Buying a mattress to one’s exact specifications isn’t as easy as you’d think. Not only must one find the correct size and firmness, but one must also seek a bed made from comfortable and safe materials.
Numerous internet users have gone viral after sharing their mattress-buying experiences gone awry. For example, one removed the cover from their mattress, only to discover that the process spread fiberglass around their apartment. Another expressed concern after questioning whether their Purple mattress contained fiberglass.
Now, another user sparked a discussion after claiming that their mattress, which they purchased from Costco, made them ill.
Did a Costco mattress make this woman sick?
Across several videos, TikTok user @hausoffloa explains she had several symptoms she says stemmed from her memory foam mattress. According to the TikToker, she purchased the mattress from Costco, the brand being Blackstone.
“My memory foam mattress that I purchased from Costco was slowly poisoning my body, and after five years, my body finally couldn’t take it anymore,” one of her videos starts. This video has over 540,000 views as of Friday.
Throughout the video, she talks about the various symptoms she had that she claims stemmed from sleeping on the mattress.
“I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach all the time as if I was going up and down a roller coaster. It was so frustrating because I was just so uptight, and any little sound, any little anything, would frighten me,” she explains. “My guess is my cortisol was super high, and it was causing me to feel really, really strange.”
“What was so frustrating was I used to work out before all of this happened. And when I was going through it, I could barely even walk around the block without being winded or without my heart racing to the point where I thought I was going to pass out,” she continues.
She closes the video by advising those with memory foam mattresses, pillows, or other memory foam products experiencing similar symptoms to figure out whether these goods contribute to their issues.
How did she find out?
In another video, she lists a variety of other issues that she says could stem from the mattress. These include heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, vertigo, and more.
As for how she determined that the mattress was the root cause, she writes in a comment, “I had all the tests which came back normal. All PCP’s told me it was just stress or maybe perimenopause but I knew it wasn’t the case. So I found a naturopathic Dr who tested & gave me answers.”
In another comment, she described how the test was carried out. “[The naturopathic doctor] gave me a pulse test or what’s also called a weakness test while holding a memory foam pillow,” she wrote.
A “pulse test” involves examining the qualities of one’s pulse, such as its speed, to determine possible health issues. While the practice is controversial, advocates point to its long use in Traditional Chinese Medicine as potential evidence for its veracity.
In a further comment, the TikToker wrote, “She’s had [patients] with the same symptoms due to their mattress, she kept a memory foam pillow in her office. I held the pillow, she gave me the pulse test and my heart reacted big time!”
@hausoffloa So many scary symptoms. I thought I was dying! #listentoyourbody #toxicmaterials #healyourbody #memoryfoammademesick #healthyliving #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ♬ Texas Sun – Khruangbin & Leon Bridges
Can your mattress make you sick?
There are a few ways that a mattress can make you feel sick.
For example, a mattress can trap dust and other allergens, and given the difficulty of cleaning a mattress, it’s possible that these can cause reactions in the people sleeping on the bed.
Additionally, memory foam mattress manufacturing involves many chemicals. These include diisocyanates, toluene diisocyanate (TDI), methylbenzene, polyols, and more.
However, Sleep Doctor notes, “most chemicals used in mattress production, including TDI, are only harmful when vapor is released during the manufacturing process. Afterward, there may be trace amounts, but the vast majority of the fumes dissipate by the time you receive your mattress.”
Evidence supporting the idea that a memory foam mattress can cause the symptoms described by the TikToker is lacking. That said, several internet users have reported similar symptoms. Some have pointed to the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) as a potential source for these symptoms.
Some may be experiencing a theoretical condition called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, or MCS. While it’s not currently recognized as a medical condition, the informational page about the topic on the Cleveland Clinic’s website states that “for people with MCS, exposure to even the tiniest amounts of chemicals found in things like beauty products, cleaning products or gasoline exhaust can trigger adverse reactions.”
The site notes the condition is “more common in people assigned female at birth (AFAB) between 30 and 50 years old.”
Furthermore, other issues could lead one to have the symptoms described by the TikToker. These include anemia, perimenopause, hypertension, and more.
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users shared their own views on the TikToker’s experience, with some offering their own stories.
“From your previous video, the inner shaking. I wake up feeling it. I’ve tried to explain to my doctor. She did say it’s probably my adrenals but it could be my mattress. I bought in 2020,” said a user.
“I have a memory foam pillow and I suffered with vertigo and I been sick I done had blood work done,” another added. “I’m getting rid of it tonight.”
“I had back pain for the last year or two…threw away the memory foam… ..haven’t felt that piercing pain since,” offered a third. “I feel calmer and more energized.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Costco via media request form and @hausoffloa via TikTok direct message and comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
