The Top 5 Things You Should Know: Comfort: Today mattresses do not have to be hard-as-a-board to be good for you. You will sleep best when your shoulders and hips are supported by the comfortable and cozy support provided by today’s new luxurious cushioning materials. Support: Correct support is a key part of maintaining a healthy body. You should select a mattress that supports your body at the hips and shoulders so that your spine is held in the same shape as a person with good standing posture. Durability: It’s the quality of the materials used and how they are put together that determine how long a mattress and foundation will provide the comfort and support you bought them for. The best assurance of quality performance over more years is to buy the highest quality sleep set you can afford. Space: A healthy sleeper changes position 40 to 60 times per night! A too small sleeping area can turn your night into a wrestling match. If you sleep with a partner be sure to select a queen or king size. Both are wider and longer than the standard “double”(full size) mattress. Warranty: The warranty is provided to protect you against product defects, not the gradual loss of comfort and support. Don’t look to the warranty to tell you how long to keep your mattress. A sleep set may be usable after 15 or twenty years, but not giving you the good night’s sleep you deserve. |
Good health
and sleep are closely related. Just as we improve our eating habits
for better health, we should also improve our sleeping habits for
better health. Sleep debt is a costly problem, both physically and
fiscally. Four out of every five people suffer from back pain, and
studies show that we are not as productive or safe as we should
be when we do not get enough rest. Back pain is a close second to
the common cold as the most frequent cause of lost work time.
Sleep should be a priority and not just a negotiable need that is determined by our busy schedules. Good sleep not only lessens costly back problems but also helps to prepare us for a more productive, alert, and safe day ahead. Poor sleep and back problems are like the "chicken and the egg" question. Which came first? Are backaches the cause of lack of sleep, or does lack of sleep cause back problems? Both may be helped with the right mattress.
The number one myth about mattresses is "harder is better." No single sleep surface is right for everyone. Therefore, a store that carries a varied selection of comfort levels from a top mattress manufacturer is the place to start. Variables such as body temperature, sleep position, and lighting should be taken into account. Mattresses come in plush, pillow-top, ultra plush pillow-top, firm and cushion firm. And all these comfort levels are just that – comfort levels. This is different from support level. Support level has to do with the coil count and coil construction. The proper support may be achieved in all of the different comfort levels. Whether you sleep on your stomach, side or back will determine the comfort level on which you will sleep better and longer. And that is the goal. Everyone has natural curves in his or her back. Usually, the harder the surface, the more the back has to drop out of alignment to meet the mattress. The optimal mattress has enough padding to support your back without allowing it to drop out of its natural alignment. A plush mattress with good support will do just that. Most people sleep about one-third of their life. What else do you do for that amount of time that affects the other two-thirds of your life? We think nothing of spending a few hundred dollars on the latest gadget that only comes with a one-year warranty. But many find it appalling to spend $600 - $700 on a new mattress that comes with a 10-year warranty. This same mattress, if picked properly, will give you many nights of great sleep and, ultimately, more productive days. Value is relative, but when you think of using an item every day, 365 days a year, for 10 years, a good quality mattress for about $700 is costing a little less than 22 cents per day. Shopping for the best value doesn't mean finding the lowest price. Bargain bedding, is no bargain when it comes to getting a good night's sleep. Buying the best you can afford is a healthy investment in yourself. If you aren't satisfied with your current bedding, there is a proper support mattress out there for you. It is important to remember that how you sleep at night generally determines how you will feel the next day. |
The
lower back region is the most common area for back pain because
it bears the wear and tear of bending, lifting and stooping. A
good mattress supports the back and allows the muscles to rest
and rejuvenate during sleep. Poor sleep does not allow this to
happen, nor does a poor sleep surface. Experts recommend mattresses
that offer superior support without being too hard. The bottom
line is: the right mattress is very important to overall health.