Knowing how to pick your perfect mattress can mean the difference between a peaceful slumber and a sleepless night.
Slipping into bed after a hard day’s work should be something that you look forward to, not something that you dread because of the lumps and bumps in your bed. Whilst there are many things that can keep you from drifting off to sleep at night, your mattress definitively shouldn’t be one of them.
If you’re left constantly tossing and turning at nights, then perhaps it’s time to dump your old mattress and go to bed with a new one.
Shopping
Shopping for a new mattress shouldn’t be a rushed process. You should try out each mattress you like, laying across the bed (with your partner if you sleep next to someone) to get a feel of how it responds to your body. Some people prefer a firm mattress in order to add extra support, whilst others like something they can sink into.
We spend around a third of our lives sleeping, so make sure you pick something that you’re truly happy with.
When you finally find the one you like, why not take the search online and compare the prices across the web?
Sizing
It’s not just your comfort that should come into consideration when shopping for mattresses. Beds can come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s important to remember that you need to factor in the size of your bedroom, and bed frame, during the shopping process.
There’s no point in buying a mattress and then having it hang off the edges of your bed, or having no space to move in your room because your mattress is too big. Make sure you measure up all the space available to you, and you know the exact size of everything you need to know before you buy anything. You want to consider buying a bed that’s at least 10cm taller than the person who’s going to sleep in it to give you plenty of room to move about at night.
From a single to a super king, you’ve got to compare the space you need against the room you actually have, and pick something that fits perfectly.
Types
Generally speaking, there are four common types of mattress you’ll encounter when browsing the stores.
Continuous and open coil are the usually most basic type of mattress available. Fitted with a single looped wire, or several fixed together springs, they don’t other much in terms of comfort, but are very reasonably priced.
Pocket sprung mattresses have bed springs sewn into individual pockets of fabric, which means each coil is able to separately absorb your weight. These provide slightly better support and comfort, especially if two people are sharing the bed.
Latex and foam mattresses are ideal for allergy and asthma sufferers as their material doesn’t attract dust mites. Crafted from durable foam, they provide cool, breathable bedding whilst moulding to the shape of your body.
Memory Foam mattresses are popular due to their mouldable qualities. They are able to shape themselves to better fit the contours of your body, and thus offer superb support. This much-loved extra support tends to come with a price tag though, and these mattresses can often cost more than their alternatives.
Health
If you suffer from pre-existing injuries, sleeping on the wrong mattress may serve to make matters worse. The perfect mattress should help relieve the stresses that are put on your body whilst you sleep, instead of keeping you awake with aches and pains every night.
You need a mattress that isn’t too solid or too soft, and instead provides the right level of firm support. Many swear by orthopedic mattresses to ease their pains, but others may find these too firm to be comfortable.
To test if your mattress is the correct firmness for you, lie down and slide your hand under the small of your back. If it fits perfectly then the bed is just right. If there’s too much space, or if you can’t get your hand under at all, then the bed is too soft or hard respectively.
Hopefully this information provided a handy guide, but it’s important to remember that in the end it’s up to you to decide which mattress is right for you.