Selecting a quality mattress is essential for a good night's sleep. It's crucial to match the mattress to your sleeping style. This buying guide explains the "sleep cycle", why it's important and how to choose the right mattress for you. What Is The Sleep Cycle? Sleep is regulated by your internal body clock. During an average night's sleep you experience four to five complete sleep cycles. There are five stages of a sleep cycle: Stage 1: Relatively light sleep, transitioning from wakefulness and sleep. Muscle activity slows and most awareness of the surrounding environment is lost. Stage 2:True sleep lasting about 20 minutes, the largest part of the sleep cycle. Your body temperature drops, while breathing and heart rates slow down. All awareness of your environment is lost. Stages 3 and 4: Transitional periods between light sleep and a very deep sleep. Blood pressure and body temperature continue to decrease, breathing slows, energy is regained and hormones are released for growth and development.
(After Stage 4 the stages reverse; Stage 3 and 2 sleeps are repeated before you enter Stage 5) Stage 5:Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, which is characterised by eye movement, shallow and rapid breathing, and relaxed muscles. This is when the clearest dreams occur because of your brain's increased activity. Stage 5 provides energy to your brain and body for the day ahead. How Much Sleep Do You Need? Everyone has different sleep needs, but the vast majority of people need between seven and nine hours of quality sleep each night to perform at their peak every day. Light, temperature, noise and an uncomfortable bed can ruin sleep quality. An insufficient amount of quality sleep can cause memory loss, irritability, slower reflexes, and an increase in stress and illness. Losing only 15 minutes of quality sleep can result in as much as a 15% loss of efficiency. Losing just one hour of sleep can increase your chances of having a car accident by 7 to 8%. How Big A Mattress Should I Choose?
It's advisable to choose the largest bed your bedroom can accommodate. The length of the mattress and bed should be 10 to 15cm longer than the tallest person sleeping on it. The table below shows Australian mattress sizes; measurements can vary slightly between manufacturers. How Firm Should My Mattress Be? How firm the mattress you choose is depends on the position you sleep in If you lie on your stomach, a firm mattress will help keep your spine aligned. A mattress of medium firmness is generally best if you sleep on your back. It'll provide support for your spine, back and neck, as well as extra comfort. A soft mattress is best if you sleep on your side because it'll support and contour to your body's curves. What Are the Different Types of Mattresses? A mattress' padding provides the comfort. High-end mattresses use exotic and comfortable materials like silk, wool, cashmere, premium foams and latex. At the cheaper end, materials include lower grades of foam and rebonded cotton fibres.
Spring: Standard inner-spring mattresses comprise of a core of metal springs covered by foam and padding. The springs (also called coils) are the part of the mattress that support you and determine the mattress' lifespan. This depends on the number of springs, their shape, wire thickness, the way they're arranged and the number of turns in the springs. Latex: Mattresses made of latex (natural rubber) are expensive but can be expected to last up to 20 years, around double the normal lifespan of a spring mattress. Latex mattresses are less likely to carry mould and bugs, which is a benefit for allergy sufferers. Memory Foam: A 'memory foam' mattress will keep your shape for a while after you get off it. Also known as 'viscoelastic', this special foam mattress reacts to your body heat and weight, and supports you evenly to help avoid pressure points and bedsores. Foam:It's possible to find higher quality foam mattresses, but many offer little support and shouldn't be slept on regularly.
