Recently, I’ve been reading a book that has rocked my world. Maybe it will rock yours too. Don’t be put off by the title. It sounds a little woo, if you know what I mean.
The title is Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? I mean, come on. Earthing? What does that word mean, anyway?
It sounds all hippie and earth-loving, but when I look it up in the dictionary it has more to do with how to cover up roots when you garden than it does with health. And “the most important health discovery ever”? How about some humility?
Only after I read the book’s introduction did I finally put two and two together and realize what the author was talking about: grounding.
As in electricity.
Now there’s a concept I can wrap my head around.
Here’s the basic premise. For most of human history, we have spent our lives connected to the earth. Not in an intangible woo woo way, but in real life physical proximity.
We walked and played barefoot, or we wore shoes with naturally conductive soles like leather — which is as conductive as skin when it gets sweaty from our feet or damp from grass and earth. We gardened for our sustenance, routinely kneeling or handling the earth with our bare hands. We even lived on packed dirt or earthen tile floors.
Electro-magnetically speaking, we were “grounded” (source).
Our bodies carry a naturally positive charge. The earth carries a naturally negative charge. When you put our bodies in contact with the earth, what do you get? The transfer of electricity from positive to negative until a state of neutrality is reached — we are grounded (source).
Of course, these days, we are hardly, if ever grounded. We keep ourselves insulated, usually inadvertently.
We wear shoes with rubber soles that don’t conduct electricity. We live in houses that are only grounded in electrical outlets. We drive in insulated cars. We sleep in beds far removed from the earth. Gardening is a hobby few of us take up.
Walking barefoot on the earth a luxury even less of us enjoy. We do everything in an un-grounded state. In short, we are rarely, if ever grounded anymore.
What is “Earthing”?
Clinton Ober is a retired electrical engineer. One day he got a bee up his bonnet an decided to test himself to see what his natural electrical charge was. He whipped out his gadgetry and discovered his slightly positive charge.
Then he started walking around his house. As he approached devices that emitted electro-magnetic fields, his charge went up. The place in his house that had the highest charge wasn’t in front of his computer, but in his bed! He figured it was maybe because his headboard was near a wall with most of the houses’ electronic wiring running through it.
So, he did what any zany, scientifically-minded individual would do. He went to the hardware store and bought conductive tape. He used the tape to create a grid across his sheets, then ran a wire from the tape to the ground outside his window.
Yep. He grounded his bed.
He laid down on it, and (wonder of wonders) fell instantly asleep. He awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and a bit amazed.
You see, Clinton Ober suffered from insomnia. It usually took him hours to fall asleep, and he usually woke up exhausted.
The next night, he slept grounded again with the same results. The night after that proved the same. On the third morning he awoke to a miracle: no arthritis pain! Could the pain have gone away from the grounding?
He wanted to know. So, he started grounding all his friends’ sheets. They all reported back: better sleep, reduced pain.
While Clinton knew about electricity, he didn’t know much about human anatomy or physiology, so he had no idea why grounding himself while he slept could have been so effective. That’s when he started meeting with researchers to see if any of these doctors had any theories about it.
Turns out that the inflammation that causes pain is, on a fundamental level, an accumulation of positively charged “free-radicals” (source). The theory is that by grounding himself, Clinton gave these positively charged ions some place to go — to the earth. Once they were gone, so was the pain!
Clinton gave this process of grounding oneself to the earth a name — “earthing” (source).
Earthing & Adrenal Fatigue
One of the researchers that Clinton hooked up with was an endocrinologist. Clinton wanted physical proof that earthing was helping him and his friends sleep better. The endocrinologist said he ought to be able to do that by measuring cortisol levels.
Cortisol is a hormone that your adrenal glands release. Ideally, it should be high in the morning so that you can wake up feeling refreshed and energetic, even though you’ve been fasting and having low blood sugar all night long. It should taper off throughout the day and only rise and fall just before and after meals, in conjunction with your mildly fluctuating blood sugar levels (source).
Yet for many of us, that’s not what happens. Instead, we suffer from cortisol imbalances that can be diagnosed as anything from a mild adrenal fatigue to an HPA-axis dysfunction to a full-blown thyroid problem like Hashimoto’s. Instead of peaking at 8 am, our cortisol levels peak later in the day.
You may be one of these people. Think about it. When are you most energetic? Mid-morning? Mid-afternoon? Early evening?
For those of us whose cortisol levels peak later, we also tend to have elevated cortisol levels when we’re supposed to be going to bed. So while we may be physically tired at 10pm, our brain just won’t shut down. So we either suffer from insomnia, or we assume we’re “night owls” who like to read books or watch movies well past midnight.
So, what happened with this study?
The study tested participants’ cortisol levels throughout the day before they were grounded in order to set a baseline level for each participant. Then, it tested their cortisol levels after they slept grounded.
Here’s what happened:
After grounding, their cortisol levels returned to a more normal, or “ideal” state (source).
No wonder they were sleeping better!
What does this mean for you?
If you are one of the many who suffers from adrenal fatigue or any kind of thyroid imbalance that keeps you up at night or feeling sluggish during the day, you may want to consider grounding yourself.
Okay, I’ll say it, despite how woo it sounds. You may want to practice earthing.
Clinton went on to create a variety of grounding mats for beds — mats that are electrically conductive and plug in to either the electrical ground in your outlet or the literal ground outside your window.
I’ve been sleeping on my earthing mat for a couple of weeks now, and I already notice that my days are much more productive and it’s easier to sleep at night.
(Where to find earthing sheets and other earthing products.)
Why the “greatest health discovery”?
If you believe that most chronic disease is inflammatory in nature, then grounding ourselves to the earth and passing those accumulated positively charged ions to the earth can arguably prevent or treat chronic disease (source).
So, maybe if you suffer from chronic inflammation of some kind — from arthritis to heart disease — you may want to self-experiment and see if you can experience relief through earthing.
(Where to find earthing sheets and other earthing products.)
