I’m a bit into woo. Not the “woo” of drunk girls at a bar on a Saturday night, the woo of those who are into more crunchy or alternative techniques for health, wellness, and relaxation. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about modern medicine and a huge supporter of vaccines. However, I love to also try out different ways to improve sleep, health, and focus on top of using tried and true scientific methods. I am not a doctor or an expert, and especially now it’s important to adhere to what medical professionals suggest for our safety and health. However, we all have a bit more time and a bit more stress and maybe some of my favorite “woo” methods may be an enjoyable addition to your routine. I’ll have a post on Wednesdays called Wednesday Woo.
Today's Woo is about Earthing, also known as Grounding
Yeah, I went pretty mild with the last three Wednesday Woos, and this one is a bit more… woo. I can imagine a few of you may already be rolling your eyes if you have heard of earthing. I'll admit I rolled my eyes when my husband introduced me to it. However, since he has employed several methods of earthing, AKA grounding, he has experienced faster recovery time from muscle soreness from exercise and deeper sleep. I have tried earthing and… I am not sure if it has benefitted me. I know it hasn't hurt me and I have experienced a reaction to it making me think there may be something to this. But then again, I do love me some woo…
What is Earthing and What are the Benefits?
Grounding, or earthing, refers to connecting electrically with the Earth. When your skin (usually your feet) comes in contact with the Earth (or you use a conductive system that transfers the energy from the ground into your body), free electrons are absorbed. These electrons supposedly neutralize free radicals involved in the body's immune and inflammatory responses. And supposedly the Earth's electrons can reduce pain, improve sleep, cause a shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic tone in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and even have a blood-thinning effect (source).
The reason earthing has become a “thing” is because our current lifestyles have disconnected us from the Earth. In the past few decades, we have switched from leather-soled shoes to ones from rubber and plastic. We spend far more time indoors in insulated buildings and walk mostly on asphalt, wood and composite decks, and areas raised up from the ground. We also have a far more electricity- and technology-based world, surrounded by power lines, cell phone towers, and appliances next to our beds and carried on our bodies. Earthing can supposedly offset a lot of the damage from our modern lives and reduce inflammation which can cause all kinds of issues from joint pain to cardiovascular disease, PMS to acne.
My husband was an electrician in the Navy, both enlisted and many years as a Seabee in the Reserves. After leaving active duty, he was an electrician apprentice for a while before changing careers. While he admits he's crunchy woo, he also understands the technical aspect of grounding and it made it easier for me to accept this specific woo. However, as I will always repeat in my Wednesday Woo series, do your own research before embracing any woo.
How We Practice Earthing
We began earthing the easiest way possible: being barefoot outside. When the weather permits, we will go outside and spend a half-hour barefoot in the grass. Sometimes it's sitting or lying in the grass, sometimes it's sitting in an Adirondack chair with my bare feet flat on the ground, sometimes it's walking around in circles barefoot while answering Instagram DMs. This can also be done on sand, on plain concrete, on rocks, and on dirt. My husband is more consistent with this, and way more comfortable doing it when it's cold or wet or gross out.
Last year, one of my husband's yoga students offered him a grounding mat for our bed. It was essentially a metal screen that goes in windows, edged with duct tape to keep it from cutting us while we slept. It was two to three feet wide and long enough to drape down the sides of our king-sized bed. It had a wire that clipped to it and plugged into the wall. This blog post I found seems to be the instructions for the kind of mat we had. We placed the mat at the end of the mattress over the mattress pad and under the fitted sheet. My tall husband had this mat under his feet and ankles while he slept. Me being 5'3″, my feet barely reached the mat and I just found it annoying. After a couple of months, it broke and I wasn't sad about it at all.
While I didn't like it, I saw a marked difference in my husband. He used to struggle to fall asleep and would wake multiple times a night; with the mat he slept more soundly and woke less often. He said he saw a quicker recovery from hard workouts, and felt less pain in his back. So when he suggested us upgrading to an earthing sheet for our bed, I was game. I think how much I have spent on pillows and meditation apps and essential oils and diffusers that I understood his desire to buy such a thing for better sleep and a more comfortable body. In December we bought this fitted sheet from Amazon. I said I wouldn't support Amazon anymore, but I cannot find the brand off Amazon nor the products and I don't want to link to something I haven't actually used with my body. If you know of another retailer off Amazon that has a grounding sheet you have used, do share 9n the comments. The sheet is called, “Earthing Grounding Sheet Grounded Fitted Mattress Sheet Conductive 400TC Pure Silver Thread Healthy Earth Energy Therapy Bedding Blanket 95% Natural Organic Cotton USA.” It has nine ratings, eight of them five-star, one a two-star without any text to explain the score. I know the one we have is sold out; this is the same one from the same brand in a white and black grid pattern, this is what we have in twin size, and this is a half sheet that works like the old DIY mat we had but far less annoying.
