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I’ve always envied people who sleep easily. Their brains must be cleaner, the floorboards of the skull well swept, all the little monsters closed up in a steamer trunk at the foot of the bed. ― author David Benioff in “City of Thieves”
It’s possible that people who sleep easily have the best mattress for their body support, comfort level and sleeping style. They probably also have their lights, televisions and cell phones turned off and the dog on its own bed.
Filler for mattresses has ranged from leaves, grass, corn husks and horsehair to feather and wool stuffing. And money for safekeeping, though thieves might look there first, along with the freezer for cold cash.
Beds to hold mattresses addressed pest protection and the ease of getting into and out of a bed. Real comfortable, better-for-you mattresses came along in the 1860s with the addition of inner-spring coils. The box spring was invented a few decades later, as was the fold-in-the-wall Murphy bed.
Mattress Basics
The mattress industry in the U.S. reaps close to $20 billion a year, and it’s on the rise with most quality mattresses costing more than $1,000. Queen bed mattresses account for almost 50% of the market, with twin, twin XL, full/double, king and California king sharing rest of the market revenue.
• Innerspring: Firm, traditional feel, good edge support, steel coils for bounce, decent air flow.
• Hybrid: Combination of coils and foam (memory foam, poly foam or latex), durable mix of support, bounce and contour.
• Memory Foam: Contours to body shape, good for side sleepers and pressure relief, great movement isolation.
• Latex: Natural or synthetic rubber, naturally cooling, bouncy and breathable, cooler than memory foam.
• Gel Grid. Open structure for excellent air flow, soft and supportive.
• Airbed: Chambers of air with controls (some dual) to customize firmness.
• Pillow-top: Plush topping sewn atop the mattress for extra softness.
• Organic. Natural, ecofriendly materials inside and out, like organic wool or cotton.
• Water bed: Hanging on from the ‘80s, the new ones have better heaters and stronger materials. Still they can leak, are not permitted in many rentals and can be challenging to get on and off or to get any sleep with another person.
The box spring under a mattress contributes to the longevity of the mattress with air flow and support that eliminates sagging. It also absorbs shock and raises the mattress to a comfortable level. Platform beds are good for memory foam and many hybrid mattresses and provide the same support if a bit more firm without the extra air flow.
Buying Basics
Take your pillow and take your time purchasing a mattress. Plan to lie down on it for 10 minutes in each position – back, stomach, each side – and evaluate comfort in your body, especially your back. Scootch close to the edge to check if it dips and you might fall off. Sit on the edge and test support. If you sleep with someone else, then climb on together and move about, roll over, see how motion on one side affects the person and mattress on the other side.
Before you go, cruise through the “mattress quiz” on Virginia Furniture Market’s website, vafurnituremarket.com. It’s quick and easy and offers best choices for a mattress for you. And you get a free pillow in the store, just for taking the quiz and showing up to claim it!
The tricky part of choosing a mattress is not being able to see what is inside. Most reputable mattress dealers will have small samples of interior construction. Innerspring mattresses have more air flow, reducing trapped heat, while foam ones offer more stability, i.e., isolating the motion of one sleeper.
Firmness is often a personal choice involving best alignment for sleeping style and weight. For heavier folks, the medium-firm to firm models offer the best support and least sagging long-term while maintaining spinal alignment and reducing pressure points.
Flipping over or rotating the mattress twice a year helps prevent sagging or dip spots where a body rests in the same place every night. It’s easy to remember if you connect it to going on or off daylight savings time. Box springs may last a bit longer than mattresses, but it’s wise to replace both at the same time, about every 10 years, for optimum support and comfort.
A good mattress contributes to sleep quality, which can directly impact everything else in life – mood, productivity, energy, creativity and more. And if you need a little jingle as you crawl into bed, try this one:
Good night
Sleep tight
Wake up bright
In the morning light
To do what’s right
With all your might
And … don’t let the bed bugs bite
But if they do
Take a shoe
And beat ‘em
‘Til they’re black and blue.