I’ll admit that when I first saw the price of a grounding half-bed mat, I inwardly flinched. Yet, I know people who spend $100 per year on pillows that help them sleep better and prevent snoring. It’s not too far fetched to imagine them spending $189 on a sleep mat.
So, I did it.
I’m self-experimenting. I’m sleeping on a grounding bed mat that cost me $189.
And yes, my own electrically-inclined husband measured me while I slept on the grounding sheet. I am, in fact, grounded! Fun, huh?
Maybe it will work for you!
Want to learn more?
The book is available online at Amazon.
(Photo by Rachel Woock on Unsplash)
Nicole says
This is something we’ve been interested in, but haven’t yet taken the plunge on. Looking forward to you keeping us informed on what you think!
Karen says
This is so interesting. I am going to try it! Thanks for the info! I loved this so much I stumbled it!
KristenM says
Thanks, Karen.
Erin McHugh says
I am an avid gardener and unless I’m tilling my garden, I always am outside in my bare feet. I also hardly ever wear gloves, as there is something so wonderful about feeling the warm earth in your hands. I don’t think there is anything “wacky” about earthing. Sounds like something I’ve already been doing!!!
KristenM says
Yes, you have been doing it! So do those who walk or run barefoot. I don’t think it’s all that wacky of an idea once I wrapped my head around it. I just think the word “earthing” sounds wacky, not necessarily the concept.
Diane says
I’ve been resistant to this whole “earthing” thing so far but it’s starting to sound less kooky each time I read about it. I think…
But, no way can/will I pay $169 for sheets, especially considering we’re a family of eight. That’s a lot of beds & sheets! I wonder if a rednecked DIY grounding system would work as well? It would be what he did in the beginning of his experimentation. What would be the advantages of buying his systems over homemade ones, other than the obvious of not having to DIY?
KristenM says
I feel your pain! The downside to doing his first version is simply this: it’s uncomfortable to sleep with metal tape against your bare skin. Plus, you’ve got to remove the tape and replace it each time you want to wash your sheets. The price would certainly add up over time.
That said, my husband found an online source of Ex-Static Conductive Fabric that sells for about $5 per linear foot (and the fabric is 64in wide). He figured we could make our own sheets using that fabric, conductive thread in our sewing machine, conductive grommets or snaps, and wiring to connect from the snap to the wall outlet which he could find at an electronics store. He thought he could make a queen-sized sheet for about $60 that way, whereas the Earthing Sheets are $169 for a half-sheet.
So, I gave him a couple months to do it, and he was just too busy to actually buy the materials let alone make the sheets. Finally I gave him a deadline because I was so eager to try it. When it came and went, I bought the Earthing Sheets.
Making your own using conductive fabric like my husband planned to do may be worth your while if you’ve got 8 beds to cover! (And if you’re good with a sewing machine.) Just remember that the fabric needs special care — no oxidative laundry detergents, no fabric softeners, gentle wash and dry, etc. Otherwise, it won’t hold up well.
Liz Thompson says
We sleep with the earthing mat, which is a little less, about $60. I’ve had mine for a year and a half and love it! you can also make your own mat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8wPqh4DNfwg
or buy an even cheaper version
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/EarthingEquipment?fref=ts
Deanna says
The earthing equipment on the Facebook page is from a company based in the UK…they have different plugs and voltage/wattage over there…not sure they would work in the States.
Danielle says
So why do people sleep so horribly when they’re camping? Just kidding, this is a fascinating concept – I’ve never heard of it before. So, since most Europeans have slept in beds for so long (to avoid rats and roaches, I’ve read), while others around the world have slept on the floor, have we been un-grounded for centuries? I’ll be interested to hear what you think of your new sheets over time – will you post an update after a few months?
KristenM says
I would venture to say that they were still grounded when they walked (wearing leather shoes), and whenever they gardened.
Nikki Lund via Facebook says
Awesome article. Where’d you get your sheets from?
Nikki Lund via Facebook says
Duh, found your link. Sorry! lol
Melinda Nelson via Facebook says
We bought one for our daughter who is a teen. She did this along with amino acids and othe supplements for food cravings. She noticed a difference in the morning, felt more rested, slept better and didn’t have the early morning wake up. She also got of HFCS and caffeine. I think it is good. I am using it now. I am in the garden as much as possible too.
Melinda Nelson via Facebook says
off HFCS
Zola Denio via Facebook says
It Works
Steph Emerson via Facebook says
I’ve had mine for a week and I’m amazed! My husband hasn’t snored since we got it, my circulation has improved and I’ve stopped grinding my teeth, and we are both sleeping better than we ever have!
Michele Brockett Marlow via Facebook says
Sounds interesting and it definitely has me wanting to try it, although spending $269 for a sheet is something I have to talk myself into. I think I might try it eventually.
Kris @ Attainable Sustainable says
I’ll look forward to hearing more about your experience and whether or not you feel a noticeable difference after sleeping on this sheet.
Carrie Armstrong via Facebook says
Makes sense, biblical times they slept on the ground and walked barefoot.
Melissa Heath via Facebook says
This is absolutely FASCINATING. Must read more on it…
Carrie Armstrong via Facebook says
husband falls asleep driving, does the car seat one work?
Daniel Dessinger via Facebook says
We’ve been sleeping on earthing sheets for three weeks now. I used to take True Calm amino acids to sleep deeply, but I haven’t needed them since.
Linnae says
This is incredibly fascinating. I want to look into this more. Do you know how much time we should be spending “grounding”? I am curious because I cannot afford these sheets right now so I will have to save up for them. But, since summer is coming, it would be interesting to see if there are any changes if I spent several hours daily outside barefoot and in the garden (which is my plan anyway). It would be a lot easier to justify spending that money if there was some personal tangible results. 🙂
KristenM says
If you’re at a computer or workstation all day, you could buy the anti-static mats that are grounded. They’re considerably less money than sheets and will keep you grounded while you work. I’ve heard folks who are into barefoot running say that just 20 minutes a day with their feet on bare earth is enough.
