Frequently Asked Questions
Earthing – Getting Started
Earthing – Getting Started
Q. I want to sleep grounded. What is the difference between a bed pad, a half-sheet, and a fitted sheet? Is one more effective than the other?
A. In the Earthing book, we used the generic term bed pad to describe a variety of Earthing sleep systems developed by Clint Ober over the years. There are currently several different products available for beds and they are all effective for sleeping grounded:
1) the bed pad, which is the term now being used to describe a half-sheet that fits across a part of the bed,
2) a fitted sheet, and
3) the universal mat which can also be used on the floor or in the bed.
Back to Top
Q. I just started sleeping grounded and feel a bit strange. What could that be from?
A. Initially, some people may feel some temporary discomfort or even flu-like signs, pain or achiness. In practically all cases, this experience is fleeting. We believe it is the result of a normalization of the body’s “electrical system.” As the process gets underway, the body’s ability to release accumulated toxicity may improve and you could feel that as transient discomfort. Typically, after some initial adjustment, you start feeling better and more energized. The feeling might last a few days at the most but it will go away. If you are uncomfortable, stop grounding yourself for several days and then begin again, starting with shorter exposure and gradually increasing the exposure. In the majority of cases, no discomfort is felt at the beginning.
Back to Top
Q. I have noticed tingling in my feet for the first few nights I’ve been sleeping grounded. Should I be concerned?
A. Many people feel tingling in the beginning. It’s a sign that the circulation is improving.
Back to Top
Q. I started sleeping on an Earthing sheet and noticed that I feel warmer. What’s going on?
A. Contact with the Earth appears to create warmth in the extremities and body as a result of better circulation and relaxation. We have seen people quickly develop a rosier color in their skin. Many people have also reported feeling some initial tingling in the extremities.
Back to Top
Q. Can I over-Earth myself? I sleep on a full body Earthing sheet and also at times use the Earthing mat on the floor at my computer. I noticed that my toes and fingers have become very sensitive. Last night I did not earth myself and my toes are fine.
A. The question to ask is this: can you be barefoot on the Earth too much? The whole Earthing experience indoors is a replica of being barefoot on the Earth outside. Keep in mind that humans evolved walking, sitting, and sleeping on the Earth.
Different and strange sensations may occur in the beginning. We generally attribute them to a normalizing, detoxifying, and energizing process. Many systems are adjusting to the Earth’s energy, making all the gears and cogs more efficient, so to speak, and enhancing more efficient removal of toxins. These processes take different forms, and can take longer or shorter, depending on the individual.
If you are taking any medications, it is possible that the normalization process could be creating a situation where the level of dosage has become excessive. The body is functioning better, so you may need less of a particular medication. This is a definite possibility. If you suspect this to be the case you should consult with your doctor and discuss the possibility of reducing medication. Please refer to our Earthing reports on our website to read about Earthing and medication.
The body takes as many electrons from the Earth as it needs. It uses up electrons in many metabolic processes, including the basic process of cellular energy production, so there is always a demand for more. If you are grounding yourself on a routine basis, you are, in a sense, topping up your tank.
Back to Top
Q. Are there people who sleep grounded and don’t feel anything, or for whom grounding doesn’t work?
A. Everybody benefits in some way, but we are all different. The benefits can come quickly and dramatically, such as less pain and better sleep, or subtly and gradually over time. Often people who are very ill feel the difference most dramatically. Someone with radiant health and who sleeps well may not feel any difference, however, connecting to the Earth is helping to preserve and perpetuate good health. We regard Earthing as a natural form of anti-aging medicine, whether you feel it or not.
Back to Top
Q. I am one of those electro-sensitive people you write about in the Earthing book. I have started sleeping grounded and the energy feels strange to me.
A. So-called electro-sensitive people report feeling strange energy in the beginning and some even say they feel ill. The energy they feel when grounded is simply Earth’s natural energy.
