Choosing the Right Mattress
It is recommended on average that we change our mattress every 7 years, however how do you choose the right mattress for you. It needs to offer comfort and support, but also promote good health be long lasting and most important of all one that gives you a great night’s sleep.
Here are some tips to help you choose…
1) Lie down on the mattress. Slip a set of keys under the small of your back. If you can feel the keys, the mattress is too hard. Then try sliding you hand under your back and if you find it difficult then the mattress is too soft.
2) If your previous mattress was very soft, do not change to an incredibly hard mattress. You are over compensating. If hard was best we would all sleep on the floor.
3) It is important to get a mattress that will support the curves of your body. Your spine should stay straight so the mattress must give around your shoulders and bottom. Mattresses with visco-elastic filling are very good at achieving the optimum support. Visco-elastic is the most shape forming of mattress fillings and is especially good at supporting ‘pressure points’ on the body.
4) We sweat around 1 to 2 pints of sweat during the night. Choose a bed that allows for good evaporation. Look for mattresses that have air vents and a good quality cotton damask cover. A recent innovation is “coolmax” mattress covers that work in the same way as sports tee shirts. A slatted bed base will also help mattresses stay aired and dry.
5) Take into consideration that a base can alter the support that a mattress offers. Some divans come with sprung bases and some bed frames come with flexible slats. Springs in the base act as shock absorbers and greatly increase the life of a mattress. They also make the bed feel slightly softer.
6) If you and your partner are different weights it is worth looking into a super king size bed frame that can accommodate two single mattresses of different spring tensions that are “zipped and linked” together. The heavier you are the firmer you need your mattress to be so this offers a solution without compromise.
7) Constantly woken up by your partners shifting and twitching? Two single beds will do the trick but if you cannot accommodate a super king size bed in your bedroom proprietary spring mechanisms can alleviate the problem. Models such as Silentnight’s Miracoil and Sealy’s Posturepedic have twice as much springs that are less interconnected than a standard mattress. The net effect is less partner disturbance.
8) If you suffer from allergies or asthma be aware that it could be aggravated by your mattress. No mattress will be hygienic after ten years use so sometimes you just have to replace it. Some mattresses claim to be hypo-allergenic, however you ought to take the claim with a pinch of salt. Avoid natural fibres where dust mites prosper. Feather pillows should also be avoided.
9) Once you have purchased your mattress ensure maximum longevity by flipping it over and turning it around.-
Posted by David Buchanan
22nd January 2021