The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 1

The Ecological Footprint

Of Sleeping

Joseph Gadomski

The Richard Stockton College

Of New Jersey
 The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 2

Table of Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Sleep.............................................................................................................................................................. 4
Sleep, by the numbers .............................................................................................................................. 5
An Environmental Overview of Sleep ........................................................................................................... 5
Cotton ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
Polyester ................................................................................................................................................... 7
Ecological Footprints ..................................................................................................................................... 7
Cotton ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
Polyester ................................................................................................................................................... 9
Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 10
Appendix I. .................................................................................................................................................. 11
Appendix II. ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Appendix III. ................................................................................................................................................ 13
Appendix IV. ................................................................................................................................................ 14
Appendix V. ................................................................................................................................................. 15
Reference List.............................................................................................................................................. 16
 The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 3

Abstract
Everyone sleeps. The activity of sleep is needed by human being to function in everyday

life. Sleep can be overlooked by many but can consume anywhere from one-quarter to half of

our lifetimes. This makes understanding what materials used in our beds important. The

cultivation of cotton and production of polyester are important for textiles including blankets,

sheets, and pillows. These materials have environmental impacts from carbon dioxide emissions

to water consumption to land use. We must understand these implications and how they can

affect our lives. Cotton is a major crop grown in over 90 countries. It is used to create many

textiles used by people every day. Polyester is an artificial fiber used in clothes, sheets, and

many other fabrics for its durability and flexibility. This product is petroleum based and is not a

renewable or sustainable solution to our needs as a society. TO understand what each of these

materials contributes to our livelihood and the sustainability of the planet, one must create an

ecological footprint.
 The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 4

Sleep

Many people are not aware of the environmental impacts of their daily activities. Some

may acknowledge that driving an SUV is bad for the environment. However, every single

activity that human beings are part of, have some kind of consequences to the environment

surrounding them. Sleep is one of those activities. Many will not think of sleep having an

ecological footprint or any kind of environmental impact. These impacts, however, may not

always be direct, but still can have major environmental consequences.

Sleep, as defined by Dictionary.com, is “to take the rest afforded by a suspension of

voluntary bodily functions and the natural suspension, complete or partial, of consciousness;

cease being awake.” (sleep, 2011) This is a naturally occurring process in human beings and

other animals and has been said to be mandatory to maintain a healthy body and mind by many

scientists and researchers. Stefan Lovgren of National Geographic News states that “Sleep

experts say the average adult requires seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Anything less may

harm their health. Sleep deprivation could affect mental alertness, impair the immune system,

and even, increase the risk for diseases like diabetes... Sleep is a biological need, much like food

and water. If totally deprived of shut-eye, humans ultimately perish.” (Lovgren, 2005).

Sleep is the time that the human body can rest and recover from the stresses, both

mentally and physically, that are put forth on the body throughout the day. The University of

Chicago Medical Center states that “lack of sleep has long been connected with reduced ability

to concentrate, trouble learning, decreased attention to detail an increased risk of motor vehicle

accidents.” (University of Chicago Medical Center, 2006).

 The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 5

Sleep, by the numbers

Starting in 2003, the Bureau of Labor statistics has conducted time use surveys under a

project called the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). These surveys include data about work,

leisure time, and most important to this paper, sleep data.

According to the most recent study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the age

group of 20 to 24 year old males and females get an average of 9.4 hours of sleep per night.

(ATUS, 2009) See Appendix I. There can be great variations in sleep data when looked at by

age group, thus the calculations are based upon the age groups in which I reside. A table shown

in Appendix II illustrates this variation.

Calculations showing daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly hours of sleep were completed

to show the amount of time people perform this activity. These calculations were also linked to

show percentages of sleep as compared to the total time in the day. Appendix III contains these

assumptions.

As the tables verify, the average 20 to 24 year old spends about 39.2 % of their day

sleeping. This is a very large part of the total time allotted to them during the day. This also

reinforces the fact that sleeping can have a large environmental impact. Hence, it should be a

priority to understand the ecological footprint associated with sleeping and to determine what

can be done to reduce this footprint for a necessary activity of human beings.

An Environmental Overview of Sleep

Sleep, in itself, is not a terrible pollution source or a harmful factor to the environment.

However, the materials associated with sleeping create a large ecological footprint that cannot go
 The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 6

unrecognized. Some of the materials that are used in the act of sleeping include cotton and

polyester. Steel and wood are also used in producing the bed frames and mattress. There are

many, many more, however, the focus of this paper is based on the ecological footprints of

cotton manufacture and polyester production.

Cotton

Cotton is the basic material used in producing most of the materials on a bed. The sheets,

pillow covers, bed spreads, blankets and comforters are usually made from cotton.

Dictionary.com defines cotton as “a soft, white, downy substance consisting of the hairs or fibers

attached to the seeds of plants belonging to the genus Gossypium, of the mallow family, used in

making fabrics, thread, wadding, etc.” (cotton, 2011) Cotton is material used for many different

manufactured products including bedding and clothing. It is cultivated in a number of countries

including China and the United States.

