This Is Why You Should Not Sleep on An Iron Bed

Bed frames that are made of iron are one of the most popular pieces of furniture in modern homes due to their simplistic but sturdy designs. However, health experts have begun to warn people that sleeping on an iron bed can negatively affect their sleep. There is even a warning that iron bed frames can be toxic to people that sleep on them. 

Iron bed frames can disrupt sleep by causing back problems and squeaking during the night. They can also produce electrical pollution, which can lead to some serious health ailments. 

The following article is a more detailed description on why you should not sleep on an iron bed frame. It also includes a brief list of some other bed frame materials that are better for your health. 

How Does an Iron Bed Frame Affect How You Sleep? 

Bed frames are designed to support your mattress while you sleep, providing a quiet and stable foundation. While they are long-lasting and can hold a significant amount of weight, iron bed frames can still negatively affect how you sleep. Their design and other characteristics can cause them to be uncomfortable and wake you up in the middle of the night. 

The main negative characteristics of an iron bed frame are that they tend to squeak a lot, and they aren’t as flexible as other bed frame materials. They can also negatively affect how well you sleep and how long you stay asleep. These characteristics mainly affect you when you’re sleeping on the bed frame, but they are still risky and worth being aware of. 

Iron Bed Frames Squeak More 

Iron bed frames are created by welding metal together. Since the metal parts of the bed frame are constantly rubbing up against each other, it might create some squeaking. This becomes especially apparent if you are a light sleeper or toss and turn a lot at night. The weight shifts cause the metal parts to shift and rub against each other, producing a high-pitched squeaking noise. 

This noise can cause you to wake up multiple times during the night, affecting how well you sleep. If your sleep gets constantly interrupted, your body won’t be able to fully heal and refresh during the night. This can affect how well you function through the next day and may lead to sleep depravity if the noise is constant.  

Iron Bed Frames Aren’t As Flexible 

Since iron is a very strong metal, it isn’t as flexible as other bed frame materials. It has a little bit of give when someone lies down on it, but it’s not flexible enough to make it comfortable for most people. The decreased flexibility of iron bed frames causes some users to wake up with pain in areas like: 

• Their back 
• Their neck 
• Their shoulders 

This is caused by the iron bed frame being too stiff and causing the back to lay too straight. The vertebrae then rub up against each other all night, causing friction and leading to morning back pain. This is mainly true for people that primarily sleep on their back, but side sleepers aren’t exempt from experiencing pain either. 

When your neck lays too flat for long periods of time, it gets too stiff and results in it feeling tight. Similar to your shoulders, if you lay down on them for too long, they can start to get stiff and sore. The inflexibility of iron bed frames doesn’t help this fact since their sturdiness already contributes to the feeling of stiffness in your neck and shoulders.

Are Metal Beds Toxic?

Possibly the biggest health risk that iron bed frames pose is that they can cause exposure to electrical pollution. Electrical pollution, which is also known as electromagnetic fields and abbreviated to EMF, are invisible forces of electricity and magnetic fields. They are present throughout the majority of modern homes since they all have a significant amount of electricity powering them. 

The metal in iron bed frames can serve as a conductor of these EMF toxins. They are then passed on to you whenever you’re near your metal bed frame. Over time, these electromagnetic toxins can potentially produce serious risks to how well you sleep and your overall health. 

Health Risks That Metal Bed Frames Can Cause

When it comes to your overall health, exposure to EMF toxins can result in: 

• Headaches 
• Depression
• Muscle cramps and aches 

Continued exposure to the toxins will only amplify these health risks. Coupled with the fact that iron bed frames are already not the best when it comes to comfort, they can severely affect how you feel waking up. But exposure to EMF toxins can also affect you while you’re sleeping. They can result in insomnia and even nightmares, negatively affecting your ability to sleep well.  

If these effects go unchecked and you are constantly exposed to them, then it will start to take a serious toll on your sleep. The worse your sleep is, the worse your health will be. 

How Does Sleep Affect Your Health? 

Sleep is an essential part of being and staying healthy. When your body goes to sleep, it takes that time to recharge and replenish what it may have lost during the day. Hormones that stimulate healing and growth are released during sleep, which are essential for keeping the body healthy throughout the next day. 

When you don’t get enough sleep, the effects are obvious from day one. The biggest effect when it comes to sleep deprivation is weakened immunity and a greater risk of getting a disease. 

Since healing and regrowth hormones are released during sleep, they have a big impact on how well your body can react to diseases. If you don’t get enough sleep, the body doesn’t have an adequate amount of time to release those hormones. The fewer hormones there are, the more compromised your immune system is. This can result in you becoming sick more often, leading to worse health risks down the line. 

Extreme sleep deprivation can even result in a greater risk of getting diabetes and heart disease. Clearly, sleep is a vital part of staying healthy, which means you’ll need a good bed frame to sleep on. 

What Are Some Better Bed Frame Materials? 

While iron might not be the best bed frame material, there are plenty of other materials that are far better for you. Some of the best non-toxic bed frame materials are wood and cloth. 

Wooden bed frames are the most common aside from metal bed frames. They are usually made from pine or maple wood since they are softer and easier to carve. This material is incredibly sturdy and long lasting, but still flexible enough to let you sleep comfortably. And since it isn’t able to conduct electricity, you won’t have to worry about being exposed to EMF toxins while you sleep. 

Cloth bed frames are usually made using a wooden foundation, but cloth is draped over it to make it more comfortable and soft. They are still very durable and will last a long time but do require some maintenance if they get dirty. They also don’t conduct EMF toxins, so they’re much healthier for you. 

Final Thoughts 

Bed frames made from iron and other metals have a few advantages, like durability and simplicity. But the disadvantages of metal bed frames outnumber the advantages any day. The best way to avoid the disadvantages of a metal bed frame is to invest in a bed frame made from wood and other non-toxic materials.