TORONTO -- So who are you going to be cosying up in bed with tonight? Rest assured it'll be with more than your partner. You'd be surprised at just who else is sharing your bed - and actually eating your skin.
According to the experts, your mattress houses millions of dust mites, along with mounds of human skin cells, dust, dirt, debris, droppings and litres of sweat residue.
And that's not all - add to that dander, fur and leftovers.
Seems there's a lot more going on in our beds than just sleeping - and it's not what you think!
A new survey by the Better Sleep Council Canada (BSCC) reports that nearly half of Canadians admit to cuddling with their pets, and eating and drinking in bed. That means pet hair and dander, and spills and crumbs are all building up in your bed, particularly deep inside your mattress - "just what these little critters love," says Gary Baskerville, spokesman for the BSCC.
It's an ideal breeding ground: These ugly microscopic (invisible to the naked eye) creatures thrive in the millions in the warmth, humidity and endless food supplies provided by mattresses and bedding. And that's not all - in return they drop feces wherever they go, up to 100 fecal pellets a day! "You can only imagine the excrement left behind by hundreds of thousands of dust mites over the course of a year!''
And studies show the house dust mite feces is a major allergen trigger, making life miserable for many.
Adding to the mix, Baskerville says that studies show at least 15% of us fall asleep with our clothes on and a large percentage are not only snacking, but actually eating full meals in bed.