Our earthing sheet is gray, a nice color not dingy. It actually matches the gray sheets I got from The Company Store a year ago. There is a subtle grid pattern on it from the silver threads for grounding. The sheet is deep pocket, it fits just fine on our Saatva mattress. On one end of the sheet is a black patch with two silver snaps, that's where you connect the cord that plugs into the electrical outlet on the wall. The cord is long enough that we were able to snake it down the bed and under the rug to the outlet so it's not a trip hazard. The sheet can be machine washed but must be line dried. It's important to keep oils and such off the sheet because it can cause the grounding wires to stop working; if you're the type that likes to slather on the body oils and creams before bed you may wish to lay down a towel. The sheet is cotton, and while it makes it sound like it's some high thread count, it's not anything special or at all silky. It's a basic cheap cotton sheet, maybe a bit thicker than most. Plugged in or not, the sheet doesn't feel different, look different, there is no sound or vibration or anything. We have washed the sheet over a dozen times and it has gotten softer, but still seems to work just as well.
The first couple of nights with the sheet was sort of weird. I was getting vibes or maybe I was giving them off. Shocks is the wrong term for it, because it didn't hurt, it didn't feel scary or electric. It felt… effervescent. The feeling wasn't so strong that it affected my sleep, I went to bed and slept as normal. A few nights, I have woken hot, and the sheet is warmer than my pillow. This could be because I sleep hot, because I am going through perimenopause, or because the sheet is warm since I'm sleeping on a grid of silver wires that is plugged into the wall. No idea, my husband didn't experience the same but then he likes being warm when sleeping. I am sleeping better, but I don't know if it's coincidental or because of the earthing sheet. I have reduced alcohol consumption, meat consumption, and bought a weighted blanket since getting the earthing sheet so I can't offer proof that the sheet is the reason for the change. My husband finds the earthing sheet to be far more beneficial than the DIY mat for reducing inflammation and improving sleep, and he and I find it far more comfortable.
There are other products for earthing and grounding; do a Google search and you'll find pillowcases, floor mats to go under your desk, special shoes, and even mouse pads. I have no experience with them and don't know if they work or not.
We continue to “ground” outside at least once a week, which may be bunk but feels good and as though it's something we humans are meant to do. It's especially enjoyable now since we spend so much time indoors that even when it's gray or chilly I do it because it's a good break from the house. It's hard to be outside and barefoot without being aware of nature. You may start by making sure you don't step in anything gross or have any insect crawl on you, but next thing you know ten minutes have gone by and all you have done is admire how the grass sways in the wind or a bee that is having a love affair with a dandelion. It may be the grounding, or it may be the scheduled time with nature, but the whole process calms me and the days I do it I sleep better.
Resources to Research Earthing or Grounding
I don't want to act like some expert on earthing, I am not. Most of what I have learned is from my husband, his friend who also practices earthing, and the links I have below. Do your own research, make your own decisions. I just share because it's a super easy and cheap way to possibly feel less achy and more grounded (pun intended).
- Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons (NCBI)
- The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (NCBI)
- The power of earthing (Eco-Age)
- The art of walking barefoot: a Q&A with Clint Ober (GOOP)
- And because this is woo and not proven science, an article from a skeptic: All About Grounding (Skeptoid)
The earthing sheet is great! I’ve just started, but sleeping better is a huge plus. It’s nothing like a heated blanket- the sheet isn’t connected to electricity at all. It only connects to the grounding ‘hole’ of the outlet. Don’t knock it just because you don’t understand it, it’s truly been beneficial to lots and lots of people.
Lol.. this is not “woo” at all.. this is science the earth has a negative charge.. we are made of energy.. everything is made of energy vibrating this is scientific fact.. we are literally supposed to connect with the earth, it is only our technological advances that have stopped this from happening. Every other mammal on the planet connects to the earth all day every day. Stop feeling like you need to explain yourself to people “im not against vaccines”etc… who said you were? If people are too closed minded to try something that’s not talked about on TV or in magazines that could help them, that’s up to them.. you do you babe ♀️
I have a mat. One side is shiny, the other is dull. Which side should be up?
Author
I don’t know my mat doesn’t have a shiny and dull side. The side where you clip your conducting wire, or the side with a wires I’d say have faced up.
Several months ago I purchased a grounding sheet for my bed and immediately I felt worse upon waking up. I felt very run down. I tried it for 6 weeks to see if I would get used to it, but didn’t . The only positive I noticed was that my resting heart rate gradually dropped from 75 BPM to 66 BPM during the used of the grounding mat for the 6 weeks. After I stopped using the mat, my heart rate gradually when up, but only up to 72 BPM. About 6 weeks ago, I started doing exercises for the Vagus nerve and my heart rate began to drop. In 4 weeks it’s dropped from 72 BPM to 68 BPM resting. Thanks
I was actually googling negative side effects of a grounding sheet when I cam across your post. After reading about the benefits of grounding ( particularly a better nights sleep) I purchased an organic earthing sheet from Rowland Earthing. I have been using it for 2 weeks and have actually felt worse, deep sleeps but not feeling refreshed in the morning, headaches and a general feeling of malaise. I didn’t feel any tingling but I did feel hot. .The unexpected positive effect was that I stopped grinding my teeth which I do when I am under pressure at work, and sometimes wake up with my jaw completely clenched. After reading various articles last night where it was a ) suggested this is a “detox” period and b) I may be over sensitive to grounding and therefore may need to adjust my usage of the sheet I decided to take it off my bed . I had the best night sleep in ages, woke up feeling refreshed but..with a clenched jaw…I lay full length on the sheet all night and am now going to try just resting my feet on it for an hour whilst reading and then remove it to see if this make a difference. I have checked my socket connections and no issues there…Happy to feed back in to update on progress
Thanks for sharing. Any updates?