Monira says
Hmmm….. with that concept in mind, would resting one’s feet on a large bowl filled with potting soil for 20 minutes do the trick?.? Live in an apartment, no park or garden anywhere near and can’t possibly afford the sheets or mats at present so I’m thinking a little outside the box here.
Thank you for this article Kristen – loving reading & learning from your posts.
Food Renegade via Facebook says
Daniel Dessinger — That’s great news. Steve definitely notices the difference. If I do, it’s in less immediate ways — like more energy throughout the day despite my relative lack of sleep. Alina had a couple wakeful nights in there because we finally let her eat corn (BIG MISTAKE, even though it was properly soaked). And then I had a couple of wakeful nights because I was addicted to a book I was reading and didn’t want to put it down. So, my first week isn’t really a “normal” sampling by any means. I need a few normal nights without gassy kids or me staying up inordinately late.
Daniel Dessinger via Facebook says
Food Renegade as lame as it may sound, we’ve noticed that bare skin on sheets yields optimal results. Just sayin’. 🙂
Daniel Dessinger via Facebook says
Oh, I’ve noticed a definite difference feeling rested with less sleep. It’s incredible! I can go to sleep an hour later each night and feel better than I used to. Of course, that’s not ideal.
Sheilla Whittern Salinger via Facebook says
I would be interested in hearing how it goes and if you really noticed a difference. Read the book this summer and did notice walks on the beach and in the sea water really helped with my adrenal fatigue. Have been using the plug ins but really haven’t noticed any huge benefit from them. Only reason we haven’t bought the sheets is the price, it’s a lot to spend on something that may or may not work.
Danielle Hettinger Morales via Facebook says
This really makes sense!
Kris Carver Peterson via Facebook says
I have the book and will read it as soon as I finish Dr. Sircus’ book on sodium bicarbonate. I am going to share on my health page and see what comments I get.
Jacquelyn Harvey Melear via Facebook says
I’ve heard of this before & am going to give it a try. I suffer from many years of extremely severe insomnia. I’ve known that runaway cortisol is a big part of the issue & have been doing nutritional & lifestyle things that have helped somewhat, but not totally. Will let you know what happens. BTW – I found an “earthing mat” on Amazon that is only $59.00 – I wonder if it would be just as good as the j$169 bed pad?
peter says
An inexpensive solution is to wear a ground strap on your wrist or ankle
KristenM says
I’m under the impression that the more of you that’s “grounded,” the better. I know electricity wise, all you need is to touch something that’s grounded to be grounded. BUT, for some reason, people who respond well to grounding mats have better results with half sheets. And people who use half sheets and upgrade to full sheets have better results.
Josh says
In order for a conducting material to be grounded, a wire is all that is needed; however, humans are not pure conductors, since dry skin has a fairly high resistance, and even moist skin has measurable resistance. Given that fact, the higher the surface area in “electrical contact” with the earth, the higher the conductance (1/R) which means the lower the resistance (R). Therefore, people for whom this is a problem, ie people who respond well to the intervention, allowing a more rapid and complete grounding should have a greater effect.
KristenM says
That makes sense!
We also noticed when testing ourselves that I’m much more resistant than my husband is — that he’s more conductive. It’s interesting to think that the efficacy of grounding could have something to do with that.
Wave Wolf says
That’s what I was thinking! No washing, special fabric care, or expensive materials. A wristband such as electronic techs wear to avoid damage to delicate components.
KristenM says
The problem with this, if you’re trying to do it for health reasons, is what Josh wrote above: “humans are not pure conductors.” Our skin, while conductive, still offers considerable resistance (and the amount of resistance can vary greatly from individual to individual).
So, just grounding your ankle may be great if you’ve got issues with ankle or foot pain. But it you’re hoping for systemic help, the more of you that’s in contact with the ground, the better. That’s why people notice such an improvement in results with they upgrade from a half-sheet to a full bed sheet.
Food Renegade via Facebook says
Jacquelyn Harvey Melear — The mats are designed for you to put your feet on while you work, assuming you have a workstation that keeps you in one place for hours at a time. You could feasibly use them while watching TV or relaxing at night. I don’t think sleeping on them would be all that comfortable, though. Plus, it seems like it would move around a lot while you moved at night and be ineffective.
Howard C. Gray via Facebook says
Wilhelm Reich experimented with grounding beds in the 1930s. He called this life energy “Orgone” and apparently was also successful in treating cancer using a crazy magnetic machine called an orgone accumulator. One guess who came and took his machine?
Jacquelyn Harvey Melear via Facebook says
Thanks – I better get the bed pad.
Food Renegade via Facebook says
Daniel Dessinger — Yeah, we sleep in the buff too! (Not because of the earthing sheets, just cause that’s how we roll…) Anyhow, I think the earthing sheets should come with better instructions. Nowhere do they tell you that it’s better if your bare skin is in contact. Nowhere do they tell you not to use fabric softeners in the wash. I gleaned both those tips from a phone call the RFM bloggers had with Kathy from Radiant Life (who sells Earthing products).
Karen Joy says
Interesting. I’ve never heard of this. I can’t say I’m going to buy $169 sheets; my husband would likely think I’ve gone off my rocker. However, this has me considering… I love shoes with leather soles. I have a garden, love to be in the dirt, and LOVE to be outside, barefoot. I’m also a “night owl” and can well-relate to the idea of being physically tired at 10 p.m., but having a brain that JUST WON’T SHUT OFF.
So, I’m going to look into ways that I can keep myself grounded, just not with pricey sheets. 🙂
KristenM says
Good for you!
One of the first things we did is run conductive tape around the edge of my desk where my arms rest while I’m at the computer, then we grounded it to a nearby grounded outlet.
I’m not sure I notice a difference in how I feel, but we tested and discovered that I am most certainly grounded while working at my desk now. So, that’s a plus! And it only cost us a few bucks to pull that together.
K's Dad says
Sugar,
Go to (or search) an electronic supplier. Look for anti-static components. People who assemble computers must be grounded to keep from zapping the sensitive inner components that they handle. Look for the wrist strap. These velco around a wrist or ankle and will ground you quite effectively. For sleeping, ankle is best, so that you don’t wrap a cord around your neck while you sleep. In fact, any time you are not up walking around it will be your arms free.
