It was an effective detour from the melatonin route when our senior editor tested an intriguing approach to see an unexpected bodily benefit.
I Tried an Anti-Inflammation Mattress for a Month—Here’s What Happened
Published on Mar. 05, 2025
I’ll out myself here as one of the one in three U.S. adults who reports trouble sleeping, according to national statistics (though some experts say even more of us are struggling than that). Melatonin tends to help in my case, but I try to take it only rarely because my lay-informed belief is that at some point, I’ll develop a tolerance and it will eventually grow less effective. (I haven’t seen research suggesting this is accurate, but the notion seems to make sense.)
Meanwhile, one wellness concept that’s intrigued me in the past couple years is “grounding,” also referred to as “earthing.” A 2015 study by biologists and physiologists defined grounding as “electrically conductive contact of the human body with the surface of the Earth”—which you might understand as simply going barefoot on the ground to pick up the earth’s ionic charge.
That study posited that the effects of this practice “relate to inflammation, immune responses, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.” I grew up in the Pennsylvania Wilds and now live in California, so I’ve always been a skin-to-the-earth type. For anyone who can’t ground year-round, innovators have developed grounding shoes, mats, and other products.
When the team at Grooni Earthing reached out to let me try their Earthing & Grounding Sleeping Bed Mat, they suggested the product could yield the following benefits, from their rep’s email:
- Reduced inflammation by balancing the body’s electrical charge and neutralizing free radicals.
- Better sleep through circadian rhythm regulation, leading to deeper, more restorative rest.
- Lower stress by calming the nervous system and reducing the body’s stress response.
- Increased energy by improving circulation and easing chronic fatigue.
They had me at “better sleep,” with more specifics on that point:
- Immediate effects (within days): Deeper sleep, falling asleep faster, and waking up feeling more refreshed.
- Short-term effects (within a few weeks): Reduction in pain, stiffness, and general inflammation.
- Long-term benefits (over time): Sustained energy levels, improved recovery from workouts, and an overall sense of well-being.
- That said, individual responses depend on factors like overall health, sensitivity to grounding, and consistency of use. Some people notice subtle or no changes at first, while others experience more dramatic improvements. It’s important to consider that this practice allows your own body to balance and heal so it’s highly subjective.
When my grounding sheet arrived, I unboxed it immediately.
How to use a grounding bedsheet
The directions packaged with the product led me through the first step after opening my grounding sheet, which was to place it on the mattress to go beneath the fitted sheet. The grounding sheet is the approximate weight and thickness of a warm-weather duvet.
Then, being mindful that you’re working with an electrical outlet, you run a “ground check.” This helps ensure protection from shock or fire.
To execute the ground check, the brand instructs you to carefully take the yellow outlet checker included in the kit and “connect it to the ‘ground port’ of a grounded three-prong outlet.” You’re ready to move on if you get two amber lights, which indicate that you have a proper ground. “Any other light combination means your outlet is NOT properly grounded. Try testing another outlet,” the product instructions state.
Next, find the white, thin, cord. “Insert one end of the Earthing cord into the ground port of [that] properly grounded wall outlet.” Snap it onto the corner snap provided on the mat.
Set-up took me less than five minutes and was simple to follow. When it was ready, it reminded me of an electric blanket.
Here are images of how it looked when I did this:
Then I put clean sheets on the bed, folded down the comforter, and admit I slid into bed carefully to make sure I wouldn’t get shocked. (The ground check helps prevent this.) I had to be careful not to trip over the earthing cord, even though in many cases, depending on where your outlet is located in relation to your bed, it may be long enough to be tucked in and concealed, if you wish.
I was curious whether it’s safe to wash the mat at any point. “It is good to wash your Earthing product. It will not be harmed by washing, in fact, it is beneficial. Washing in warm water strips [body] sweats and natural skin oils from the silver, keeping it conductive.” The company advises to dry it on low, or on a line.
The first effect of my grounding sheet
Did I sleep better? Immediately—and we’re not earning money from this product, so I don’t have any reason to sell you on this point.
What I’ve noticed most predominantly is that the grounding sheet inspired me to establish a ritual around my bedtime—I’ve looked forward to climbing in and allowing myself time, as in a couple hours, to wind down before it’s time to go to sleep. I’ve never set a grownup bedtime for myself, but maybe I’ve needed to. Now I try to be in bed by 8:30 to read (or scroll, I won’t lie). This has in fact helped quiet my mind and ground me, at least figuratively, before lights out.
To this routine I’ve occasionally added nfuse’s NightCap Scalp Serum infused with magnesium and melatonin, which definitely seems to bring on the Zs, or if I shower before bed I use the brand’s Sleep Lotion, with magnesium, melatonin, and lavender essential oil. Again, there’s nothing for us to gain here. I’ve just loved learning about these new products with such a seemingly effective transdermal (through the skin) delivery system.
Taken together, these habits have helped me get serious about my sleep hygiene, when for a long time that was something I’d encouraged our readers to do. It goes to show how for many of us, that’s not an easy task. Now that I’m committed to it, I look forward to 8:30 p.m. to have some quiet time and not feel pressured to keep getting things done.
Another very welcome benefit of my grounding sheet
I’ve lost 20 pounds in the past two months. I can’t attribute this directly to the sheet and the better sleep it’s yielded, but science keeps showing us that sleep is a powerful factor in balancing the hormones and metabolism to help the body shed weight.
The more reliable pattern of my sleep has also assured me the energy I need to get to the gym (or out for a run) every day, and my afternoon sugar cravings haven’t dominated my mind.
So while I didn’t have a super reliable way to measure the effects on any inflammation I had going on, I genuinely believe aspects of my physiology have calmed down. I also sleep through the night, which I believe has helped my body restore and healthy cells to gain the rest they need to regenerate.
One more bedtime observation
I’ll overshare that I have an active bladder at bedtime, and just said to my husband last week: “Have I been running to the bathroom less right before bed?”
He thought for a minute. “You know,” he said, “I’d say you have.”
Maybe this is due to the effect the weight loss has had on my pelvic floor—”I think it’s also that you’ve been really good about your abs exercises,” my husband added—but the timing of all these wins sure seems to coincide.
This could help explain why I’ve experienced less joint pain in recent weeks, even though I’ve been exercising more rigorously with higher-impact workouts, just as I always did before mid-adulthood set in.
A down-to-earth takeaway
No exaggeration: All of these effects became evident after I put the grounding sheet on the bed. Only once has my husband asked whether it’s making the bed warmer at night, but that’s a common dialogue in our world, and he didn’t argue this point too strongly before he quickly let it go. I think having a better-rested, trimmer partner who’s more cheerful around the clock is probably a worthwhile tradeoff in his mind.
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