You live in an era where there are countless things that can disturb your normal sleep cycle. Whether it is your long to-do list for the next day or it the Instagram feed that scrolls to infinity, there is always something that is bothering you. Only the right mattress can ensure that no matter what your concern is, nothing can keep you from enjoying a peaceful night’s sleep.
But with the plethora of options out there, it can be quite difficult, confusing, and frustrating to choose the best mattress that suits your purpose. For this, you need to know the material composition, price, quality, and a host of other factors that can play an essential role in helping you choose the right mattress. But before getting into all these, it is necessary for you to determine when it is the right time to get your mattress replaced.
When Should You Get Your Mattress Replaced?
Several factors determine whether you need to get your mattress replaced. These include –
The Mattress Has Been Used for More Than Seven Years
Some mattress types, such as airbed and latex mattresses are more durable and less susceptible to wear and tear than other mattresses. Also, sleeping habits determine the durability of a mattress. The general rule of thumb is that you should consider replacing your mattress after every seven years regardless of the warranty offered by the manufacturer.
You Experience Frequent Body Aches and Pain
Certain mattress types are known to provide better support than others, regardless of their usage period. If you begin to wake up with pain and discomfort on your body or pressure points that didn’t bother you earlier, you should consider purchasing a new mattress, even if your current mattress is new.
The Mattress Contains Deep Indentation or Significant Sagging
All mattresses are prone to indentation and sagging in areas where the sleeper has higher weight concentrations. Both impacts can undermine the support of the mattress, causing discomfort to the sleeper, in which case it would require a replacement.
Your Body Has Changed Since You Bought the Mattress
The change in your body weight can change how you feel sleeping on a mattress, as essential factors like support and firmness are often decided based on your personal preference. Moreover, medical conditions like sleep apnea may require you to replace your mattress that was specifically designed for back sleepers.
You Just Need an Upgrade
Irrespective of the period for which you have used your mattress, it is sometimes better to get an upgrade. About two-third of mattress owners have expressed their satisfaction after replacing their old mattress with a new one.
Sleep Positions Influencing Your Choice of Mattress
The position in which your body gravitates to during the night acts as a major determining factor in your choice of mattress. Remember that the amount of firmness to accommodate you comfortably will be determined by your body weight.
Back Sleepers
The firmness requirement for back sleepers is more a matter of taste and subjective than a necessity. A medium-firm mattress that will support the curve of your lumbar spine to avoid the buildup of pressure on your hips and upper back while sleeping should be the best choice.
Side Sleepers
Pressure relief tends to be a crucial factor for side sleepers as the entire body weight is pressing on a narrow surface area as compared to sleeping on your back or stomach. Since the line of the body tends to be curvier in this position, a memory foam mattress should work the best to prevent the buildup of pressure under the shoulders and hips.
Stomach Sleepers
The bulk of the body weight is concentrated around the hips making the area sink deeper than the rest of the body in this position, leading to a loss of optimal spine alignment. A firmer mattress that has enhanced support or zoning through the middle will be the perfect choice for stomach sleepers.
Maneuverability
Most sleepers keep on changing their positions during the night, commonly referred to as “combination sleepers.” These sleepers experience a problem with a sinkage that can impair the ability of the body to move effortlessly. A gel memory foam mattress will help to strike the perfect balance between sinkage and holding up the body.
Different Types of Mattresses
The type of mattress that a person chooses depends on his personal preference. While there are several variations in the type of mattress the commonly available ones are as follows –
Memory Foam
These types of mattresses are known for their pressure relief, body contouring, and great support. Although memory foams have a bad reputation for sleeping hot, many advanced quality memory foam materials have been developed to include cooling properties.
Best for: Sleepers who are looking for body shaping, pressure relief, contour, and support. Not all memory foams are created equal. This is a good option for sleepers who prefer a more pronounced hug than many latex or hybrid mattresses.
Latex
These are built exclusively from latex foam and are popular for their comfort, cooling properties, bounce, and great responsiveness.
Best for: Sleepers who want foam in their bed but want to avoid that pronounced hug and contour that often comes with a memory foam mattress.
Coils
Sometimes referred to as innerspring mattress, these have one or more layers of spring coils that provide the much-needed comfort and support to the sleeper. With the advancement in technology, the number, layer, and types of coils keep on changing. A larger number of coils indicate better support and comfort.
Best for: Sleepers who want a spring feel or traditional coil in their mattress with strong edge support.
Hybrid
These are manufactured from a combination of memory, latex, polyurethane foams, coils, and other material. Hybrid mattresses are designed to maximize certain pros and minimize a few cons.
Best for: Sleepers who are looking to get the best of all the different mattress types. These mattresses are a good choice for many of the sleepers.
Adjustable
As the name suggests, these mattresses can change with the change in the sleeping position of the sleeper. Some of these even have features like vibrating, heating, or massaging the sleeper.
Best for: Sleepers who are experiencing certain medical conditions, snorers, older sleepers, and those with chronic back pain.
Different Mattress Sizes
Your decision to choose a specific mattress size will be influenced by a variety of factors, like how much space you have, growth expectations, body size, etc. Some of the standard-sized mattresses are as follows –
Twin size: This 38” x 75” mattress size is appropriate for children who have outgrown the crib as it offers adequate space for their body to grow. Also, adults with space limitations can consider this size of the mattress.
Twin XL: With a size of 38” x 80”, this size bed is commonly seen in dorm rooms to save space besides accommodating slightly taller sleepers. Slightly expensive than the regular twin beds, this mattress is perfect for sleepers who prefer room while sleeping.