As for the other end of the cord:
electrical outlet: Get a rubber U-ground plug.
Break off the two flat prongs that plug into the wall outlet,for safety, and to disable the electricity that they bring into play. That will only leave the U shaped prong to connect to the socket ground.
Articulation bed: Screw or phone jack the other end to the frame. It would already be plugged into an outlet, and the frame,should already be grounded.
Joe says
I believe that the anti-static wrist bands operate differently from the grounding mats. I read that the grounding mats are constantly grounded while the wrist bands require a different standard of discharge that protects components you might touch. In other words, using an anti static wrist band is not the same thing as using a grounding mat.
Shauna says
Great earthing conversation!
Just be careful when making a homemade grounding device and then plugging it into the ground port of an outlet. The Earthing products have a 100K resistor in the cords to protect you from the off, very unlikely chance that stray current could ever travel on the ground wire. This is an important safety feature of the products. When using wires or homemade devices that do not have resistor it would be best to somehow directly connect to the earth and bypass the outlet.
Food Renegade via Facebook says
Howard C. Gray — Who?
Howard C. Gray via Facebook says
Food Renegade : http://www.orgonelab.org/wrhistory.htm
Abby J. says
Very interesting! Would it still work if you used it like a mattress pad, and put it underneath your regular fitted sheet? This would make it last longer – I was my sheets once a week because I sleep better, but I only wash my mattress pad a few times a year. Or does the grounding sheet have to be in contact with your skin?
KristenM says
It conducts much better when it’s against bare skin. Really, that should be in the instructions for the sheet, but it’s not. Thin cotton maybe okay if you ever mildly sweat at night since the added moisture will also increase conductivity.
Abby J. says
I do tend to sweat a little at night…something to think about. Thanks for the reply. 🙂
Lynda McMaken via Facebook says
makes sense. all of our world is so artificial now.
robin says
Okay, so you really don’t need to sleep on the grounding sheets – you just need to be grounded sometime during your day and you will stay grounded for a certain amount of time? Like, say, you walked barefoot outside for 20 min. before bed… you’d stay grounded all night? It’s cold her but what if you brought in a wooden box of dirt – and walked on that. Would that be grounding?
Very interesting stuff. 🙂
KristenM says
You’re only grounded when you’re actually grounded. So, you couldn’t walk barefoot for 20 minutes before bed and be grounded all night.
I’m just saying that those who’ve intentionally added more “earthing” opportunities into their life by running barefoot have noticed improvement with as little as 20 minutes a day.
That said, these folks are usually athletic individuals who have no chronic inflammatory complaints. I think someone who wants to see serious improvement with a serious health concern would want to be grounded more than just 20 minutes per day!
robin says
Gotcha. Thanks for the reply! 🙂
Food Renegade via Facebook says
Howard C. Gray — Having lived in Medford, anything in Ashland automatically rings my “woo” alarm. Don’t get me wrong. I *love* Ashland. I just think it’s hysterical that the Orgone Lab is there.
Christa Baur O'Brien via Facebook says
Thank you for admitting how “woo woo” this sounds. That admission kept me from dismissing it. And after reading the whole article, I would say there really is something here. I am intrigued. I might have to buy the book.
Christa Baur O'Brien via Facebook says
But a question….I live in New York City. I have plenty of leather soled shoes and walk on the ground regularly. But my ground is always covered by concrete. And I live on the 12th floor of a high rise. How could my apartment possibly have grounded outlets? Sadly, I think someone would call the cops if they saw a socket dangling outside my window and twelve floors down. 🙁
Liz Thompson says
you can buy a very inexpensive devise that checks if your outlets are grounded at the hardwood store. its a little 3 pronged devise (maybe called a votage checker?) that you simply plug into your outlet and it shows you if your outlet is properly wired. most outlets that are up to date are supposed to be grounded, but if you live in a really old building this may not be the case. walking with leather shoes on concrete, if it’s made from natural elements should still give you some grounding. although you should probably hit up your nearest park and do some barefoot time to really reap the rewards.
Food Renegade via Facebook says
Christa Baur O’Brien — Well, you’ve got to admit the word “earthing” is pretty off-putting if your woo-radar is as sensitive as mine. I appreciate the guy’s attempt to give his products and movement a name, but why not just call it what it is (“grounding”)?
Bonny says
Kristen, Did you get the “half-sheet”? That looks like the most affordable. I just wondered if it worked as well as the full sheets.
Thanks for this information and the well thought out opinions.
Bonny
KristenM says
Yeah. I bought two half sheets. One for my mom (since she’s definitely got sleep issues), and one for me.
According to the earthing studies that have been done, earthing has a noticeable positive effect on 93% of the people who use it. About 7% of people notice absolutely no positive changes from using earthing products.
So, I figured I’d start with the half sheet and see if I had any noticeable positive effects. If I did, then I would buy the queen-sized sheet later and put the half-sheet on my kids’ beds. If I didn’t, then I’d be out a LOT less money. Plus, even if *I* didn’t notice any positive changes, maybe my husband would. So, he could keep the half sheet on his half of the bed. Or, it could go to one of the kiddos (not that they have ANY trouble sleeping!).
Howard C. Gray via Facebook says
You can ground using the center screw in a 3 prong outlet, regardless of how many floors off the ground you are.
Howard C. Gray via Facebook says
The screw that holds the fixture plate in place.
Alex Clark via Facebook says
I simply go outside and sit on a giant quartz rock or hug a tree or lay in the grass or even go barefoot in the basement. Have been grounding myself for many years.
Food Renegade via Facebook says
Alex Clark — Now that’s the way to do it!
Jessica R Kenney via Facebook says
read the book. am intrigued. please let me know what you think of your sheets.
I.N. says
*Our bodies carry a naturally positive charge. The earth carries a naturally negative charge*
How? Why? What’s the mechanism? Where does this “natural charge” come from in the human body?
