Sleep Great Tonight With A Bed Bug Mattress Protector!

Make your bed a bug free zone! (or allergen free!)

We've all grown up hearing the saying, "goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite," and not given it much thought because for nearly fifty years, bed bugs were essentially eradicated. That is, until now. Bed bugs are making a comeback. They are being found in cities across the country. Contrary to popular belief, the presence of bed bugs does not indicate a lack of cleanliness and can even be found in five-star hotels. Adult bed bugs can live a year without a meal!

Did you know dust mites are not bed bugs? Dust mites are microscopic bugs that live on dead skin cells; they don’t carry disease but can cause allergic reactions. Many people are allergic to their feces which can cause reactions such as itchy eyes, headaches, nasal and sinus problems, sore throats or more frequent asthma attacks.

Protect your bed. Sleep City offers a full range of the best products in the industry for the treatment of allergens, bacteria, dust mites and bed bugs. Mattress protectors are key to eradicate these infestations from your home and life. We offer Protect-A-Bed mattress protection which is #1 recommended by physicians, sleep experts and even pest control companies. Protect-A-Bed products are listed as a Class 1 Medical Device with the FDA. Click on the links below to shop these protectors and kits:

• Bed Bug Kits (Mattress Encasement, Box Spring Encasement and Pillow Protectors)
• Allergy Kits (Mattress Encasement, Mattress Protector and Pillow Protectors)
• Premium Mattress Protectors
• Quilted Mattress Pads

 

Why do you need a Sleep City mattress protector or mattress encasement?

• Sleep soundly...our mattress encasements offer a barrier for allergens, bed bugs, dust mites, pet dander, pollen and mold.
• All mattress protectors and encasements are breathable and waterproof. Also, they are machine washable and tumble dry ready.
• It won't affect your sleep. They are cool and comfortable for excellent sleep.
• Mattress protectors/encasements protect your mattress investment (and increase its lifespan). They keep sweats, oils and liquids from getting to your mattress, which in turn, prevents comfort materials from deteriorating.
• Did you know...stains of any shape, size, and severity void mattress warranties? Our mattress protectors guarantee that will not happen. A cheap brand mattress protector almost always fails.
• All of our mattress protectors and encasements hold 10 year warranties.

 

Bed Bug Frequently Asked Questions by the Better Sleep Council
Q. What are bed bugs? A. The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is a small, brownish, flattened insect that feeds solely on the blood of animals. Adult beg bugs are approximately 3/16-inch long (slightly smaller than an apple seed) and reddish brown with oval, flattened bodies. They can sometimes be mistaken for ticks or cockroaches. The babies (nymphs) resemble adult bed bugs, but are smaller and lighter in color. Eggs are whitish and not much bigger than dust specs. Bed bugs do not fly, but can crawl swiftly over floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces.

Q. Where do bed bugs live?
A. Their name is actually deceiving because bed bugs can live in almost any crevice of any household item. Sofas, chairs, nightstands and dressers, along the edge of baseboards and wall-to-wall carpeting, cracks in wood molding, ceiling-wall junctures, behind wall-mounted picture frames, clocks, phones...anywhere that has a dark, protected location, a bed bug can set up its home. Bed bugs tend to congregate and it is typical to find many in the same location. Bed bugs may occur in all sorts of places besides hotels, homes and apartments. Recent press reports show they are also infesting such places as clothing stores, movie theatres, hospitals, schools and office buildings.

In mattresses, they tend to congregate along the seams and edges. They also hide in box springs, bed frames and headboards.

Q. How do I get bed bugs?
A. These pesky critters are quite efficient hitchhikers. They usually are transported into dwellings on luggage, clothing, beds and furniture. Since bed bugs are so small, it's difficult to detect them after they've hitched a ride in your luggage or household items.

Q. How do I prevent infestation?
A. The following precautions can help prevent bed bugs from entering your home: Do not bring curbside items (especially beds and sofas) indoors; as these may be harboring bed bugs.

