Tatami Sleeping from Q Bedding - Product Review

Beautiful Tatami style mat and pillow cases from QBedding

Keeping Cool and Sleeping Soundly Toxin Free

During our last 86F degree freak heatwave in the middle of April, I was tossing and turning struggling to sleep. It was too darn hot and my bedding, consisting of a flannel sheet and comforter had me sweating. I live on the top floor of a house where the sun beats down upon the roof. We had no time to place an air conditioner in the window and  with the weather's pendulum swinging from extreme hot to frigid within days and often within hours  I wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble. I was caught off guard so it was with relief that I received the Full Size version of the tatami style bedding from the QBedding company days later. I was told it would keep me cool and I was eager to try it out.

Acorus gramineus or Rush Grass

 

Soothing Aroma Beautiful Design

After wresting the package open I was struck by the green aroma emerging. The grass like smell of the mat was strong yet soothing and somehow reminiscent of green tea. Another surprise was the beauty of the mat and the pillow covers. A lovely detail of a green maple leaf pattern was sewn on the mat. The pillow cases were trimmed with a mint green silk like fabric. Laying the tatami on top of my Italian style day bed I lay down to sleep. I found the bed to be remarkably cooling and went to sleep easily.  I found myself asking why a Chinese owned bedding company was producing a product so strongly associated with Japan. The answer may be found in the year 712 AD in the book "Record of Ancient Matters"  which makes mention of tatami. The Empress Gemmei reigned in Nara, the capital of Japan during the years 710 to 794 AD. The city, modeled after the Chinese Chang'an the capital of Tang Dynasty borrowed heavily from the culture and customs from the continent. The Japanese upper classes adopted the fashions, writing style and Buddhist religion of the Chinese ruling class of the day. Nara was a largely agrarian based economy and someone somehow figured out the multiple benefits of using green rush grasses for bedding and insulation. For those millions of us who are dismayed with the idea of sleeping on toxic petroleum mattresses, consider the health benefits of tatami bedding;
1. Flame resistant  - A traditional tatami mat is hard to catch on fire. In Japan where earthquakes and fires are frequent this is a plus. In the West, it provides an option to the toxic bedding we sleep on aside from eliminating concern of ones bedding catching on fire spontaneously due to the combustive nature of commercial mattresses made out of solidified gasoline.
2. Cooling in the Summer  - With adequate circulation you may not need to crank up that air conditioner this summer to stay cool while sleeping. Tatami is made out of rush grasses that naturally breathe. I did find the temperature of my bedding cooler.
3. Hygroscopic - Tatami absorbs humidity so kiss those night sweats goodbye. An average size mat can absorb up to 500 cc of water effectively acting the way wicking does in clothing.
4. Air purifier - The material of the tatami has the ability to absorb nitrogen dioxide in the environment. If you live in a heavily polluted city or like me next to an expressway where car exhaust is spewed into the atmosphere 24/7 you'll breathe easier. One can only imagine how this natural technology would benefit asthma sufferers.
5. Anti - Bacterial - Tatami mats are purported to be anti bacterial in nature. It is said that they help keep E Coli at bay. Sounds like a perfect indoor playing field for your toddler.
6. Sound Proof - Tatami absorbs sound so placing it on the floor helps keep noise down to a quiet roar.
QBedding tatami style bedding also comes in queen size. The items are sold in combination or separately. Visit QBedding