A good night's sleep is worth a million bucks, but a mattress doesn't have to cost a fortune. In Consumer Reports' latest buying guide, the organization tested 12 mattresses from companies like Ikea, Sealy and Costco, and found that some of the more expensive ones actually weren't exactly top-notch, while those with a lower price-tag didn't always mean low quality. For example, the $1,200 ComforPedic Loft Crestwood Luxury Plush was ranked lowest, while the $780 Beautyrest Glover Park Firm Pillowtop was the best in conventional, innerspring mattresses. But the biggest discovery? That the descriptions used to label a mattress' firmness mean nothing. "The only way to determine if the cushiness and the firmness is right for you is to lie down on the bed and try it for yourself," said Consumer Reports Expert Shopper Tod Marks. "Don't get seduced or sucked into terms like 'ultra-plush,' 'super-plush,' even 'cushion-firm.' They aren't standard terms and vary from mattress maker to mattress maker.
Still though, where can a shopper start? offers a good list of what you should look for in a mattress, such as testing in your sleep position. And in a previous buying guide, we found that mattresses with continuous coils offered the most comfort. Head on over to Consumer Reports for even more eye-opening findings. In time meantime, click through our slideshow to find out the effects of sleep deprivation. Have something to say? Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram. Do you have a home story idea or tip? (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)Sleep matters -- so much so that six in 10 Americans crave sleep over sex. And the key to rest that's good enough to forgo sex just might be the mattress: Nine in 10 respondents in a sleep survey cited their mattress as an important factor in getting that coveted good night's rest. In 2010, Americans spent more than $5.8 billion on mattresses and box springs alone. But is this expense justified?
How important are mattresses, really? Read on for the low-down on how mattresses affect health and sleep quality. 13 Legit Ways to Stop a Hangover The Most Common Yoga Injuries and How to Avoid Them 13 Social Good Mobile Apps for a Healthier You Mattress Matters -- The Need-To-Know The first "mattresses" (read: piles of leaves, grass or straw covered in animal skins) were invented by cave men and women. Thousands of years later, the Egyptian pharaohs discovered the luxury of raising the bedding off the ground (though common folk continued to sleep on piles of palm fronds). Today, many Americans enjoy the luxury of mattress-induced sleep. Even those who aren't up on their mattress history know the value of a good night's sleep. The average person spends about one third of her or his life sleeping. For those who sleep less than that, sleep deprivation can have serious health consequences, including a sour mood (what college student doesn't know this to be truth), slower metabolism and impaired immune function
There are lots of great tips for coping with sleep deprivation, but what if the cause is right under our backs? Low-quality, uncomfortable mattresses have been linked to sleep discomfort and pain, and chronic pain can prevent quality sleep. Fortunately, it's not all bad news. While mattresses can hinder sleep quality, they can also improve it. Improved “bedding systems” (a fancy way of saying “things you sleep on”) have been linked to decreased pain and discomfort, especially in women. Quality sleep on a good mattress may also help decrease stress. The experts we spoke to said it basically comes down to personal preference. If we're comfortable, we have a better chance of sleeping well, and if we sleep well, we're more likely to stay healthy. Better Bedding -- Your Action Plan When it comes to purchasing the perfect mattress, it turns out there are a lot of mixed messages out there. Some research suggests that foam mattresses create backaches; others say foam helps pain.
Some studies advocate for regular cotton mattresses while others say coils create backaches and that airbeds are the way to go. There's even controversy over the conventional thinking that a firm mattress is better for lower back pain. The reason for all this controversy is that sleep quality and comfort are so darn subjective. When buying a mattress, the most important consideration is probably personal comfort. In fact, some people argue that if something else besides a mattress proves more comfortable to sleep on, we should go for it. If you do find yourself in the market for a new mattress, there are still some useful tips to keep in mind. Follow these guidelines for a better shot at getting that elusive good night's sleep. Have you reaped the benefits of a good night's sleep on a comfortable mattress? Do you sleep better without a mattress? Any mattress horror stories? Share 'em in the comments below! Thanks to Joyce Walsleben, David M. Rapoport and Nicole Lehman for their help with this article.
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