Nervous system carries a charge, and the resting potential is -70mV, which briefly jumps up to +30mV after a neuron has fired – but the balance in the entire nervous system should be negative. Static electricity can be another source, but it’s a buildup of electric charges, i.e. once again, the negative pole.
What sources of electricity in or on the body am I missing?
Furthermore, the electric charge is carried by negatively flowing particles (electrons or ions) going toward the positive pole (although this was discovered a century after naming conventions for + to – were established). So even if this quote were accurate, we would be grounding the earth, not the other way round.
KristenM says
It’s my understanding that we pick up these charges from our environment. That is, after all, what static cling is, right? The day we first started grounding ourselves, we did Clint Ober’s initial experiment and measured the charges our bodies picked up from interacting with the various EMF fields in our home (a simple voltmeter with a 50 ft wire grounded outside in the ground, then using our bodies to complete the circuit). We discovered what he did: our voltage went up when we drew nearer to electric objects (like our lamps or computer) and down when we stepped back from them. Our bed was also highly positively charged. Given how insulated we are, it doesn’t seem so unusual to question the long-term health effects of carrying these extra charges.
As for which direction electricity *really* flows, it’s much more complicated than you might think. My husband waxes philosophical on this subject sometimes. Read this article (written by an electrostatics research engineer who teaches at the University of Washington) for more details:
http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/amateur/elecdir.html
Josh says
The charge in our nervous system is just across the neurolemma (cell membrane of the nerve cells). The (-70 mV) potential is defined as inside relative to outside, or intracellular relative to interstitial. This means that within our body, there are more positive ions in the “portable ocean” that we carry around with us than within our neurons. FWIW, a similar situation (~ a -90mV resting potential) exists across the sarcolemma, or cell membrane of our muscle cells. Kristen did a good job of explaining the relative nature of electricity with the link she provided, so thumbs up for that. =)
Eleanor Bell via Facebook says
So do you connect it to your pipes which of course are earthed? We do say ‘earthed’ in England
Built For Life Permaculture Design via Facebook says
Please share your experience with them I have been curious.
Built For Life Permaculture Design via Facebook says
@ Christa. All your outlets are grounded, they need to be to complete a circuit and operate appliances. The third prong on most outlets is strictly for grounding. The other two are the hot and neutral wires. Neutral is essentially ground also.
Tim says
So what happens when your house is hit by lightning? Lightning can travel through a house blowing corner bead off the walls & popping out nails but leaving the inhabitants untouched because they Aren’t grounded. It has also entered a house killing a man who was sitting near the main electrical panel while watching TV. I think I’ll stay with going bare foot .
KristenM says
According to the Earthing Institute:
“A. Lightning is a massive natural phenomenon that is unpredictable and challenging to totally protect against. It is poorly understood. Homes are rarely hit by lightning. When this happens, the lightning usually takes the path of least resistance to the ground, such as large conductive systems like the plumbing pipes, electrical wiring network, or telephone and cable TV lines, all of which are directly grounded to the Earth.
The National Safety Council reports that the odds of dying from a lightning strike in one year are 1 in 6 million (www.nsc.org/research/odds.aspx). To put this in perspective, the chance of being hit and killed by an automobile as a pedestrian in the same period is 1 in fifty thousand—a risk 120 times greater. What these statistics suggest is that being hit by lightning is rather unlikely. However, follow standard lightning safety guidelines as directed by National Weather Service (www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov) if you live in a lightning-prone area. Disconnect your Earthing device and don’t use it during lightning and thunderstorms.”
According to NOAA, the odds of being hit by lightening (whether you are killed or not) are one in a million. To be hit and killed by lightening raises it to one in six million. Do I stop driving my car just because it is statistically the most likely way I’ll die? Do I stop walking places as a pedestrian just because I’m 120 times more likely to die as a pedestrian being hit by a car? To me, the benefit far outweighs the risk. And it’s not hard to unplug your Earthing Sheet on a night when thunderstorms are expected.
Josh says
Even if your house is struck by lightning, you are still surrounded by a de facto Faraday cage consisting of all the wires and pipes in your house. Unless the lightning somehow skips those (much more conductive) paths to ground and directly strikes you, you are not part of the circuit to ground, just a one way spur off of the circuit.
Heather@Mommypotamus says
LOVE your explanation of this “woo” concept, Kristen! I ordered earthing sheets about a month ago but only the kids set arrived. Funny thing is, every time I’d lay down with them “for a few minutes” during naptime I’d fall asleep! Never happened to me before I put the sheets on. Needless to say I was pretty hopeful when my backordered sheets finally arrived. I have NOT been disappointed! I wake up feeling so much more relaxed and am able to think more clearly. Wahoo!
Kirsten Wingenbach via Facebook says
My brother-in-law just told me that he saw a fully grounded mattress pad made out of a Tempurpedic-type material at High Point last year (the big furniture fair for retailers.)
Eileen@wellness-and-workouts says
I have tried sooo hard to encourage my children to wear shoes when they play outside. But tomorrow, I will tell them about this article. Maybe mommy has been wrong on this one! Here in Arizona, they like to go barefoot all year long. I’m not sure we can afford to buy 8 sets of those sheets, but I definitely want to do more research on this topic. Thanks for posting!
KristenM says
We all go barefoot outside most of the time unless we’re planning on going INSIDE somewhere else (i.e. we’re running errands). If we’re just hanging out in the backyard, we’re barefoot all the way.
Christy Pethel says
Oh my gosh this is so weird that you are talking about this. I was just introduced to this concept just last night! I was trying to teach my daughters about (13 years old twins) and they tried it but were a little taken aback by it. I love that I can start learning more about it. Also about why they are not sleeping so well and that if the beds are pushed up against the wall they are receiving electrical energy and some people have actually taken electrical tape out the window and touched it to the ground to “ground” their beds. I’m so all over this book. Thank you!
City Share says
I have seen this book around, but never checked it out to see what it was about. Thanks for the great review.