Instead, they can be an inexpensive solution for occasional use in a spare bedroom. How Do I Test A Mattress? Buying a mattress is an important investment, particularly for your health, so take your time when testing in-store. Lay on each mattress for at least 10 minutes to get a feel for it. When lying down on a mattress, relax into your normal sleeping position. The mattress should support your entire body and take your shape. There should be no space between you and the mattress. If you're lying on your back, your spine should be aligned properly with your body, and there shouldn't be a gap where your back arches. If you're buying a mattress that you'll be sleeping on with a partner, test it out with him/her. A good mattress should prevent you from rolling into each other. The specifications of the mattress are important, but not as important as what you find most comfortable. Select LocationPlease confirm your selectionconfirmchange store selection
Before you start, you might want to consider firstly if you really need to replace your existing mattress and buy a new mattress. If your mattress sags, leaves you unrested in the morning, or is more than 10 years old then you need a new mattress. If your lifestyle has changed or is changing (for example, if you are getting married) this is an excellent reason to get a new mattress. Certain health problems you may have - indeed, many musculoskeletal problems - may benefit from a new mattress. You need not wait until it's really obvious that a new mattress is necessary: the need is usually there long before the signs become obvious. For example, by the time a mattress actually sags, it has already long since worn out. 1. Put comfort first - your comfort. 2. Lie down to test whether you want a soft or firm mattress. 3. The correct size for you. 5. Your bed base is important. 6. Which mattress material type is best? 7. Stay away from allergens. 8. Don't be swayed by brand names.
9. A warranty is a must! 10. Ask to try it out at home. Don't fall into the common trap of thinking the brand name and price tag will tell you how comfortable the mattress is. The primary requirement of a mattress is that it be comfortable for you. If it does not meet that need, then it is not suitable, no matter how cheap or expensive it is. You certainly don't want to spend thousands of dollars only to find that the mattress leaves you feeling unrested. Instead, find a mattress which feels comfortable to your body. This depends on several things, such as the firmness, composition and size of mattress. 2. Lie down to test whether you want a soft, medium or firm mattress. No matter what size of mattress you are considering, if you sleep with a partner then ideally you should both visit the showroom together to test out different sized mattresses. However, where sleep disturbance is a particular problem, you do have the option to put . This helps because the two separate mattresses (even though they are pushed together) transmit less movement than one mattress would.
Additionally, this way both of you will benefit from being able to pick your own firmness and comfort level of mattress; for example one partner may prefer a soft mattress and the other a firm mattress, allowing each to achieve an individualized sleep experience. 4. The right thickness. There are a surprising number of disadvantages to having a thick mattress, which you should be careful to take into account when shopping. Firstly, a thick mattress tends to be quite heavy, which can become a problem when you are flipping it. This is particularly an issue if you are purchasing a larger size mattress, such as a queen or king size. Another problem of a thick mattress is that it may make your bed too high, and in terms of appearance this would be a big decorating flop. You don't want your bedroom to look like the bed was made for a giant to get in and out of, while everything else is in proportion. From a purely practical standpoint, another problem with thick mattresses is that fitted sheets might not be able to fit properly on them.
Buying specialty sheets is an added expense and hassle, not to mention that if you already own a collection of fitted sheets they will be rendered unusable on a very thick mattress. Furthermore, if sleeping with a partner, the softness or firmness of an adjustable sprung slatted bed base is something which each partner can adjust differently on his or her side of the bed, according to individual preference. Thus a customized sleeping setup is possible, even with one mattress. Additionally, an adjustable sprung slatted base allows for good air flow and proper ventilation below the mattress, preventing mildew and allowing the proper hygiene you desire. Innerspring with metal coils are the most common but this does not mean they are best. Innerspring mattresses can be allergen-prone and will eventually sag. Furthermore, if the parts are not of the best quality, the springs can be noisy and/or uncomfortable. A truly well-made innerspring bed can feel comfortable, but this is something you can only test out by lying on it.
There are also talks and discussions, especially online, about metal spring coils mattresses attracting and amplifying electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) that is harmful to our human body. Just do a Google search online on the word 'mattress antenna' and you will find many write-ups relating to this topic. A latex mattress is an excellent choice in material. Latex mattresses are made from naturally elastic latex rubber. They therefore do not have any springs. The block of latex rubber used for the mattress is a natural product, derived from the sap of Hevea Brasiliensis, the rubber tree. A latex mattress offers superb comfort and softness, easily conforms to your body shape and weight, yet its elasticity delivers the correct back support you need and keeping your spine naturally align. Allergy and asthma sufferers can breathe easier knowing that a latex mattress is naturally anti-dust mite and mould resistant without use of chemicals. A mattress which comes fully enclosed in a removable, washable outer cover is ideal.