China and the United States are the top two producers of cotton in the world,

respectively. The United States produced 17,559 thousand bales of cotton in the 2003/2004,

China produced 25,500 thousand bales, and India produced 12,500 thousand bales.

(Nationmaster, 2003) One bale is equal to 480 pounds of cotton, bound into a large block. Of

these 17,559 thousand bales, 12,000 thousand were exported from the United States to other

countries for manufacture. (Nationmaster, 2003) India uses the largest about of land in

cultivating cotton at 7,790,000 hectares of land while China and the United States use 5,110,000

and 4,860,000 hectares, respectively. (Nationmaster, 2003) Appendix IV depicts the processes

raw cotton undergoes before being refined enough for used in creating fabric.
 The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 7

Polyester

Polyester is a chemical produced material through the refining of oil. This synthetic

material is used mostly in pillows and blankets. This material is used due to it stretching ability

and is variety of uses as a fabric. Dictionary.com defines it as “a polymer in which the

monomer units are linked together by the group –COO--, usually formed by polymerizing a

polyhydric alcohol with a polybasic acid: used chiefly in the manufacture of resins, plastics, and

textile fabrics.” (polyester, 2011) Thus, polyester is not a naturally occurring fiber, but one that

is produced through a chemical reaction. “Polyester is the most widely used manufactured fiber

in the United States. Woven polyester fabrics are used for apparel and home furnishings. These

include bed sheets, bedspreads, curtains and draperies. Polyester fiberfill is also used to stuff

pillows, comforters and cushion padding.” (Nationmaster Encyclopedia, 2011) It is produced is

numerous countries including the United States and is usually combined in fabrics with cotton to

produce a more naturally feeling material. A table in Appendix V shows the complex process of

producing polyester fibers.

Ecological Footprints
Cotton
“Cotton is very land efficient, meeting 36% of the world’s textile needs on 2.5% of

agricultural land resources.” (Cotton, Incorporated, 2009) This effective use of land, however,

still affects its global ecological footprint, due to the large amount of land required. A basic

measure of ecological footprints is to determine the global hectares required to sustain a lifestyle

or activity. The calculated global hectares required for cotton varies between 3.00 gha and 3.57

gha. About 2.50 gha are calculated from the land required to grow cotton, 0.5 gha is from the
 The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 8

emissions and associated factors of fertilizers and the remaining amounts are from processing,

transportation, and cultivating the crop.

Cotton is a high energy crop to cultivate and also takes a large amount of energy to

process in a usable fabric for textiles. Joules are the basic SI unit of measurement and the unit

used for calculating energy use of most processes or movements. On average, cotton needs

between 11,711 MJ and 25, 591 MJ of energy per ton of produced cotton fiber. (Cherrett, N., et

al, 2005) This amount is approximately 80% based on the cultivation practices used in growing

and sustaining the cotton crop. Of that 80 percent, roughly half of the energy used is from the

use of fertilizers and irrigation methods. (Cotton, Incorporated, 2009) In one example, “a total

of 12,929 MJ could have been saved by omitting the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and

intense irrigation practices.” (Cherrett, N., et al, 2005) The other 20 percent of energy use is

determined from the processes used in producing and refining the fiber for use. Interestingly

enough, the cotton seeds can be turned into cottonseed oil and used as biodiesel and has a higher

energy content in joules than is required to grow the crop.

The Carbon Dioxide emitted from cotton is “2.35 to 5.89 kg CO2/ ton of cotton.”

(Cherrett, N., et al, 2005) Roughly 75% of these emissions come from crop cultivation including

the use of machinery and mostly from the application of fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizer is the

biggest offender in this category. The remaining 25% of carbon dioxide emissions are from

resulting production methods. A caveat to these numbers, however, is that during growing

periods, cotton can sequester more carbon dioxide than is used in the process of cultivation and

processing.
 The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 9

As far as water consumption, amounts vary. Cotton in general, needs approximately

9,800 liters, or 2,550 gallons of water per kilogram, for its production each year. This translates

into about 9.15 million liters, or 2.38 million gallons of water needed for cultivation each year as

well as an addition 30 to 200 liters, or 7.8 to 52 gallons of water for dyeing and other

manufacturing processes. This number can be somewhat misleading, however. Some areas that

grow cotton receive natural rainfall and need little to no irrigation. “In the U.S., 64% of cotton is

grown with naturally occurring rainfall.” (Cotton, Incorporated, 2009) Also, numbers vary, but

about one-third of the water used is returned to the soil or local ecosystem through drainage in

the soil or evaporation.

Polyester
Polyester is a man-made material. It is produced from refined products of petroleum oil

and natural gas byproducts. These chemicals are put through different chemical processes to

form the polyester. Other manufacturing processes are then completed to form the polyester

fibers used. Polyester, therefore, is not a renewable or sustainable product as cotton. It can,

however, be recycled and used again in other fabrics and materials including jackets.

Polyester has a moderate size ecological footprint when discussed in global hectares.

