Why put soap under your mattress? This might not make any sense to you, but putting a soap bar under the mattress can give relief from restless leg syndrome and leg cramps.
Even though there isn’t any scientific explanation backing this up, according to many people, putting soap under the mattress or bed sheet helped them with RLS and leg cramps which is a neurological disorder.
Not only that, according to people, a soap bar under the mattress also keeps bed bugs away.
However, many experts have many opinions about the authenticity of these theories and how they actually work. And in this very article, we will be coming clean about why should you sleep with soap under your mattress.
Why Put Soap Under Mattress?
As discussed earlier, there are three major reasons why many people slide soap under their mattresses or bed sheet before sleeping. And now, we will be diving deep into those.
Restless Leg Syndrome & Leg Cramps
In case you are not familiar with this, it is also known as RLS. Leg cramps and RLS is pretty much the same.
Restless Leg Syndrome is a neurological disorder that makes a person’s leg cramp when they are trying to relax or sleep. And according to some people, putting a soap bar under the mattress does give relief from RLS or leg cramps.
Doesn’t make any sense, right? We know that it looks illogical as there isn’t scientific data backing this theory up. But what shook the experts was a Twitter poll.
Between 2007 – 2009, Dr. Jim Sears from The Doctors conducted a poll on Twitter where more than 41% of people voted in favor of the soap giving relief from leg cramps and RLS.
Not only that, in 2010, on The Dr.Oz Show, the host Dr. Mehmat Oz even suggested a specific soap for curing restless leg syndrome. The soap he suggested was Lavender soap. According to him, this soap works like crazy for RLS.
How Does It Work?
Since there isn’t any research-based evidence, experts have different opinions on how soap works in treating Leg cramps and RLS.
Some say soap is rich in magnesium content, and since magnesium deficiency is one of the reasons behind leg cramps, it helps.
But exactly how the soap’s magnesium content reaches inside the body that’s yet to be uncovered.
On the other hand, another theory that seems to be a little logical is the Placebo effect. It is a dummy or fake treatment, just a mental game.
When a patient believes that a certain treatment will cure the illness, in most cases, due to that belief, upon taking that treatment, they heal.
So it is like, a person has a strong belief that soap will cure their RLS and leg cramps, so it does!
Lastly, another theory is the smell of the soap is what does the trick. And it is an accepted theory that is proven by research as well.
Research has been conducted on menstruating females who had severe cramps, and the result was the smell of the soap did reduce the cramping to a good extent.
The soap smell created an Antispasmodic effect which helped with the cramping. By far, it is the only logical explanation!
Keeps Away Most Kinds of Bugs
Putting a soap bar under the bed sheet or mattress can keep bedbugs away. And again, there isn’t any scientific research proving this theory. But many posts on the internet tell how soap bars keep bugs away.
Not only under the mattress or bed sheet, but people are also using it on the porch, garden, and other areas as well.
That being said, not every soap bar works well; there are some specific ones, and Irish Spring soap is one of the best.
How does it work?
The most acceptable explanation is some bugs don’t like the strong scent of the soap, which is why they stay away from the area.
Irish spring soap bar has an invigorating smell; it is an extreme scent for bugs as well as some larger animals like deer, rabbits, squirrels, etc.
Where to Keep the Soap for Better Results?
If you are thinking about using a soap bar to treat restless leg syndrome or leg cramps, you can slide the soap under the mattress near your pillow. And it is also okay if you put the soap under the bed sheet near the pillow.
Wherever you position it, make sure you can smell the soap since the scent is what seems to help with these issues.
And if you are using soap to keep away bugs, you can put the soap anywhere you want.
It would be better if you could take a net bag, put the soap inside and let it hang somewhere. If you grate the soap before filling it into the net bag, that will work better.
For bed bugs, you can keep the soap net bag under the mattress.
Conclusion
Even though it feels weird, the people’s vote is in favor of soap bars treating restless leg syndrome, leg cramps, and keeping away bed bugs.
If you were wondering why put soap under your mattress, this guide must’ve answered your question.