• If you are traveling, make it a habit to inspect your bed for bed bugs before unpacking. Remove sheets, blankets, etc. and examine the seams of the mattress and upper edge of the box spring for any signs of bed bugs or their droppings which appear as darkish spotting or staining. The seams and corners at the head of the bed (the pillow end) are especially critical. Although bed bugs often reside behind hotel head boards, these can be heavy and difficult to remove except by trained individuals.
• Avoid storing your luggage on the floor or bed. Bed bugs are less likely to infest suitcases and other belongings if placed on a table top, luggage stand or other hard surface.
• When returning home from travel, put all your laundry immediately into the washer or dryer on warm or hot cycle. Either method is effective at killing bed bugs and their eggs. It may also be prudent to store your suitcase in the garage, basement, etc., rather than in living areas of your home. These precautions are especially important, upon returning home, should you experience bites or suspicious itchy welts during you travels.
• Some travel sites are now offering advisories on which hotels have reportedly had incidents involving bed bugs. While many of such reports are unconfirmed, they can provide guidance to concerned travelers.

 

Q. I think I have bed bugs, what do I do?
A. Bed bug extermination can be difficult, especially when the problem is allowed to persist. During the beginning stages of an infestation, bed bugs tend to congregate in beds and sleeping areas. If the infestation grows and spreads beyond your bed, eradicating them can be more difficult. If you get bed bugs, it's prudent to hire a professional exterminator. Professional exterminators know what to look for and have the necessary tools for managing the problem.

Bedding and garments will need to be bagged and laundered at a minimum of 120 degrees. Alternatively you can place clothing, toys, backpacks, shoes, etc. in a dryer set at medium-high heat for 10-20 minutes. The heat will kill all stages of bed bugs, including eggs. If items can't be laundered and/or run through a clothes dryer, you may be able to disinfest them in trash bags placed outdoors in a hot, sunny location or inside a closed vehicle for at least a day. The internal temperature must reach at least 120 degrees or higher in order to be effective, so if you try this, the fewer items in the bag, the better, so that the heat can penetrate to wherever the bed bugs may be hiding.

Sometimes, it becomes necessary to throw out heavily infested items, but it's best to consult with a professional before doing so. Mattresses and box springs can often be protected in zippered encasements rather than having to be discarded.

Q. What is the difference between bed bugs and dust mites?
A. Dust mites and bed bugs are very different organisms and affect humans in very different ways. Dust mites are present in every room of every home, multi-bed facility such as hotels, dormitories, nursing homes and just about any building. Bed bugs are not.

Dust mites are microscopic bugs that primarily live on dead skin cells shed regularly from humans and their pets. They don't carry disease, but they can cause some rather uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous allergic reactions. Dust mites create even more of a problem for asthmatics and others with severe allergies. A single dust mite produces about 20 waste droppings (feces) each day, each containing a protein to which many people are allergic. Depending on the person and exposure, reactions can range from itchy red eyes, headaches, nasal and sinus problems, scratchy or sore throat, fatigue, depression, to triggering more frequent asthma attacks. And, unlike other types of mites, house dust mites are not parasites since they only eat dead skin.

Bed bugs, on the other hand, are small, wingless insects that are part of the arachnid family that feed solely upon the blood of warm-blooded animals. Bed bugs and their relatives have evolved as nest parasites. Certain kinds inhabit bird nests and bat roosts and await the return of their hosts; others have adapted well to living in the "nests" (homes) of people.

Hatchling bed bugs are about the size of a poppy seed, with adults about a quarter-inch in length. Bed bugs seek out people and animals, generally at night while these hosts are asleep, and painlessly sip a few drops of blood. While feeding, they inject a tiny amount of their saliva into the skin. Repeated exposure to bed bug bites during a period of several weeks or more causes people to become sensitized to the saliva of these bugs; additional bites may then result in mild intense allergic responses. The skin lesion produced by the bite of a bed bug resembles those caused by many other kinds of blood feeding insects, such as mosquitoes and fleas.