Carrie says
I love this, but I do not love your offensive comments about “hippies”, and what you said about being “Earth loving”. To be “Earth loving” is a bad thing? “Hippies” have gotten a lot of flack. Maybe there are a few who are out to lunch, but the majority don’t deserve to be degraded and looked at as fools. “Hippes” and often the people of this Earth who can feel this sort of thing about the bed story, and our positive/ negative relationship with Earth WITHOUT the need for science to back it up.
They’re more often the people who know way before science has had a chance to proove things. How “woo woo” is that for you?
They’re people who value nature and being as natural as can be in this modern world. As difficult as that can be.
Thanks for the article, it’s great topic, and will be helpful to many.
KristenM says
I think you read more negativity into this than you should have. I identify myself as an earth-loving hippie! Any long-time reader knows this about me, although I don’t necessarily flaunt it regularly in an effort to keep my message relevant to more people. But I’ve frequently called out my own anti-soap-using, tree-hugging, barefoot-traipsing, organic-food-eating, crunchy, sun-worshiping ways on this blog (albeit not all in one post).
That said, I do still have a “woo-radar”, probably because all this stems from my naturally conservative nature. I’m environmentally-conservative (hence all my hippie inclinations), religiously conservative (hence my adherence to Eastern Orthodoxy), and politically conservative (hence my staunch Libertarianism).
But “woo” is also a positive word to me, otherwise how could my primary health care provider be a particularly gifted chiropractor who excels at muscle testing? (I haven’t seen an M.D. in 8 years.)
Carrie says
I understand. 🙂
Lisa Bowman says
Spending time in the dirt also affects one’s gut flora for the better! That is unless you’re a GMO farmer and then good luck with that.
KristenM says
HA! I like your sense of humor.
Tonia Honer-Ophoven via Facebook says
Sounds interesting and makes sense. If it truly will help with snoring I need to get some!! There may be hope that I don’t have to listen to my Dear Hubby snore for the next 50 years!! And I don’t sleep and know I have adrenal fatigue. Can’t wait to here more testimonials!
Deanna says
I’m agreeing…would love to have a night without hearing DH snore!
Amy Walz via Facebook says
How interesting! I read the book,and am curious about what effect the sheets would have, but they seem a little expensive to try. I read on their website that you can get the same effect by wrapping a wire around your toe and grounding it outside the window. I have been meaning to try that.
Shar says
Lisa Bowman—excellent comment 🙂 Just an aside, read last night that Monsanto employees in Europe have gmo free company kitchens 🙂 I think I would be looking for another company if I worked there!!
I had developed quite the twisting ache in my gut a while back. If I went outside and lay my belly on the ground, the damp grass—minutes later—relief! Don’t have it happen anymore. Yahoo!
Hugging trees—quite the phenomenon also!
Nice article and comments!
Thanks for sharing….and the world becomes a bit better, piece by piece!
Happy healthy to all!
Lori says
I have severe chronic fatigue and finally bought the premium introductory earthing set (which includes a half sheet) to help with my severely disturbed sleep. I have used it 3 days. I think I thought I too would be one of those people that fell asleep immediately. I did not. But what did happen is a huge increase of energy. It still took awhile to fall asleep, I still wake up several times a night, BUT I don’t feel the extreme lethargy of before when having a bad night of sleep. This extra energy has caught me off guard. I’ve been so bad off that I have trouble caring for my children, cooking GAPS, and just existing at times, and this IMMEDIATE extra energy has been wonderful. And I’ve only used it 3 days, I am very excited to see more improvements. And compared to the amount of supplements I must take to just not be bedridden, the $169 cost is a pittance over the projected 4 years of use. And the book does just say to go outside barefoot to get the same benefits of however long you manage to be outside. If someone doesn;t want to spend the money. To some this may not be an answer. But to think there are no repercussions of humans moving into an artificial living environment of a modern house (artificial light, heat, cold air) after tens of thousands of years of hominids being in direct contact with the earth, is frankly, quite silly.
HOLLY COLLINS says
finding this very interesting,but the link o finding earthing supplies yakes me nowhere. Can you supply the link?
Thanks for all you do,
holly
KristenM says
The link is still there, under the Personal Care heading. If you have JavaScript disabled, or are using an ad blocker, you will not see the link, however. You need to disable your ad blocker for that page, or enable JavaScript in order to see the link.
sherry snyder says
I would like to purchase the grounding sheets to try for ourselves. Only, I don’t see them listed on your resource page. Help! Please!
Thanks, Sherry
KristenM says
Please see my comment to Holly above.
robert w svetlik says
I fit the pattern of an earthing retard. Where can I get plans to make one of these grounding sheets for myself, as I am an inventive type. If I can make it, I don’t have to buy it and save oodles of money I don’t have. Thanks.
KristenM says
I don’t know of any plans you can buy, but it seems simple enough. Sew a sheet out of conductive fabric (fabric that has a conductive, metallic thread woven throughout it). Use conductive thread to do your sewing. Attach a conductive snap or grommet to the sheet, then extend a wire from the snap to an electrical ground (like the third prong of your outlet, or possibly even the real ground outside your window). It was my husband’s original goal to make the sheet for me. He thought he could buy all the materials for about $60.
Leslie says
I think this is so interesting also. If you really think about the science of our bodies and how electrical impulses work etc. it makes total sense. You might want to read Live Food Factor. I’m in the middle of the oh 700 page book now and it is so interesting and eye opening a lot of science that is mind blowing. Love your info. keep it coming. Thanks
Christy Allen, L.Ac. says
As a Licensed Acupuncturist and Oriental Medicine doc for 17 years, I see everyday the benefits of a balanced and vital electrical field – and many people don’t realize that this is precisely what Acupuncture does. Skin resistance (discussed in the comments above) is punctuated by lowered resistance (and therefore increased conductivity) at acupuncture points – thus, they become efficient/effective portals for regulating the inner flow of the electrical field…to re-regulate organs, clear pathogens, relieve pain, etc. I’d suggest that anyone who has lingering problems after following the great suggestions in “Earthing” and at this site (the sheets, the mats, etc) consider having a good Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine practitioner do some “custom” work on you, to help you achieve your best grounding!
