We’re loving our new all-natural Talalay 10000 from Sleep EZ, but while changing the layers around, we notice a tremendous amount of static electricity. It’s pretty severe such that when re-configuring the bed, my partner and I often get 5-6 big shocks (you can literally hear the cracking as we move the latex around).
A search of this site and others seemed to indicate a few other customers with a similar problem, but it doesn’t appear to be too pervasive with latex mattresses.
I wonder:
Has anyone else noticed this issue?
Any ideas on what might be causing it? I know winter months are drier, but we’re using a humidifier constantly in our bedroom.
Any suggestions on how to both decharge and keep the static electricity from building once again?
It usually happens in lower humidity environments or with carpeted floors. It doesn’t happen when you sleep on the covered mattress but it may help to touch something metal to discharge yourself before handling the latex if static is an issue.
As soon as we starting using our latex mattress (in Asheville in October), I noticed more frequent flashes of light (static electricity) than I have ever seen in spring mattresses or futons. This is WITH the wool/cotton cover on. Since I am concerned about grounding (aka earthing), I wonder if latex exacerbates this issue. After all, “dry human hair, dry human skin… all shed electrons easily.[8] Additionally…copper, and hard rubber all gather loose electrons easily.[9]… most people know that rubbing a balloon against your hair will create static. Notice that dry human hair comes from the first category and that rubber—which is the actual material from which latex balloons are made—is in the second category.” (3 Ways to Make Static Electricity - wikiHow)
Granted, your skin isn’t rubbing the rubber directly. Also, I am not noticing the flashing now, a month later, even though we are moving into winter. Maybe the static electricity built up when setting up the mattress in the first place. I still think that if rubber is insulative, it would impede grounding.
If this is indeed an issue, I’m surprised not to be finding it addressed online. Our mattress is from Plushbeds, but I imagine this issue would be common to all latex. My partner and I are planning to switch to a non-latex mattress anyway because we find the latex too hot, but I thought I’d share this and see if anyone knows more about it.
You will normally find that any issues with static electricity would be from handling the latex and once a mattress is put together and covered and you are sleeping on it then it’s no longer an issue.
If you are using a grounding sheet then the latex would be underneath the sheet and I don’t think it would have an effect on the effectiveness of the grounding but I wouldn’t consider myself to be an expert on earthing (even though I do have the earthing book and am an advocate of earthing).
Latex in general is also the most breathable and “temperature neutral” of all the different types of foam materials but the firmness of a mattress and how much you sink into it can also affect sleeping temperature as well. While it’s also not always possible to to track down temperature regulation issues for any particular person on a specific mattress because there are so many variables involved (including your room temperature and humidity, your sheets and bedding and bedclothes, your mattress protector or any mattress pads you are using, and where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range) and some people can sleep warmer on mattresses that most people are generally fine with … there is more about tracking down a potential cause or causes for temperature regulation issues (at least to the degree possible for a specific mattress) in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may be helpful.
I have a Talalay 3" mattress topper on a metal adjustable base bed. Like others, I definitely get shocked anytime I move the topper around, and not just once, but each time I connect or disconnect my hand(s) from it while handling it!
I also get shocked: every time I change the sheets (more than one discharge too) AND worse, every single time I get out of bed! It’s ridiculous. These are large shocks that actually hurt. When I removed the topper, the shocks went away.
I’m desperately looking for an anti-static mattress cover, or perhaps a grounding pad right next to the bed, if I can’t put a grounding mat in between the mattress & topper itself.
I live in southern California, have wood laminate flooring throughout the whole apartment (not a single bit of carpet) and I haven’t adjusted the base for months. I have a mattress cover on top of the latex topper currently (doesn’t help).
The issue you are having is somewhat unusual in its degree but it’s possible that your sheets or bedding or bedclothes could be playing a role because many synthetic fabrics can also have issues with static electricity (much more than natural fibers). A room humidifier may also be very helpful (dry air is more insulating than humid air). It may also be helpful to have something metal near your bed that you can touch or touch your metal bedframe before you get off the bed and then get off the bed while you are still touching it so that the charge dissipates through the metal without “zapping” you. You can also touch a conductor before making the bed or hold a metal object and touch the sheets first so that any electrical charge is discharged through the metal object (and not through your skin). There are some other suggestions here that may also be helpful.
Hopefully some of the forum members here that have also experienced more severe static electricity issues will see your post and also have some suggestions that have helped them as well.
The static around my foam mattress is so bad that it blacked out my television anytime you get near the bed in the room. There’s no way to move the TV more than 8 feet away from the bed which is where it is. And anytime I move my sheet or blanket either one the TV blacks out.
I have used static guard. I have used humidifiers. I have used a ton of things only to have the same problem. I am so frayed that I’m going to blow my TV completely. I don’t know what to do.
