The best mattress for sleep20th February 2016 We spend a third of our lives in bed and whether this time is spent sleeping soundly or tossing and turning can depend quite heavily on the mattress you have invested in. Lying on any part of your body for an extended period of time, reduces the flow of blood through the blood vessels on that part of your body thus depriving your skin of the oxygen and nutrients it needs. Your nerve and pain sensors then send a message to your brain telling you to turn over. Rolling over restores the blood flow to the area but also briefly interrupts your sleep. In an ideal world, your mattress should reduce the pressure points on your body and in turn give you a better night’s sleep. However, every body is different and finding the best bed or mattress is a very personal thing. The mattress market — it’s personal The most important thing to consider is your personal comfort. Look for a mattress that fits your body (it is supposed to conform to the spine’s natural curve and distribute pressure evenly) and feels comfortable.
Front sleepers — firm mattresses are good as they keep your spine aligned. Back sleepers — Medium mattresses are good as they provide spine, neck and back support whilst keeping you comfortable. Side sleepers — soft mattresses are good as they provide support and contour to your body’s curves. Made from a single piece of wire looped into springs, the open coil mattress is considered one of the more affordable mattress types. However, as they are made of a single piece of spring, the springs move as one unit making them less responsive to your body and tossing and turning may disturb your partner. The 3000 springs sewn into individual pockets makes it possible to customise the mattress to different tensions. The individual springs also offer good support and the customisable tension means two people can have their preferred firmness. However, pocket sprung mattresses can be heavy to turn and are made with natural materials which may cause problems for people with allergies.
Made from a white liquid produced by rubber trees. Latex foam can mould to the body shape, is durable, cool and good for allergy suffers. It has a rather solid feel so not ideal for people who preferred a cushioned sleep and cheap versions can get lumpy quite quickly. Topped with a layer of temperature sensitive viscoelastic material originally developed by NASA, memory foam mattresses take the pressure off joints thus increase circulation. They also allow the sleeper to just sink into bed. They can however, get warm quite quickly.Think about what you like and what kind of sleeper you are.Shop for best value not lowest price. You spend a third of life lying here and sleep and the quality of it plays a large role in your general health and wellbeing. The better the support and comfort, the longer the bed will last and the happier and more rested you will be.A larger bed means less disturbance if you are sharing with a partner — you should be able to lie side by side, arms behind your head and elbows out but not touching.
Your bed should also be 10–15cm longer than the tallest partner. – Try before you buy. Sleep test your mattress for at least 20 minutes in your sleeping position to get a better idea of the comfort and support it can offer you. – Sleep on it. It can take a couple of nights to fully adjust to your new mattress so don’t despair if the first few nights aren’t perfect. – Check the return policy. A lot of mattress companies offer a certain number of night’s sleep, ensure you take advantage of this ‘cooling off’ period. So how do you know if it’s time for a mattress upgrade? – Are you having trouble sleeping? – Are you having a painful night’s sleep? – Is your mattress showing signs of wear and tear? – Are you getting a more comfortable night’s sleep elsewhere? – Is your mattress older than 7 years? Remember to rotate your mattress at the start of every season (or every three months) alternating between end-over-end and side-over-side rotation.
Mattresses can wear unevenly from people sleeping in the same position every night, flipping the mattress helps to alleviate that problem, making for a more comfortable night’s sleep. A handy guide to help you flip your mattress. Find us on Twitter @sleepkokoon to share your hints, tips, struggles and successes. You may also like How to sleep on a plane The best yoga poses for sleep Relax, breathe and take a bath! Footwear and Back Pain Getting a Good Night’s Sleep Golf Tips to Avoid Back Pain Avoiding Back Pain on Vacation Keeping a Healthy Posture Pain Prevention for Athletes Yard Work and Back Pain Housework and Back or Neck Pain Swimming and Back or Neck Pain Back Injury Prevention Tips Staying Active in the Winter Staying Active While at Home Staying Fit while Avoiding Injury Depression Caused by Back Pain Office Chairs and Ergonomics Jobs That Might Cause or Aggravate Back Pain
Recreational Sports That Might Aggravate Back Pain Running and Lower Back Pain The Effects of Smoking on Spinal Anatomy How to Quit Smoking Medications to Quit Smoking Back Pain and Computer Use Back Pain during Travel Ways to Relieve Stress Ever wonder why you sometimes go to sleep without spine pain and wake up with an achy back? Chances are you’re not sleeping on a mattress with proper spine support. Because we spend about eight hours out of every 24 in bed, it’s extremely important that we practice correct spinal alignment as we sleep, just as we would try to have good posture while sitting or standing. Tips for mattress buying If you’re one of the millions of people who experience neck or back pain due to a ruptured disc, disc protrusion, spinal stenosis or arthritis of the spine, you should remember that spending eight hours in a position that puts added stress on any component of your neck or back will only exacerbate these conditions.
Below are a few tips for selecting a mattress that can help you get a good night’s sleep. Get a medium-firm mattress. While many people say you should get an extra firm mattress, these can actually be too firm and might not allow your spine to settle into a neutral position. Look for a mattress with lumbar support. The lower back is the area of the back that is most prone to degenerative conditions, so a mattress should “cradle” this section of your back, thereby encouraging proper posture even while sleeping. Consider an adjustable bed. This type of mattress will allow you to get support from your head to your toes, including under-the-knee support, pelvic support and upper back support. Buy a pillow with cervical (neck) support. This will allow your neck to reach a neutral position and will mitigate stress on the other regions of the spine.You could do hours of research on the best types of orthopedic mattresses, but nothing can compare to your first instinct when you lie down on a mattress and feel completely comfortable.