What do bed linens have to do with the environment? Why would anyone even care whether or not they owned eco-friendly sheets? Well my friend your sheets could actually have a very large impact on our Mother Earth’s well-being. If your sheets are made of polyesters or conventionally grown cottons you could be contributing to pollution and degradation of the earth. It may sound a little overblown, but stop and think about how most sheets are made for a second.

If you are a regular Joe who buys plain old cotton sheets you may be unknowingly contributing to one of the most chemical intensive crops on the planet. Chemicals from growing cotton comprise 16% of the world’s pesticides, and any residual chemicals left on clothing may even irritate consumer’s skin. Chemicals from the growing of cotton affect farmers, people living near agricultural areas, and even the eventual wearer of the clothing. Add chemical dyes to the mix and you have bed linens with a quite a load of environmental baggage.

For those who think that satin sheets are swell, but can’t afford expensive silk, some try polyester. Heck, it’s shiny and soft too, it can’t be too bad right? Dead wrong. Polyester is the fiber devil. This synthetic fabric begins as a byproduct of the process to manufacture gasoline, meaning it uses finite and environmentally harmful petroleum as its base. In fact, polyester acts much like another plastic product-saran wrap. It insulates, but does not breath, meaning you are warm, but trapped in your own sweat, which makes for a clammy and stinky night.

So, now that I’ve scared you, it’s time for a dose of hope. Here are some eco-friendly sheets that will keep you snug-as-a-bug and help the environment at the same time.

     You already know that conventionally grown cotton uses more pesticides than any other crop on the planet, so cotton may seem a little scary at this point. But when cotton is grown organically, it can be one of the more earth-friendly fibers out there. Organic cotton sheets will put a slightly larger dent in your pocket, but with proper care they can last you for years. For the softest, most luxurious organic cotton sheets look for high thread counts, preferably over 400. If you are really looking to be a conscientious buyer, look for sheets that also have the Fair Trade stamp, which indicates that the sheets were produced by workers who are paid fair wages in safe factories.

     Yes, bamboo is a wood which makes appearances everywhere from floors to blinds, but bamboo fiber can also be processed to create marvelous and silky sheets. Bamboo fiber is very soft and shiny like silk, but much more affordable. Bamboo is also great because it is a renewable resource; it’s very fast-growing and can be cultivated in many parts of the world.

Your sleep should be peaceful, and what better way to make it so than by unburdening yourself of the guilt that comes with buying chemically inundated sheets? Keep an eye out for an ever-expanding variety of choices in the eco-friendly sheet market, you never know what they’ll come up with next.

Wondering about what's under your sheets? Read my hub on Eco-Friendly Mattresses.