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 reclaimed 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 amount of springs, their shape, 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. Air:These mattresses use air chambers instead of springs for support. Some air beds can even adjust the firmness of the mattress. 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 them. 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 On this page you can find all our buying guides, which you can download and print. These are PDF files which will open up in a new window. Use the shortcuts below to find the relevant buying guides: Sleep Like The Dead has so far spent 6,000 hours gathering 25,500 mattress reviews from 900+ sources. Here is a brief summary of our unbiased research findings. – 12 Key Mattress Research Findings 3. Buying a mattress online 5. Longevity / lifespan 9. Mattresses and sex 10. Mattresses for large, small people 12. Returning a mattress – How Best To Use This Site – About Our Mattress Research – Why Trust Us Do not assume that you will be satisfied with a top-rated mattress type or brand. Learn about a bed's characteristics, pros & cons before buying to ensure that it is right for you personally. Select a mattress type for detailed analysis and ratings.
MORE INFO: See the mattress types compared in 20 additional ways. The chart below includes many of the more popular and / or widely available brands (in alphabetical order). Select a brand for detailed ratings. COMPARE THE ABOVE MATTRESSES AND MANY MORE in our side-by-side mattress comparison. DON'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? Search our mattress ratings using box below. Mattresses of various price points have some important differences. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at our mattress price comparison. Buying a mattress online has important similarities and differences to buying in a store. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at buying a mattress online: what to know as well as the mattress manufacturer / brand comparison. The following shows the firmness level that tends to be suitable for average-sized people depending on their body type; your own personal preference may differ. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS as well as firmness suggestions for people of above- and below-average size at our mattress firmness guide.
Mattress longevity or lifespan can vary especially by mattress type. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at the mattress longevity comparison. About 8% of people report that their mattress retains heat and sleeps hot to an extent that undermines sleep quantity / quality. Some mattress types have more of a problem on this issue than others. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattress heat retention. A mattress with good motion isolation localizes or absorbs a person's movement, such as their getting in / out of bed and their changing of positions. A mattress with poor motion isolation sends a person's movement across the bed to possible disturb another person. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at the mattress motion isolation comparison. Off gassing is an odor that a mattress may release when unpackaged due to its chemical composition. Some mattress types are more likely than others to have a problem. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattress off gassing odor.
The different mattress types have various pros and cons in regard to suitability on this issue. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattresses and sex. Among several other factors, mattress thickness is a key attribute that small and especially large people should consider. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at the mattress guide for large & small people. The life of a mattress tends to be a fraction of its warranty length. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattress warranties: what to know. The top reason people seek to return their mattress is that it has a firmness level unsuitable for one's personal preference, body type, or sleep position. Less common reasons include sleeping hot, persistent off gassing odor, and unsuitability for sex. Chart: Main reasons for seeking a mattress return GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at returning a mattress: what to know. Adjustable bed bases / foundations often provide a variety of health and comfort benefits.
Available are value-priced models ($600-$1100), middle-priced models ($1101-$1500) and luxury-level models ($1501-$3500+). GET THE FULL STORY, RATINGS, AND ANALYSIS at adjustable bed reviews. Do you really need a new mattress? Oftentimes, a mattress topper can effectively soften an overly firm mattress or revitalize an aging mattress. GET THE FULL STORY, RATINGS, AND ANALYSIS at mattress topper reviews. The best place to start your research is the page you are on right now or the mattress comparisons page – specifically the mattress type comparison. Once you have chosen a type, then choose a brand and model of that type. Then, if necessary, choose a seller of the mattress from the retailer comparison. Our mattress reviews and ratings are based on 25,600+ consumer experiences collected from over 890 credible sources. See research sources & methodology for details. Our mission is to help people make smart sleep-product buying decisions – and to sleep like the dead as a result.