Polyester has a footprint of between 1.67 and 2.21 gha. (Cherrett, N., et al, 2005) This

measurement is based purely on the manufacturing process of creating polyester fibers. This

number takes into the basic petroleum oil that is used and the energy required in the process of

creating this fabric.

An amount of 104,479 MJ to 126,700 MJ of energy are required during the

manufacturing process. The energy required to make polyester is around ten times the amount

required to grow cotton. This is due to the processes that must occur to create this artificial
The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 10

material. These processes are complex chemical reactions, which are described in some detail in

Appendix V.

Polyester also has very high emissions as compared to cotton and many other textiles.

“7.2 to 9.52 kilograms of carbon dioxide are emitted for every ton on polyester produced.”

(Cherrett, N., et al, 2005) These emissions come from the refining processes of the petroleum as

well as the natural gas extraction. The processing and chemical reactions also use a great deal of

energy, which in turn produce carbon dioxide emissions.

The impact of water in polyester production is minimal. Many estimates say that less

than one percent of the water consumed in cotton production is used in polyester manufacture.

This is due to the fact that polyester is an artificial material. Also, most of the water used in

processing is in a closed loop system for cooling, so that it is never lost. Also, in the chemical

reactions that occur in polyester product, water is a byproduct to some extent.

Summary
In summation, the use of cotton and polyester fibers contribute to the overall ecological

footprint of all humans. These materials are used in pillows, blankets, and sheets and adorn the

beds of most individuals. Sleep is a necessity to human life and without it; there may be many

unknown side effects. Sleep is a mainstay in a human beings life and the use of sheets, pillows,

and blankets allows us to sleep in comfort. However, the environmental impacts of these

materials can not go unnoticed. They contribute greatly to our lives and we must understand the

implications that they can have on the quality of our lives now and in the future.
The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 11

Appendix I.
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009)
The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 12

Appendix II.
(Smith and Segal, 2010)

Average Sleep Needs

Age Hours

Newborns (0-2 months) 12 - 18

Infants (3 months to 1 year) 14 - 15

Toddlers (1 to 3 years) 12 - 14

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years) 11 - 13

School-aged children (5 to 12 years) 10 - 11

Teens and preteens (12 to 18 years) 8.5 - 10

Adults (18+) 7.5 - 9

The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 13

Appendix III.

Sleep Calculations
My Sleep Habit Assumptions
Nightly Sleep Weekly Monthly Yearly
x x*7 x*30 x*365
9.6 67.2 288 3,504
All data is represented in hours

Sleep Calculations
Average Sleep Times for Age Group 20-24
Nightly Sleep Weekly Monthly Yearly
x x*7 x*30 x*365
9.4 65.8 282 3,431
All data is represented in hours

Total Time Calculations

Hours in a…
Day Week Month Year
x x*7 x*30 x*365
24 168 720 8,760

Percentage Calculations
Time Spent Sleeping as an Activity
Daily Weekly Monthly Yearly
Sleep Hours 9.4 65.8 282 3,431
Total Hours 24 168 720 8,760
Time Sleeping (%) 39.2 39.2 39.2 39.2
The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 14

Appendix IV.
(Cherrett, N., et al, 2005)
The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 15

Appendix V.
(Cherrett, N., et al, 2005)
The Ecological Footprint of Sleeping 16

Reference List
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Average Sleep Times per day, by age and sex. Retrieved on February 27, 2011 from
http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/home.htm

Cherrett, N., Barrett, J., Clemett, A., Chadwick, M., & Chadwick, M.J. Ecological Footprint and
Water Analysis of Cotton, Hemp, and Polyester. Stockholm Environment Institute. 2005.
Retrieved February 27, 2011 from
http://www.organicexchange.org/Farm/Reading%20and%20References/Cotton%20Hemp%20Po
lyester%20study%20SEI%20and%20Bioregional%20and%20WWF%20Wales.pdf

cotton. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from Dictionary.com
website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cotton

Cotton, Incorporated. Summary of Life Cycle Inventory Data for Cotton. (2009). Retrieved on
February 27, 2011 from http://cottontoday.cottoninc.com/Sustainability-About/Life-
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Lovgren, S. U.S. Racking Up Huge “Sleep Debt”. National Geographic News. February 24,
2005. Retrieved on February 27, 2011 from
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/02/0224_050224_sleep.html

Nationmaster. (2003) Agriculture Statistics – Cotton production (most recent) by country.

(2003) Retrieved March 1, 2011 from
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/agr_cot_pro-agriculture-cotton-production

Nationmaster. (2003) Agriculture Statistics – Area – Cotton (most recent) by country. (2003)
Retrieved March 1, 2011 from
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/agr_are_cot-agriculture-area-cotton

polyester. (n.d.) Nationmaster Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 27, 2011 from

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Polyester-fiber

polyester. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from

Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/polyester

sleep. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from Dictionary.com
website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sleep

Smith, M. & Segal, R. (July 2010). How Much Sleep Do You Need?. Retrieved February 27,
2011 from http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleeping.htm

University of Chicago Medical Center (2006, July 3). New Study Shows People Sleep Even Less
Than They Think. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060703162945.htm