The evidence
What the research says. What it doesn’t.
Grounding, or earthing, is the practice of keeping the body in electrical contact with the earth. The idea is old; the studies are recent and small. We link the papers, say how many people were in them, and tell you where each one stops.
How the sheet is meant to work
The earth’s surface holds a small negative charge. Inside a building on carpet and rubber soles, the body sits at a slightly different potential, and a multimeter between your skin and the earth pin of a socket shows a reading of a volt or two. The sheet is organic bamboo woven with silver thread, connected by a cord to that earth pin. Skin on the sheet closes the circuit and the reading drops to near zero. No power flows; the earth pin is a path out, not in. What that drop does for sleep is the open question the studies below try to answer.
The papers
Three studies, with their limits.
Pilot study, n = 12
Twelve adults slept grounded for eight weeks. The authors observed night-time cortisol rhythms moving toward a normal pattern, and most participants reported sleeping better and waking with less pain.
Twelve people, no control group, self-reported sleep. A starting point, not a proof.
Review
Sets out the proposed mechanism: direct contact with the earth's surface charge and its effect on the body's electrical state, with a survey of the small studies to that date.
A review of a hypothesis under study. It gathers the evidence; it does not settle it.
Review
Reports observations on inflammation markers, immune response and wound healing in grounded subjects, with thermal imaging case reports.
Preliminary, small samples, several authors with commercial ties to grounding products.
What we don’t claim.
That grounding treats, cures or prevents any condition. It is a wellness product, not a medical device.
That everyone feels something. Many customers feel nothing on night one and describe changes in week three; some describe none. That is what the 90 nights are for.
That the studies are large or independent. Most are small, several authors sell grounding products, and the field needs bigger trials.
That a certificate is a health claim. OEKO-TEX and RoHS test the fabric for harmful substances. They say nothing about sleep.
Wellness product, not a medical device. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. Individual experiences vary and research into grounding is ongoing.
Run your own test.
Every grounding product ships with a tester pen. Plug in, touch the pen to the fabric, watch the light. It is a conductivity check, not a health test, and it is the one measurement you can make yourself on night one. After that you have 89 more nights to decide.
For the sceptic
The study list, with the tester video, in your inbox.
The three studies above with their sample sizes and limits, the video of Jade running the pen on her own bed, and the 90-day returns terms in one email. Read it on the train and decide later.