Finding the best mattress and box spring can be confusing! At The Original Mattress Factory, we provide you with all the information you need to know to make an informed buying decision and simplify the mattress shopping experience. We encourage you to learn more about our products and be sure to consider comfort, support, durability and size when making your decision. In other words, we want you to shop, but shop smart! And we think you’ll find our honesty, no hassle sales approach and organized showrooms a refreshing change! The following lesson plan has been created to help you learn more about shopping for a mattress and box spring. You may follow the lessons in order or skip to the lesson that interests you most. Please note that this information is meant to be used as a guide and should not be thought to include everything you need to know about mattresses and box springs. Since everyone’s definition of comfort is different, we strongly encourage you to visit one of our showrooms and test our mattresses yourself so that you may find the size and comfort level that’s right for you.
Is It Time to Buy a New Mattress? Much has been written about the importance of sleep to the quality of our daily lives. As a matter of fact, most adults sleep between 6-8 hours a night, or about one-third of their lives! Now that you’ve determined you need a new mattress, it’s time to start shopping! Different brands, models and prices often make buying a mattress an overwhelming experience. Don’t let yourself get exhausted or confused! Finding the best mattress and box spring doesn’t have to be so hard! Common Pitfalls of Mattress Shopping Due to the variety of brands, models, features and prices available, shopping for a new mattress set can be confusing. Some mattresses and box springs include special features that can provide you with additional benefits or provide value through enhanced comfort, performance and/or durability. Select the mattress question that interests you most or scroll through our entire list of Frequently Asked Mattress Questions.
We will spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, so it makes sense to spend time, thought and money on which mattress we buy. The right one, say Deane Halfpenny – a consultant in musculoskeletal pain medicine – and osteopath Rehana Kapadia, can ensure you are not only more comfortable, but healthier, too. Kapadia recommends investing time trying them out. “Some people just go into the shop and press them to see how they feel, ” she says, “but I would say you should lie down for 20 minutes on each one. If you just hop on and off, it’s hard to imagine how you will feel after an eight-hour sleep.” Halfpenny agrees and says spending as much as you can afford on a bed is a good long-term investment in your health – especially when they typically last between seven and 10 years. “In sleep studies where you observe patients through the night, you see how much we all move when we sleep. But if you are uncomfortable, you move constantly and your sleep is not as restful as it should be.
“Undisturbed sleep is important because of the fluctuating hormones that are released when we sleep. Disturbed sleep disrupts these patterns. Our bodies are constantly breaking down and rebuilding, and restorative sleep allows your muscles to relax and improves blood flow – [especially] to the discs in your back, which normally have poor blood flow. If your muscles are tense, you won’t get that restorative blood flow.” Kapadia advises choosing a mattress that is supportive as well as comfortable. “Patients often think they should be getting a firm, orthopedic mattress. But, actually, if your mattress is too firm, you can end up with hyperlordosis, where the arch in your back is exaggerated.” Instead, you should think about a mattress that is soft enough to allow you to sink into it, while firm enough to support you. “It’s about surface area and pressure,” says Halfpenny. “The more of your body that is in contact with the mattress, the less pressure on your shoulders or hips.”
Halfpenny says that, if you choose the right mattress, whichever position you sleep in will be comfortable and healthy. She says the optimum position for sleep – to avoid back problems or ligament strain – is on your side with your knees bent. This is because it allows your body – from the back of your head, through your neck, spine and pelvis – to align. “Even without pillows, your neck, spine and pelvis should be in line, so that you aren’t twisted, or turned in on yourself,” she says. “If you sleep on your front – it doesn’t matter how good the mattress – you will twist your neck and back; your head will be turned to the side and your leg probably twisted up. Even sleeping on your back with your legs straight can put strain on your lower back.” She says that, although many people think they have little control over the positions they adopt in their sleep, it is possible to train yourself to sleep on your side – and doing so is a good idea to avoid long-term back problems.
However, because our shoulders and hips are our broadest points, even lying on your side on a too-firm surface can throw this alignment out, says Kapadia. “You can get a lumbar spine sag, meaning your middle will drop into a U shape, stressing the spine ligaments, which can press on your nerves.” So, for eight hours, your ligaments will be working instead of resting. As a result, you can wake up feeling achy instead of rested. “This is why you need a bed that will allow your shoulders and hips to sink in, then your waist and side are supported.” In fact, Kapadia suggests taking a friend bed-shopping with you to check your alignment as you lie on a bed – or even taking a photograph to show how well you are supported. The worst mattresses, Halfpenny warns, are the old, soft ones, which dip like hammocks in the middle, curving your back. Another tricky issue is buying a mattress for a couple, as each person may have different needs, thanks to their different shapes and weights.
“You don’t want one of you to sink in and the other to be bouncing on the top. It’s about surface area and pressure. You need to sink in at first, and then be supported.” Halfpenny says choosing a bed with breathable, natural materials can improve your sleep quality – so that you don’t get too hot and sweaty in the night. But, for those with allergies, Kapadia suggests trying out a bed with natural latex instead. It’s also worth thinking about a bed with a slatted base so that air can circulate, or one with pocket springs to match the mattress. For older patients, and those who find it hard to get in and out of bed, getting a higher base can also help. If you are on a very tight budget and can’t afford the mattress you want, buying a decent one and adding a mattress topper for extra comfort can help. Finally, don’t forget to think about pillows, say the experts at John Lewis. If you sleep on your side, you might need a firmer one, to fill the space between the side of your head and shoulder.
If you are on your back, you need a softer one to keep your neck in line with your spine. Anyone sleeping on their front needs a very flat pillow. But Halfpenny has a final warning: even when you successfully find the perfect bed, your problems might not be over. The pain specialist says he spent more than £4,000 finding the right mattress for himself and his wife, and hours researching it. Although now he can happily sleep for 10 hours at a time, there is one drawback – going on holiday or to visit family is torture. “I just want to get back to my mattress!” £2,050 in a kingsizeDeane’s top choice Rehana: This is really high end. My body is nicely supported so my lower spine is not being pushed down or up. It can be short-sighted to buy too cheap a mattress – try to buy the best you can afford. Deane: This is fantastic. Not too hard or soft. R: Memory foam like this moulds to your body, but some people find they can get very hot. It’s not very breathable and it retains a lot of heat.