Sleep: Why Is it So Important?

Do you struggle to get a good night’s sleep?

Many people do these days, and this can have a bigger impact that just feeling sleepy all day, or perhaps being on the caffeine-cycle. Ironically, according to apps on our devices, there is an “insomnia epidemic.”

When you are tired, you don’t function so well – your mood is off, your tolerance levels are down, you are easily agitated or stressed. As well, over time, this can deplete you and your immunity is also affected.

Why is Sleep so Important?

Sleep is incredibly important as it is the time that we heal and recover from our day – in preparation for the next day. Sleep is when we detoxify, when we create melatonin (a hormone which has an antioxidant effect) and when we rest.

It is one of the most important physiological functions we do, in my opinion.

What Affects Sleep?

There are many factors that can impact sleep. Some of these are:

  • Stress
  • Eating too late
  • Caffeine
  • Conversation
  • Poor sleep hygiene
  • Environmental stressors

eco-health-solutions natural

 

Did You Know…?

Did you know that if you use your device for two hours in the evening that it affects the quality of your sleep; melatonin production; your mood, attention and accuracy the following day?

Research links this to the short-wave light emitted from the LED lights inside our devices (Green, et al, 2017). I wonder if there is more to it, and the use of these devices on wi-fi or 3G/4G/5G is also playing a role.

What Can I Do to Improve My Sleep?

I am going to focus purely on environmental stressors here…

1) Promote melatonin production – ensure your bedroom is dark. If this isn’t possible, it would be worth using an eye shade. 

2) Reduce the radio frequency electromagnetic energy (RF EME) – turn off your mobile phone and wi-fi router

3) Reduce indoor air contaminants – remove scented reeds and candles from your bedroom

4) Minimise exposure to allergens – use a silk pillowcase to reduce issues with house dust mites (HDM)

5) Reduce your exposure to biotoxins – address any mould in your home

Still Concerned?

Then contact me and we can arrange a
Virtual Indoor Environmental Health Assessment
to assess and address stressors in your environment.

 

References

Green, A, Cohen-Zion, M, Haim, A & Dagan, Y (2017) Evening Light Exposure to Computer Screens Disrupts Human Sleep, Biological Rhythms and Attention Abilities Chronobiology International (Online) Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2017.1324878 (May 2017) 

#sleep #indoorenvironmentalhealth #environmentalstressors

 

Carbon Monoxide – Beware This Silent Killer

As winter approaches, it is a great time to be having appliances serviced and checked for problems; as well, ensuring that flues are vented to the exterior and that there are no blockages.

There are many things to be thinking about, and today, I wanted to share this with you to prevent issues, and potentially deaths.

Carbon Monoxide – A Silent Killer

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless gas. It is deadly.

It is a combustion gas and can easily build up in the home.

Another common contributor is car exhaust.

CO Poisoning: Health Effects and Symptoms

CO has an affinity for haemoglobin and thus it easily disrupts oxygen transportation within the body.

  • flu-like symptoms
  • fatigue
  • headaches
  • dizziness
  • nausea and vomiting
  • confusion and impaired cognitive functioning
  • tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)

Heath practitioners need to be alert to CO poisoning mimicking influenza – and include this in their differential diagnosis when the whole household is exhibiting these symptoms.

Steps to Prevent CO Poisoning

  1. Have all gas appliances serviced annually and checked for faults and defects
  2. Check the flames – are they blue? Great. Are they yellow/orange? Call your gas company as this is a sign that the gas is nor burning properly.
  3. Only use gas heaters that are flued and vented to the exterior
  4. Use the extractor fan when cooking on a gas stove top
  5. Keep your windows ajar to dilute the indoor air
  6. Avoid idling the car in the garage or near windows
  7. If you have a garage attached to your house, be sure to close the door and seal it well, and never idle the car in the garage
  8. Also, ensure that windows are closed when the car is idled in the driveway
  9. Avoid opening your windows during peak hour traffic (or school pick up and drop off), especially if you live near a busy road

Prevention is Better Than Cure

#carbonmonoxide #gases #environmentalhealth #buildingbiology #gasappliances


Sick Building Syndrome: Is Your Workplace Healthy?

“Sick Building Syndrome” is a term that has been around for a few decades to explain how and why people are affected by their buildings. As a building biologist, I am frequently assessing the health of buildings (whether they are sick or not) and how they may impact upon the health of the occupants – be that at home or at work.

Guest author Jennifer Bennett discusses sick building syndrome in relation to the workplace.


Sick Building Syndrome: Is Your Workplace Healthy?