Joe says
Have you ever tried having an acupuncture patient receive acupuncture while grounded? It would be interesting to see if that improves the treatment!
AwedGirl says
I am a barefoot runner and I can testify that there are very noticeable and substantial benefits to running barefoot and walking around outside barefoot. It is too cold in the winter to run barefoot (for me, anyway) but during the summer I train for ultra distances running barefoot and my mind always seems to be much clearer and there is a marked increase in my energy. The sheets are way out of my price range so I will be sticking with the barefoot running–I just wanted to let y’all know that though the benefits of being barefoot for 30 mins-3 hours a day may not be as much as the benefit of the sheets, there is still a great advantage to all aspects of your health in spending time outdoors barefoot or otherwise in contact with the earth. I have to do a lot of writing and communicating everyday and during the spring and summer when I can start my evening’s work off (because I am a natural night-owl, it is a personality thing not an adrenal issue) with a barefoot run I come home full of ideas with my thoughts fully organized. This is not the case during the winter when I have to run on a treadmill at the gym. Anyway, all that to say–even if you can’t afford the earthing sheets you can still improve your health by spending some time in contact with the earth. Thank you so much for posting about this. I learned about earthing a year ago but have told very few of my friends about it because I know they will just write it off as another one of my crazy-crunchy quirks. But now I can just refer them to this article. =)
Brian says
Earthing is great. However, keep in mind that when you connect an earthing device to your home’s electrical grid, there is a good chance that you will be doing more harm than good by increasing your exposure to dirty electricity, which is even found on the ground circuit. My approach is to do earthing as naturally as possible, and definitely do your homework on dirty electricity before buying a device which you plug in.
Gina Witt says
Why not just invest in a little bit of time, and spend it out-of-doors, grounding yourself every day naturally? Making time to go out and consciously ground yourself on a daily basis is stress management at its simplest and most elegant. Reconnect to Mother Earth in a natural way – with your hands, feet, and body.
Christine says
Rats – I use Firefox which doesn’t seem to support Java. Can’t see the links. No adblocker…
Christine says
So Kristen, do you find earthing sheets to be comfortable/soft to sleep on?
PS: found the link through Google for earthing sheets
Shakerag Susan says
Is anyone else grossed out by the idea of walking barefoot? I mean, I grew up in the country, but never walked outside barefooted because of dire warnings of getting scratched feet and ringworm and tetanus. I know that was a bit exaggerated, but I really can’t imagine making myself walk barefooted on bare dirt- maybe pavement, but not dirt.
Meghan says
When I was growing up it was hard to get shoes on me during the summer! My feet were filthy all the time 🙂 Looks like they’re going to be that way again!! I often take my sandals off in the summer when I’m outside, but now there’s major incentive to always do it. I’ve noticed that when we’re camping, if my arm is right on the floor of the tent, I’ve slept better. Makes perfect sense now! My husband has some sleep problems and we just got the half sheet. I hope it does some good. He also works with computers, so he’s going to start using a wristband at work.
This also makes it make so much sense with why you feel so great when you take a shower. How many times have you said you feel “human” again after taking a shower–especially after a long trip! (or taking a dip in the lake, ocean, river, etc, when you reach your destination).
I can hardly wait for spring now!
[email protected] says
I have this book on my list to get and read. This seems very fascinating!
Nickole
Alison says
If you have no idea what you are doing, do NOT plug things into electrical outlets.
The safer way would be to wire the earthing sheet to the actual earth.
Also: re dirty electricity- electricity is energy, it can’t carry pathogens or chemicals with it. (Not the dirty electricity from coal fired plants)
Kurt says
This is so fascinating! I’ve been recently experimenting with pH water. I’ve been using a 9.5 pH water for the past 6 weeks. about 5 months ago I had my cortisol levels checked and low and behold I had issues my cortisol was too high! I then had my thyroid checked because I had no energy and my libido was shot. I recently had blood work done to confirm what I already knew. By creating a neutral pH in my body I had restored my thyroid and my cortisol was normal! I’ll try grounding my bed, that is so cool! Thanks for this! If you want to know more about the pH water let me know [email protected]
Kay says
I was all set to buy the half sheet until I read all the Amazon reviews that said they wear out in a few months and the customer service is lousy. Then I found this site:
http://www.lessemf.com/index.html
MUCH cheaper! Lots of different conductive fabrics, and all you have to do is attach an Alligator Clip (sold on the website very inexpensively) If you can’t sew or don’t have a machine, you may be able to take the fabric to a dry cleaner and just have a hem put in. Then do what people did before fitted sheets were invented… do an old fashioned “nurse’s corner”.
They also have wrist bands for less than $10.
Kay says
I was also wondering about this whole house system. If it does the same thing, $300 to take care of the whole family would be a lot cheaper and easier than buying sheets for everyone. Can anyone explain the differences between the systems? I don’t really understand all the electrical explanations.
http://www.emf-health.com/earthcalm-homeprotection.htm
Margaret says
All these people keep saying “just go barefoot” but what about winter?? There’s a half a foot of snow outside today and it’s in the 30’s. There’s no way I can get bare skin on the earth without freezing that part of my body. Just doing bare feet inside to put on the earthing mat is difficult enough in cold weather (my feet get cold). And what about people that have to work in an office during the day, and in the winter, there is so little sun that it’s dark and cold outside both before and after I go to work. I ordered the Earthing kit, which just came today, hoping it will help my health problems–I’ve been home sick since early January. I find it interesting that last winter I was also sick in January and it took 3 months to fully recover–Jan, Feb, March are cold and snowy where I live, making it difficult to get outside and connect with the earth. Sometimes we get warm spells in the winter but this February has been pretty much cold and snowy or extremely windy all month (yesterday wasn’t snowy but we had hurricane-force winds all day, making it impossible to go for a walk outside).
Sevi says
I’m not spending loads of money on special sheets. I will get my family outside, garden, walk barefoot, do yoga outside… all very cheap and effective. You have to make time to have a more “grounded” lifestyle, that’s the problem.
