Don't Know if Earthing is Working For You Yet?
This article is from Earthing.com. It explains how to make sure you're following the steps correctly so as to receive the benefits from Earthing. And remember to bare that skin when you're sleeping on the sheet!
An Earthing Checklist
After starting Earthing, many people say they feel better and sleep better. Sometimes it happens dramatically and rapidly. Sometimes subtly and slowly. Some people who are optimally healthy and who sleep well may not feel anything significant, yet they benefit nevertheless from the countless ways that Earthing affects the body. Elite athletes whose bodies operate in super-high gear often say they recover faster from competition, training, and injuries.
Some individuals wonder why they feel no change, and we’ve written this report in an attempt to explain a lack of expected improvements for individuals new to Earthing. We hope you have read the Earthing book and previous reports posted here and so have a good grasp on what goes on in your body when you begin Earthing.
Electrical System Problem
The first thing to do is to make sure your Earthing system is properly connected to the Earth. An outlet checker will determine if your outlet is properly grounded. You could have an electrical system in the house that is not properly grounded, or a specific electrical outlet that is not grounded even though the outlet plate has a third hole (ground port). Many homes, particularly older homes built before the 1960s, may have never been grounded or may have only a few outlets actually grounded, like in the kitchen and bathroom.
Your options: Use a ground rod or consult with an electrician.
The Earthing ground rod comes with an attached 40-foot (13 meter) Earthing cord that can be connected to the cord of the Earthing sheet, mat, or band. You push the rod into the soil below a window and then run the cord under the window or a nearby door and into the house. Then simply connect the Earthing product cord to the ground rod cord.
Ground Rod Problem
A few people have said that they use a ground rod but don’t feel any difference. The reason may be related to a dry environment, such as in the Southwest United States. Our recommendation is to water the ground rod every couple of weeks or so if you live in a dry climate. Keep the area around the ground rod moist. This will improve the conductivity in dry soil.
One person unknowingly put the rod into what she thought was the “ground” but which was actually a thick layer of dirt on a ground floor balcony. When she moved the rod a few feet away and into actual soil, her Earthing system worked perfectly.
That incident reminds us of situations in the past where people have put ground rods in flower pots. A flower pot has soil in it, but it’s not the Earth.
Check Your Earthing System
Check the conductivity of the Earthing system, that is, if it is conducting the Earth’s energy as it was designed to do. To test the conductivity, use the Earthing continuity tester. You simply connect the tester to the ground port of a properly grounded wall outlet and place it directly on your Earthing mat or sheet. A green light will confirm that your system and wire are in good working order. You may have to press firmly to get the light to go on when testing the sheet.
No Direct Skin Contact
Sometimes individuals put the grounding half-sheet (also called the bed pad) or mat under their bottom sheet in bed. This may not work so well. Direct skin contact with the Earthing sheet or mat is highly recommended (please refer to our Earthing report from July 2010 on “Is There a Best Way to Be Grounded?”) Although people sweat during the night and the moisture can permeate the bottom sheet and create a channel of conductivity between the body and the Earthing product, the quantity of sweat differs individually. Thus we urge everyone to make direct skin contact.
If you are using the Earthing mat in bed, you may want to reposition it. Your feet could be coming off of it during the night.
Dehydration
Many people don’t drink enough water during the day. They are dehydrated. We have observed that people who are dehydrated may not experience the benefits of Earthing as fully as those who drink an adequate amount of water.
Improper Care of Earthing Sheets
Improper laundering of Earthing sheets (including bed pads, full fitted sheets, and the recovery bag) can result in loss of conductivity and benefits. Launder just as you would wash other bedding, using a gentle wash cycle and a mild detergent. However, do not use any chlorine bleach or fabric softener, or any detergent that contains bleach or fabric softener, as these chemicals can ruin the conductivity of your sheet. When necessary, use hydrogen peroxide-based non-bleach to remove stains and/or to whiten your sheet. Low-heat drying is recommended. Also do not apply lotions, creams, or oils before bedtime to areas of your skin that will come in contact with the sheet. The reason for this is that such substances can easily become absorbed into the sheets. The oils they contain become oxidized by the air and can diminish the conductivity of the silver threads in the sheets.
Stress!!!!
No matter how grounded somebody is, acute and chronic stress can trump the ability of Earthing to contribute to good sleep and benefits. This occurs even though Earthing itself reduces stress within the physiology. Major worry, aggravation, anxiety, and grief can take their toll on the body, and potentially cancel out the benefits of Earthing. Chronic stress is a leading cause of sudden death, insomnia, and depression, and elevates blood pressure.