I sincerely hope somebody out there has a suggestion
My sheets are 100% cotton. My blanket is 100% cotton. Even when I have left the blanket and the sheets off the bed and just walk into the room near the bed the charge is so gray to black TV out now I never actually feel a poke although you can say some pretty magnificent flashes in between.
I’m sorry you are having some static electricity issues in your bedroom. There are some suggestions here which I’ve previously listed and the other articles that are linked to in those suggestions that may be helpful. Usually a static charge develops from handling the foam within your mattress directly, and then over time that dissipates and the charges balance. In a case like this where it is causing you so many issues, it may be worth having a qualified electrician visit your home and measure to see if there are polarity issues with your wiring, leakage from your television or something else pertaining to your linens/clothing, as you generally aren’t in direct contact with the foam within your mattress to transfer electrons to create an imbalance.
grounding techniquesBesides the humidity and I’ve spoken about previously in this thread, as I’m not an expert in this subject matter my best advice would again be to bring in a qualified expert. There simply are too many variables involved, including the television and the charge we personally can bring into a room, for me to make any sort of an educated analysis for you.
If you do end up bringing an electrician into your home, I certainly would be interested in learning about anything they recommended.
I have heard this issue several times on different blogs and forums but didn’t found any detailed answers so I am deciding to compile a detailed post about this shock issue on my blog Sleepy Foams. I started research on it soon will publish it and let you know.
I’m experiencing the same & am concerned a bit. I have a 8" full latex mattress. I noticed the issue initially when I got into bed in the dark with my socks on. When I moved my feet across the bed, I actually saw blue sparks over and over on my socks! Additionally, something that really caught me off guard is that I usually get into bed with my phone + earphones on, while watching something. Well! – the moment I put my phone down onto the bed, my earphones started to fuzz and break up, and shocked my ears! There’s enough static to make my arm hairs move as I run my arm overhead. I found this dated post elsewhere that freaked me out:
My bed is up against an outlet, even though the frame is fabric covered. Certainly, I don’t want to be electrocuted . . .
This tends to be something that is temporary and happens more often when the product is new (or moved) and in a dry environment, and dissipates over time as the charges balance. I’ve addressed the reasons for this in the previous posts in this thread, and you may wish to look at post #6 here and post #9 here for some good explanations of what is actually happening.
Please Help. I need an affordable antistatic mattress cover. My mattress which I believe to be latex, is a generator. Will a cover fix and/or is there such thing as an antistatic cover? Don’t tell me it isn’t a big deal, that’s my business.
In my experience of several months with both a Plushbeds latex mattress and a Tuft & Needle mattress, I experience considerable static electricity (as evidenced not by shock but by flashes of light), any time of year, and the problem does NOT go away. I don’t think it’s healthy and I’ve been meaning to buy a grounding pad to use as a mattress cover.
I’ve never experienced this problem myself but apparently you’re not alone. If you do a quick Google search for “grounded mattress pad” several products to address this issue are available. Hope this helps!
All,
Since my last post in this thread (when I 1st got my mattress), I’ve noticed a substantial reduction in static, almost to none – in fact, I’m not getting shocked anymore. I personally would not be comfortable sleeping on anything electrified (grounding pad), no matter how “safe” it is. What I’d recommend 1st is using non-synthetic cotton sheets/layers, and then to run a humidifier in your room in the dry months. Get a hygrometer, read up on relative humidity, and humidify. Even when it’s humid out in the colder months, that air becomes dry once it’s brought inside & heated. What I currently have is: a mattress encasement, a 100% wool pad topper sewn into a cotton case, flat sheet, and then a top sheet (under which I sleep).
I’m playing around with natural latex component samples and notice a ton more static when using a thin synthetic-blend four-way stretch cover than a traditional wool-to-cotton cover.
If you get a mattress with a thin partly synthetic cover, do you get more shocks when using it?
In your case, it looks like it is most certainly the combination of the raw latex samples and also the synthetic stretch cover. The majority of latex and latex hybrid mattresses are sold with a polyester/cotton blend. So this static issue is not a major problem with finished mattresses, albeit when they are new it can occur more often. I am sure you have read all the post on this but I am copying some of my other posts in this answer:
There are some suggestions here which I’ve previously listed and the other articles that are linked to in those suggestions that may be helpful. Usually, a static charge develops from handling the foam within your mattress directly, and then over time that dissipates and the charges balance. In a case like this where it is causing you so many issues, it may be worth having a qualified electrician visit your home and measure to see if there are polarity issues with your wiring, leakage from your television or something else pertaining to your linens/clothing, as you generally aren’t in direct contact with the foam within your mattress to transfer electrons to create an imbalance .
This tends to be something that is temporary and happens more often when the product is new (or moved) and in a dry environment, and dissipates over time as the charges balance. I’ve addressed the reasons for this in the previous posts in this thread, and you may wish to look at post #6 here and post #9 here for some good explanations of what is actually happening.
