/g - just two mcg/g
can cause hypersensitivity in asthma sufferers, while ten mcg/g can pose a
serious health risk.

* Research for the survey was conducted online by Pollab Ltd between
January 26 - 27 2011. 1,030 UK adults (aged 16+) were questioned, the sample
being broadly representative of the UK population and demographically broken
down by age, gender, region and marital status.

The Sleep Council is a generic body that aims to:

    - Raise awareness of the importance of a good night's sleep to health and
      wellbeing.
    - Provide helpful advice and tips on how to improve sleep quality.
    - Provide helpful advice on choosing the right bed for optimum sleeping
      comfort.

The Sleep Council is funded by the National Bed Federation, the trade
association for British bed manufacturers.

www.sleepcouncil.com

The Sleep Council, High Corn Mill, Chapel Hill, Skipton, BD23 1NL Tel: +44(0)845-058-4595
; Press Contact: for further information please call Rory ffoulkes at The Sleep Council, tel: +44(0)845-058-4595 email: rory at sleepcouncil.com