It’s interesting to read your experience. I’ve been grounding since January after looking further into it out of desperation. After four years of migraines that last 2 to 3 days, where I was bedridden and vomiting, I was ready to try anything. Not only have I not had a migraine in the five months since I started (1 to 4 per month prior to grounding), the 6 to 8 awful hot flashes a day I experienced have also stopped. (I still get an occasional headache, but I can still function. And an occasional night sweat, but not nearly as severe as before.) After reading the book Earthing by Clint Ober (the guy who discovered this around 1999), I spent an hour or two a day with my bare feet on our unsealed garage floor (I homeschool our kids, so our reading time was spent next to the furnace!). I then bought a conductive half-sheet for the bottom of my bed and a pillowcase.
I have my life back. I am so thankful for this.
Same it’s been a God send!!
I have put my bare feet on the earth to better deal with time zone changes for a long time. We have energy; the earth has energy. It stands to reason that connecting those two energies as closely as possible will help them align. I’m not super woo – unless you count the fact that I love me some Jesus – but when I heard about this from… somewhere, not GOOP, way before GOOP was a thing… it clicked for me. And I swear it works.
I have always been interested in grounding. I don’t know if and how it works, but to me it feels intuitive, as if it is natural and something that we should be doing. There are interesting documentaries about this on Youtube. As someone who lives in NYC, I can’t walk around barefoot outside. But I can ground by touching a tree, for example. I am also grounding when I shower in my cast iron tub or if I touch my sink faucet while the water is running. There are so many ways to ground where you don’t need a special sheet or mat. However, I think the most natural way is to just be outside in nature, barefoot, like we were meant to be.
Author
Those are great examples of alternatives when barefoot isn’t possible!
You have got to be kidding. And having links to GOOP, where she is peddling legally false information, and things that are dangerous, is irresponsible.
Author
I only linked to GOOP which I have criticized in the past because the information in that post couldn’t be found elsewhere and immediately followed with a skeptical link. I know it’s a tough time right now, tensions are high and it’s hard to do a thorough reading with so much going on. <3
So, if you just stick to stuff that is basically harmless and the worst that happens is that you spend money on placebo effects, that’s one thing. But to link to sources that also peddle bogus remedies that are harmful is a problem. The entire post, and 3 of the 4 links are endorsements to this “woo,” so it bolsters the side that this is useful, notwithstanding all the caveating and the skeptical link at the bottom. You have a lot of credibility as a trusted source that thoughtfully sifts through the flotsam and jetsam of the internet, I really hope you don’t squander some of that on these type of posts.
There’s a place for everything and we all have the power of discernment and choice of what feels right for each of us. If this is something that doesn’t feel right for you, simply move on rather than projecting onto the author. This practice of earthing has changed a lot of peoples lives for the better, it’s something i believe in and i value articles like this sharing such information. We’re not victims to the stuff people post online, take what works, leave what doesn’t.
x
I’m not sure about the sheet. I don’t like the idea of an electric blanket so not sure how I would deal with a sheet that plugs in either. I love the idea of walking around barefoot in my yard. I loved lying in the grass when I was a kid or running around barefoot. It feels innate to me that it would be beneficial. Now my yard is really the dog’s bathroom and the idea kind of turns me off. I may have to fence myself a little square that I can sit/stand in. 🙂
Author
Yeah, the sheet wigged me out at first too. If Karl didn’t have experience as an electrician and explained the grounding plug I’d be like heccccckkkk nawwwww! And yeah, I stand in the front part of our yard where Oscar doesn’t go, the side and back yard are shoes only!
Super interesting- I am not at all woo… after typing I thought about how effective acupuncture has been forme! Perhaps I am a but woo? I can totally see how grounding would be calming and mind clearing. The joint bonuses would be great- I’ll give it a shot- CBD oil on my knee right now
Author
Yeah, it’s totally woo but standing barefoot in the yard I figure can’t hurt, can only help! Let me know if it works for you!
This is so fascinating! I am somewhat tempted by that sheet, but as one of my biggest sleep issues is overheating, and here in Arizona we are already experiencing our first heat wave of the summer–which is a five month season!–I am probably not going to try that. But the good news is that I spend as much of the summer barefoot as possible, and will now make an effort to get a bit of time directly in the dirt. We don’t have grass, and most of our yard is covered in fine rock “gravel”. The desert is not an easy place to be barefoot, but I can do it. I wonder if it would be most beneficial before bedtime.
Thanks for sharing about this!
Author
You know, I don’t know if timing has a benefit, that’s super interesting!