For anyone who needs help with this: last time I had to battle the bugs, my research led me to CimeXa, a brand of "silicon aerogel". I understand it's both much safer and much more effective than diatomaceous earth.
I'm not sure how well it did in our infestation because we caught it very early, possibly with only a single bug. But I was impressed by the research.
I'm currently fighting bed bugs and am using diatomaceous earth spray to make my bedroom toxic to the bugs. It seems to be working but I'm worried about the effects of the spray on me.
What I would do if I had bugs again
1. clean and remove everything from the bedroom, find a bed frame that is easy to clean
2. get a special cover for the mattress
3. vacuum the room and clean the sheets at high temperature as often as possible
There is food-grade diatomaceous earth (an anti-caking agent) which is completely safe for humans. But the whole idea of it is it's very jagged little dead sea creatures that tear insects to shreds, so breathing it is not advised.
I'm not sure how well it did in our infestation because we caught it very early, possibly with only a single bug. But I was impressed by the research.