Does it sometimes seem like everyone in your office is coming down with something?

Are you and your colleagues constantly coughing and sniffling, or complaining of headaches, dizziness and nausea?

Or perhaps you’re just really tired all the time?

And yet, when 5 o’clock rolls around and you’re on your way home, you start to feel a lot better.

You might be thinking that you just hate being at work!

Could it be more..?

However, there may be something other than burnout or a bad bout of the flu to blame.

If you’re experiencing odd symptoms that disappear when you go home, your building may well have a case of Sick Building Syndrome.

This is a somewhat mysterious condition that causes general feelings of ill health in occupants of a building, including headaches, aches and pains, skin irritation, fatigue and shortness of breath.

The precise causes of Sick Building Syndrome haven’t been identified, but the general consensus is that it’s a symptom of environmental problems within a building.

People first started reporting Sick Building Syndrome in the 1970s, when economic pressures and oil embargoes forced architects and engineers to design more airtight office buildings to cut energy costs.

As a direct result, indoor air quality drastically worsened, as polluted air became trapped in buildings rather than being recirculated outside.

Chemical pollutants such as VOCs and biological contaminants such as mould then gradually rose in concentration, resulting in the health problems in employees that we now call Sick Building Syndrome.

Poorly designed ventilation systems also resulted in uncomfortable temperatures and high humidity levels, which can further encourage mould growth.

What is the Impact?

A poor working environment doesn’t just have health implications – it can also have a profound economic impact on businesses.

Sick Building Syndrome drastically reduces productivity, with poor indoor air quality estimated to cost employers around $15 billion a year in worker inefficiency and sick leave.

It’s also been noticed that Sick Building Syndrome is most common in open plan offices, and it’s unlikely to be a coincidence that employees in open plan offices also take on average 62% more sick days than those in cellular offices.

It’s clear that something needs to be done.

This infographic…

Paint Inspection have designed this infographic to tell you everything you need to know about this important topic.

Covering everything from the symptoms and causes, to the costs to businesses and some actionable solutions, we’re sure you’ll leave this blog feeling more equipped to deal with your unhealthy office building!


About the Author

Jennifer Bennett is the Content Writer at Paint Inspection, a UK-based coating inspection and surveying company.


Want to learn more about how you can create a healthier workplace?
Book a call so we can create a plan for you. >>


Interview with Nicole Bijlsma

Nicole Bijlsma

About 14 years, I first met Nicole Bijlsma in my first year of my Chinese medicine studies. She was a guest lecturer and taught us about Feng Shui. The very next semester, I enrolled in the course…

And so began the journey…

It was in this course that I first heard about “chemical sensitivities.” This information served me well in diagnosing myself when mine developed.

Laying in my hospital bed, I determined that when I was well enough, I would study building biology and prevent others from becoming as sick as I had.

Once qualified, I joined the committee of the Australasian Society of Building Biologists where Nicole and I worked closely for several years, with each of us taking the role of President in that time.

She was a speaker at both Environmental Sensitivities Symposiums and then brought me onto staff at “the college” (Australian College of Environmental Studies). We work closely together and have a firm friendship.

Here is a more formal introduction:

Nicole Bijlsma has experienced first hand how the environment impacts health. As it was for me, it was this journey, and observing her patients, that prompted her study into Building Biology.

She is the founder of the Australian College of Environmental Studies. Nicole is the author of Healthy Home Healthy Family, which has been featured on every major television network in Australia. This third edition is vastly different from the previous two. It utilises almost 900 references, and is therefore a rich source of evidence-based information.

I interview Nicole here about the third edition of her book and ask some questions that we are all hanging out to hear her opinion on!

Home is the Most Important Place

Home is the most important place. It is our castle.

Home is our safety haven, our sacred space, our island in the midst of the world.

For many of us, the world can be a bit full-on. The onslaught of fragrances, noise, wi-fi, people, lights… it can be overwhelming at times.

Also, most of these things are out of our control.

The best thing to do is to have a healing, safe, and nourishing home to come back to.

A virtual Indoor Environmental Health Assessment Can Short-Cut Your Route to a Healthy Nurturing Space

By assessing your home with great care, and attention to detail, we can shortcut the agonising searching for information and hazards.

Whether it be:

  • electromagnetic fields
  • phone towers
  • neighbours wi-fi
  • the smart meter
  • air pollutants
  • indoor air quality
  • volatile organic compounds
  • lead and other heavy metals
  • drinking water contaminants
  • mould and water damage
  • personal care and cleaning products
  • and more!