Andrea says
Wow! This is so neat! I love learning new things.
Bijou says
I think grounding is so very important, I have had my life turned around by Biophoton treatments in which you can measure if you are in a spin inversion or “not grounded” . Bare feet are a good way to ground, so is sitting in a chair and feeling the chair and your feet on the earth. Howeve,r I am opposed to plugging in anything, sheets, electric blankets anything that has an electromagnetic field. Tho’ it may measure grounded, its field can, and usually does, put your own energy in a spin. It is not natures way of grounding you and I believe and the ones who have taught me believe it is harmful.
Stormy @Maoomba says
Almost 20 years ago, I had someone tell me I needed to spend more time barefoot outdoors – to better access the earth’s energy. Because I like to go bare foot – more than anything else, I took her advice. I have no health claims or evidence that it has helped me in any way. It just makes me feel good to be outside on the grass, working in the garden, or running in the sand in my bare feet. : )
Jonathan says
It’s easy to make a safe, DIY earthing device. Here are the instructions:
http://www.naturesplatform.com/earthing.html
Patty says
Hi. I just got interested in grounding and bought the wrist straps. They did some good, but my cats chewed the wires them in half. Do groungng straps for shoes do the same thing, or do they have to touch your skin too? Thanks, Patty
Cindafuckingrella says
Really interesting article, I feel wiser already. Thanks for translating the “woo” into something I could relate to. I do like to walk barefoot on grass and have been known to hug a tree but when it gets too “chrystal-healing-hippie-ky-yeah” I get turned off.
So thanks! I’ll share.
Missina says
My unbelieving husband surprised me with a sheet for Christmas. I have been battling adrenal fatigue and slight thyroid issues. They had been getting better with acupuncture, but my sleep schedule and insomnia was still a mess, always flipping around and waking up multiple times a night but sleeping all day long just fine. The first night I tried the sheet, I had already slept that day, but somehow I fell asleep in about 20 minutes and did not wake up until morning. My sleep has been regular and on track ever since, and the slight pain in my knee from an injury no longer bothers me. I attribute the better rest to the sheet, absolutely!
leslie says
Hi Missina, I too battle with adrenal fatigue and am just learning about Earthing. I’m so glad to hear as of February that it was working for you. Can you let me know if you’ve continued to see improvement? As you know, it’s such a struggle and every little bit helps. Thanks.
shellie says
Your link – (Where to find earthing sheets and other earthing products.) contains no info. Have you removed the info for a reason?
shellie says
errg. ok, have disabled my ad blocker, pls forgive my inability to pay attention.
NMG says
So, would “earthing” work on outdoor hard surfaces? Concrete? Tarmac? What about natural surfaces – rock, brick (clay), tiles…?
Just curiously skeptical.
I feel better playing about outside in bare feet, but that also means it’s warm enough to be outside, probably not raining, and I’ve not got errands to run – 3 very relaxing factors in themselves!
Karen Talamantez says
Well, it’s just going barefooted and touching the Earth, right? I’ve been doing it all my life – over 50 years. I rarely wear shoes, even outdoors, and I prefer to garden with no gloves on. I think it is silly that someone had to make up a name for it and pretend like it is a “discovery”, though.
Molly Zin says
Wow, this is intriguing. (And I’m a huge skeptic about things like this.) Many years ago I had a dentist who was into natural healing ideas. He had a magnetic cover on his dentist chair. Getting my teeth worked on had always been a nerve-wracking, tense experience for me, but I actually fell asleep as he worked that time. I was amazed! I wonder if the magnets in the chair and this earthing have the same effect?
Rebecca says
I recently got a grounding mat but it is pretty small… not good to sleep on, since it is tiny and when I move my feet, it gets all messed up. However, the nights I HAVE successfully slept on it, I was able to sleep soundly. I may have to look into getting a sheet.
Cortisol is my problem, too. My cortisol levels spike during the night (I have no problems falling asleep but staying asleep is my issue, I am always up between 1-4am).
Another issue is that you have to make sure you have grounding outlets. There are only two of them in my WHOLE HOUSE that we are renting. The earthing kit should come with a cute tester to plug into your outlets and the lights should come on if they are grounded properly.
Boholistic Mom says
So if the positive ions are the trouble, what about the salt lamps that supposedly give off negative ions. Will this neutralize the environment? What about other things that are supposed to provide negative ions, will they provide this grounding or neutralizing of the sleeping area? Thanks for your ideas 🙂
carol says
What happens when you use an electric blanket?
Lizzy says
I find this very interesting. I suffer from Adrenal Deficiency/Addisons and I wonder if this would help me. My adrenals do not function at all. I use Florinef and Hydricortisone daily for my cortisol balance.
Veronica says
I’ve got a bed made from concrete, does it help, the mattress is cotton.does it help in anyway?
Veronica says
Please answer me. I need to know.
make money today says
We stumbled over here coming from a different website and thought I might as well check things out.
I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to
looking into your web page repeatedly.
Mary Rawick via Facebook says
YES!
Lori Winter via Facebook says
Kerah Winter – this is a great article!
Shannon Dorman via Facebook says
Laurie Peck Nickell
Kerah Winter via Facebook says
Interesting! Thanks for sending! 🙂
Laurie Peck Nickell via Facebook says
Interesting! You know what is really bad for adrenal fatigue? Benedryl!! It’s really bad!!
Sarah Grant via Facebook says
Earthing is amazing 🙂
Tara says
What is you have flat cortisol that is low all the time? I had to take cortisol at night to sleep because my body was not making any. I wonder if it would help or hurt
Richard says
Actually the positive ions don’t go back to the earth. Rather the electrons from the earth neutralize the free radicals (usually positively charged) seeking to pair their unpaired electron and thus eliminating inflammation.
Here is a poster I did at a couple of major integrative medicine conferences if interested and helpful.
https://restorativemedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slides-for-Earthing-Natures-Original-Anti-Inflammatory-2018-compressed.pdf