The average adult requires between seven to nine hours of sleep per night in order to remain healthy in the long term and to be alert and productive each day. However, more than forty percent of Americans are chronically sleep deprived and, therefore, at risk of everything from a weakened immune system, to less productivity at work, to creating a hazard while driving or operating machinery, to simply enjoying less satisfaction from life. Beyond ensuring that you are giving yourself enough time to achieve an adequate amount of sleep, you also need to make sure you are creating the conditions for quality sleep. Sleep that is frequently interrupted or conditions in which the deeper sleep cycles that naturally occur during circadian rhythms cannot be achieved is not nearly as productive as protracted periods of deep, restful slumber. In fact, nine hours of fitful sleep may be worth less than six hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep. To make sure you are providing yourself ideal sleeping conditions, remove as many distractions as possible from your pre-bedtime routine.
That means turning off the TV and the computer (and the smartphone) at least a half hour before you sleep so your eyes and brain can wind down from the stimuli. Make sure the room in which you sleep is quiet, or else is filled with a steady sound created by a fan or white noise machine that can help drown out other sharp sounds that might wake you. A proper bedroom should be free from light, including even the glow of the clock; turn your clock away from your face to reduce the light it shines on your eyelids and to resist the urge to check the clock every time you wake or when sleep is long in coming. Ensure your bedroom is cool and temperate with proper circulation and ventilation. And finally, you must make sure you have a comfortable bed on which to sleep. If you need to spend a night or two on a friend's couch while you travel, that's one thing; in general, though, you should spend every night on a supportive, comfortable mattress. Hard as it may be to believe, that could well be an inflatable air mattress given the quality options available today.
It's a great idea to keep an inflatable air mattress at home at all times. When you have an air mattress, you always have another bed at the ready, and that's good news for houseguests or for yourself. If your regular mattress becomes unexpectedly compromised by spilled liquid, a popped spring, or any other issue, it's far more pleasant to spend the night on an air mattress than it would be to sleep on the sofa or the floor. Likewise, when you have guests show up (expected or not), you can provide them a comfortable place to sleep with minimal effort. If you live in an apartment or a smaller home, having a dedicated guest room may be out of the question. In such a situation, an air mattress is the perfect way to maximize the efficient use of your home when you need to provide extra sleeping surfaces that can be tucked away into an attic, closet, or even under another bed when not needed. If you are selecting an air mattress for your home, then its weight and compressed size will likely not be an issue.
Opt for the most comfortable option that fits your budget, keeping in mind that even the more expensive, self-inflating air mattresses with built in pumps and leak-proof designs still cost only a little more than a hundred dollars, with $125 being about as much as you'll ever spend on a queen-sized air mattress. It's quite affordable to be a welcoming host with gracious and grateful guests. If you're choosing an air mattress that you'll use during travel, then weight and inflation options take on a new level of importance. If you are a camper who will be carrying the air mattress over any notable distance, then weight suddenly becomes the most important consideration and should be weighed first, so to speak. Weight is also a factor when loading a vehicle for car camping or a cross country drive, of course, but it is of much less concern in that case. Next, you must consider an air mattress's inflation method. Many high-quality air mattresses have built-in air pumps that plug right into any standard outlet.
If you are in a cabin or tent without an outlet (or a generator), those fancy pumps are absolutely useless, though. Other options can be inflated by electric pumps that hold a charge, and these are a great idea for limited-term use. Most air pumps won't hold a charge suitable for inflation for more than a day or two, and may only provide enough power to fill your air mattress once. Look for an option that can also be inflated using a hand pump. The extra effort required to pump air into your mattress manually will more than pay off when you can inflate the unit at will in any location.Having an air mattress in your home can make your life a little more convenient. You’ll have the perfect place for overnight guests to rest their head, even if you don’t have space for a spare bedroom, and you won’t worry that you or your kids need to give up your own beds for those guests. An air mattress is also great for taking with you on camping trips. You can avoid getting a crick in your neck or feeling your back hurt because you won’t need to sleep on the hard ground.
The top 10 best air mattresses show you some of the best models you can buy today. Give your kids an excuse to invite a friend over for the night with this inflatable air mattress. Its twin size is just the right size for kids, teenagers or single adults. Flocking added to the top increases its comfort and keeps guests from slipping off, and it features a built-in pillow right on the top. Use the built-in pump to completely inflate or deflate the entire mattress in just three minutes. Make camping more comfortable than ever before with this air mattress, which sits lower to the ground and inflates in just a few minutes. A larger valve on one end helps you quickly remove the air when packing up at the end of your trip. The mattress comes with its own air pump for quick inflating and two matching pillows that you can inflate with the same pump before going to sleep at night. With this air mattress from Serta, you can turn any room in your home into a room for overnight guests.
It comes with a built-in primary pump that lets you turn the knob to inflate the mattress at night and quickly deflate in the morning. A second pump on the end of the bed monitors the mattress to keep track of the air pressure inside. Serta also included a matching travel case for convenient carrying and storage. When you sleep lower to the ground, you may feel slightly uncomfortable because you don’t get the support that you need. This air mattress from Intex lifts you 18 inches off the ground and provides your back and body with the support that you need for a restful night’s sleep. With its built-in electric pump, you can deflate or inflate the whole mattress in around four minutes or less, and it has a border around the edge to keep you from falling out. Perfect for dorm rooms and kids’ bedrooms, this inflatable air mattress works in two different ways. When folded up, it looks just like any other couch and even has a flocked surface that feels soft and smooth against your skin.
You can then fold down the top cushion to turn this couch into an air mattress. Capable of sleeping up to two people, this mattress features valves for inflating and deflating. Keep your toddler safe while traveling on vacation or when staying with friends with this air mattress built just for kids. A large border that runs along the sides prevents your child from rolling out of bed, and that border also lets you tuck in standard size toddler or crib sheets. It comes with its own electric pump that can inflate the bed in less than a minute. With a soft flocked cover on top, you might find this inflatable bed so comfortable that you use it all the time. Though it does come with its own pump, you’ll need to plug that pump into the wall and click it into the mattress before inflating. Channels built into the top function in the same way as the coils in your own bedroom mattress do to increase your support and keep you more comfortable while sleeping. Never again worry about your bed going flat and you waking up on the floor with this Never Flat model.
A built-in monitoring system keeps track of the air pressure inside the mattress and automatically turns on throughout the night to add more air as needed. Keep this queen size mattress stored safely in the included travel bag. Feel comfortable all night long with this deluxe inflatable mattress from Intex. Designed for use inside the home, it features a waterproof flocked mattress topper with a built-in channel that keeps guests from rolling over the sides. The built-in pump completely inflates the bed in four minutes, but you can add more or less air to get the firmness and support that you want. Intex includes a matching travel bag too. With this Never Flat bed in a full size, you can let up to two guests sleep comfortably in your home. The suede top feels unbelievably soft and does a great job of keeping your sheets from slipping off in the middle of the night. It features both a built-in pump for fast and convenient filling and a monitoring system that will pump in additional air if it detects the mattress lost any air during the night.