By assessing your home, I can determine the hazards, the potential problems AND provide you with solutions.

Many of my clients experience not only peace of mind, but improved health after implementing the recommendations.

They know that they have made their home safe for their families.


Get in touch so we can arrange your assessment.

Close Your Windows During Peak Hour

Avoid Traffic-Related Air Pollution: Close Your Windows in Peak Hours

When there's traffic, I want you to close your windows!

If you have been following me for a while, I am sure you will have heard me carry on about opening your windows and exchanging the air.

While I 100% stand by this, I do want to put a caveat on it.

If you live near a busy road OR you live close to a school OR you get heavy traffic around your home at certain times, then please don’t open your windows.

I know that sounds obvious… but sometimes the obvious needs to be stated.

There are many noxious gases in exhaust fumes, including the deadly carbon monoxide.

So, if there is a busy time for traffic near your home, be sure to close the windows to keep these fumes out.

traffic related air pollution

 Are You One of those Lucky People Who has a Garage?

Ahh, a garage…

The convenience of unloading the shopping and taking it from the garage into the house is bliss.

Not having to race from the house to the car in the rain because of the door in between… priceless!

But, the pollutants from our cars are vast.

There are the deadly fumes, the particulate matter (airborne particles) and then there is lead from our old leaded petrol.

Although the door between the house and the garage is luxurious, I am going to encourage you NOT to use it – and instead create an airtight seal around it to prevent contaminating your home.

Unless it is airtight, it is vital that you NEVER, not ever, idle the car in the garage.

Take care – lives are worth gambling.

Book a Hidden Hazards Hotline call to discuss your situation
and work out what to do next. Book here >>


Diffusers and Mould

Diffusers and Mould

Many of the homes I assess have essential oil diffusers.

Whilst I love that more people are using essential oils, I have concerns about the essential oil diffusers that harbour mould… and then potentially spread it throughout your home.

So, let me share with you ways to avoid mould – and fragrant oils!

Some key points about essential oil diffusers that require water:

  • they add moisture to your indoor air
  • the water inside them is infrequently changed
  • the tubes within them are impossible to dry out – and this is where I see the most mould – and they are equally impossible to clean!

Options:

  • use an electric oil diffuser – such as this one that requires no water at all
  • put essential oils on a cotton ball or tissue
  • grow fresh herbs and enjoy their aroma

Why we Don't Want to Add Moisture to the Indoor Air

Mould spores are everywhere. They are an important part of our world. We just don't want them growing in our homes.

Mould requires food and moisture to flourish. Usually the spores are sitting on food. So the thing that we CAN control is moisture.

When there is enough moisture (high humidity levels or a material is wet for 48+ hours) mould can proliferate. This sets off a chain of events, which for those who are sensitive or sensitised can be extremely problematic. Mould can be detrimental to our health as well as to the structure of the building.

Taking steps to reduce moisture levels is ideal – and avoiding adding it is even better!

Want to talk about this? Book a Hidden Hazards Hotline call.


Mould Dead and Alive

Mould Dead and Alive

Mould dead or alive can be a problem.

There are many ways to kill mould, but this does not make it safe for your health.

Dead mould is called “unviable” and alive mould is called “viable.”

Mould is everywhere, however only about 25% of the spores are viable. The rest aren't, which means they are dead.

In terms of health, mould, viable or not, is a problem.

Parts of mould break off, these are called hyphae.

There are spores released to start new colonies. Some contain mycotoxins and others contain microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs).

Some moulds are particularly irritating, allergenic or problematic for health.

Yet for people who are sensitive or sensitised to mould, ANY mould can be a problem.

Here's a video that I did… Mould Unwanted: Dead or Alive

Please excuse the start where the writing is mirrored – I hadn't realised it would do that. 🙂

 


In my years, I have assessed a lot of places (hundreds of them). In many I have found mould, dead and alive.

Mould is often not visible – and can also be hidden.

Remember, mould doesn't have to be alive to be an issue.

The first part of a water damage and mould Indoor Environmental Health Assessment is the visual inspection. My eyes are trained, and I can easily spot potential issues.

If you would like to have an assessment, please go ahead and book your virtual Indoor Environmental Health Assessment with me – I would be happy to assist you.

IMPORTANT TIP

If anything becomes wet, it needs to be dried within 48 hours.

This includes a spill on a rug, a burst pipe or even the laundry.

There are many ways that we can create enough moisture to support the growth of mould. As such, you need to be mindful.

You can read more about that here.