Full: This 54” x 75” mattress is perfect for singles who prefer to spread out while sleeping or couples who do not have bedroom space to accommodate a bigger sized mattress.
Queen: The 60”x 80” mattress tends to be more popular than most models. It offers its users with plenty of space to stretch out and can easily fit into any bedroom.
King: If you have a large bedroom or need to share your bed with kids and/or pets, you should go for a 76” x 80” bed. This is among the largest of most brands that offer adequate room to sleepers.
California King: The largest among mattresses, this 72” x 84” mattress, is appropriate to accommodate sleepers with exceptional height.
In this context, it is important to note that the size of the mattress will vary for some companies.
The Things That Bother Your Sleep
Although these factors are not as important as the ones listed above, these also have a significant influence on your decision to choose the best mattress. This includes –
Excessive Heating or Cooling
The composition of the mattress or the amount of sinkage will determine how hot or cool it will be for you throughout the night. The more traditional ultra-dense memory foam offers exceptional warmth, while the conventional innerspring beds are typically the coolest ones. Innovative technologies like gels and phase-change materials may revive the traditional feel.
Weight or Mobility
Though a much-overlooked concern, heavy mattresses may be harder to place in your room or cause difficulty in lifting corners to put sheets on the bed. Many reputed brands disclose the weight of their mattresses. Take that into account and invest in a delivery service to help you move the same to your desired location.
Allergens
If you suffer from allergies, make sure that your bed isn’t keeping you awake at night with sinus and sneezing pressure. Many brands offer hypo-allergenic materials or microbial features to help people with such discomfort to sleep easier.
Noise
Some bedding materials are known to produce undesired noise that can cause disruptions to your peaceful night’s sleep. Innerspring mattresses are interconnected to each other that can make squeaky noise when used and can be a concern to sleepers who are sensitive to sound.
Factors Necessary to Ensure Comfort And Support
The ultimate objective of a mattress is to provide the best ratio of comfort and support to its users. Several factors determine the degree of comfort and support experienced by an individual using a mattress.
Firmness
Beds with enhanced comfort systems may feel less firm than those with an enhanced support system. Sleepers who are considerably heavier will find a product softer than those who are lightweight, mainly because of their ability to press through layers. The extra-soft mattresses are rated as 1 while the extra firm ones are rated 9-10.
Thickness
The height of a mattress varies for different brands. The entry-level choices are thinner and simpler in their designs than the taller and more luxurious ones. If you experience problems getting in and out of bed, you should avoid going for an exceptionally tall mattress.
Sinkage
The materials from which the mattress is made and your body weight will determine how deep you sink into the mattress. A bed with a deeper sink will provide more pressure relief than one with a gentle cradle. If you prefer to sleep cool at night, you should go for beds with less sinkage and vice-versa.
Pressure Relief
This is typically delivered by the softer material at the top of the mattress that conforms to the curves of the sleeper. Those who are excessively curvy often experience sore joints are should go for mattresses with an enhanced comfort system.
Spine Alignment
While you lie down on your bed, you should ensure that your spine is in a neutral position, i.e., the position when you are standing up straight. If you feel curved or awkwardly bent, go for mattresses that include zoning to optimize sleep posture.
Edge Support
Whether you are sleeping alone or with a partner, a mattress that has reinforced edges will allow the sleeper to stretch out comfortably while getting the desired support. If you are the one who wants to utilize the optimum amount in a small bed or prefer to sit on the edges, then you should consider this feature.
Motion Transfer
Beds which cannot movements are more likely to cause disturbances to your sleep, especially when you have a partner who tends to change positions a lot during sleeping. Memory foam mattresses tend to perform exceptionally well in this category, with traditional innerspring performing poorly.
How much should you invest in your mattress?
The budget for a mattress is solely dependent on the buyer. With so many companies building exceptional mattresses at a reasonable rate, consumers can set a modest budget and attempt to buy a great product. Experts reveal that a budget of $1000 is ideal for purchasing a standard-sized mattress. But if you want to go for a King or California King bed, you need to increase your budget slightly higher. However, it is highly recommended not to fall for the cheaper products quoted at $500 or less.
Expensive does not always mean better products. So, you should try to identify brands that sell at a cost-effective rate by cutting costs in the supply chain and selling products exclusively online.
Where Is the Best Place to Buy A Mattress?
One of the essential tasks of buying a mattress is to choose the medium of purchase. The available options for you to choose from include –
Online sites
There are scores of options for you to choose from if you go for the online sites. The best part about shopping online is that you get to shop for the product of your choice from the convenience of your location. Also, it cuts down on the cost as there is direct contact between the manufacturer and the buyers. However, the only drawback is that you don’t get to check the product before buying it.
Departmental Stores
Most departmental stores have a decent collection of mattresses that will be enough for a person to choose from. But you must physically visit the store to grab the product of your choice. Also, you might need to pay a bit more than online marketers.
Mattress Specialty Stores and Furniture Stores
There are outlets that deal only with mattresses. The local shops vary extensively from high-end boutiques to small vendors trying to compete with the bigger ones. The advantage of shopping from these physical outlets is that the salespersons dealing with the operations of the shop will be well-trained and knowledgeable to provide you with any kind of queries that you may have while purchasing a mattress. However, prices tend to be higher in comparison to online marketers.
The Bottom Line
Now that you know everything about buying a mattress feel more confident and empowered as you start your shopping journey. If you have any specific concerns or sleeping issues, consult any professionally trained expert in this field to get your queries rightly addressed. Happy Shopping!