We regard these sensations generally as part of an adjustment/healing/detoxification process as the body normalizes and inflammation goes down. If the feeling is too uncomfortable, stop sleeping or working grounded. Re-start your grounding by spending a half hour or forty minutes, or even less, twice a day barefoot outside or in contact with an Earthing sheet, mat, or band inside your home. Then very slowly increase your exposure. In this way, you may often be able to work your way gradually to sleeping grounded for six to eight hours at night. Just go very slow and at your own pace. Some electro-sensitive people have found that they receive positive benefits just from minimum exposure to Earthing.
Back to Top
Q. I enjoy the feel of plush cotton sheets. Can I put the Earthing sheet underneath my regular sheet?
A. Sorry, but if you do you will not receive the benefits of Earthing. You want some part of your body to be in direct contact with the grounded sheet: the skin of your body touching the conductive sheet. That's how you absorb the energy from the Earth and how you get the benefits. If you have a grounded half-sheet, put it over your regular bottom sheet. If you have a full-fitted Earthing sheet, that serves as your bottom sheet.
Back to Top
Q. Can I wear pajamas when I sleep on an Earthing sheet?
A. Yes, as long as some bare skin comes in direct contact with the sheet, such as your feet. If some part of your body does not directly contact the sheet, it will require some moisture for the direct current of the Earth to flow through the fabric into your body. For some people this occurs naturally during the night when moisture from the body creates the necessary conductivity. Best, however, is having bare skin contact. Some people have asked if there is any type of pajama fabric that will not work with the sheet. The answer is that the fabric of the pajamas is irrelevant. The only factor that’s important is direct skin contact with the Earthing sheet.
Back to Top
Q. I like to wear socks to bed. Do my bare feet have to touch the Earthing bed sheet?
A. It is best to have your bare feet in contact with the grounded sheet. The Earth’s energy is conducted most optimally via bare skin contact. However, if you must wear socks, try to have some skin — bare legs or another body part — touch the Earthing sheet. You can place the Earthing product in your bed wherever it is most comfortable and effective for you. If you wear socks to bed because of cold feet, you will often find that your feet warm up naturally from improved circulation when you sleep grounded.
Back to Top
Q. Can I wear socks when using an Earthing mat on the floor?
A. Yes, but direct skin contact is best. Feet naturally sweat and will hydrate socks, making the socks somewhat conductive.
Back to Top
Q. I want to sleep grounded. What is the difference between a bedpad, a half-sheet, and a fitted sheet? Is one more effective than the other?
A. In the Earthing book, we used the generic term bed pad to describe a variety of Earthing sleep systems developed by Clint Ober over the years. There are currently several different products available for beds and they are all effective for sleeping grounded: 1) the bed pad, which is the term now being used to describe a half-sheet that fits across a part of the bed, 2) a fitted sheet, and 3) the universal mat which can also be used on the floor or in the bed.
Back to Top
Q. Is it OK to use an Earthing sleeping product along with an electric blanket or on an electrically heated mattress pad or waterbed?
A. There is nothing wrong with using an Earthing sleep product with any electrical devices as long as those devices are in good working order.
Back to Top
Q. How are the Earthing sheets different from an electric blanket?
A. Earthing sheets do not run on electricity. Nor do they heat up as does an electric blanket. They only conduct the subtle energy from the ground. They do not conduct the electrical energy that flows in the electrical system of your house and powers your lights and appliances. If you want to know about safety issues related to the use of electric blankets, visit the following website: http://www.electricblanketinstitute.com/safety.html There are no additional safety issues regarding the use of an electric blanket when sleeping grounded. Earthing product cords contain a current limiting resistor that prevent any harmful effect should an electrical event such as a short develop in an electric blanket.
Back to Top
Q. Can you use an Earthing sleep system over a mattress pad that has magnets embedded in it?
A. There is no problem with using an Earthing sheet over a magnetic mattress pad. The magnets in the magnetic mattress pad produce a static magnetic field that would naturally go through and extend beyond the surface of the Earthing sheet similar to the way it passes through a regular sheet.
Back to Top
Q. We sleep on a futon. Can I put the Earthing mat under the bottom cotton sheet we use? What with all this new barefoot walking our feet are not always as pristine clean as they were before.
A. The mat will be of lesser value to you if you put it under your bottom sheet. You must have skin contact for grounding to work. The grounding mats or sheets are washable.
Back to Top