Sleep Train Education Center With so many different models and types of mattresses, shopping for one can seem confusing. The Sleep Train Education Center is a great place to start. Here we address this confusion by educating shoppers on common questions about mattress construction and mattress types. Now you can shop with confidence. How to Shop For a New Mattress It's easy to be a smart shopper when you have the right information. Here are a few tips: Come Prepared: Dress comfortably, you will be testing many mattresses... Know what you’re buying: Mattress manufacturers use different model names to identify each mattress... More Mattress Education ResourcesFind the Serta mattress that’s just right for you in 7 easy steps Who will sleep in the new mattress? Me and my partner Why are you shopping for a new mattress? My current mattress is old and worn out I am getting married or moving in with someone I am ready to upgrade to a better quality mattress to improve my quality of sleep
I recently had a great night’s sleep at a hotel and want to look into purchasing this mattress Which of the following sleep problems do you experience most often? Check all that apply I can’t get comfortable so I toss and turn I wake up with stiffness or back pain I get too hot or too cold while sleeping My partner moves around and it wakes me up My mattress is worn out and sagging, leaving me uncomfortable What is your usual sleep position? Which type of activities below do you typically do in bed? Catch up on personal emails, surf online What type of mattress do you prefer? I prefer an innerspring mattress I prefer a memory foam mattress I prefer a hybrid mattress, which combines memory foam with an innerspring What level of mattress comfort do you prefer? Somewhat soft, but not too soft Cushion-firm (firm with some “give”) Your Personalized Serta Recommendation We recommend a Queen Serta Perfect Sleeper Firm Innerspring mattress.
Model name and availability varies by local authorized Serta retailers, so please check with your local store to see what models are available to meet your needs. Standard Queen Set starting at The Only Official Mattress of the National Sleep Foundation. Engineered to help the five common sleep problems Sagging & Edge Roll-Off *Starting at price points may vary at local authorized Serta retailers. National Sleep Foundation’s logo, name, materials and/or insights used under license from NSF in exchange for Serta’s financial support of NSF’s sleep research and educational activities. The Consumer’s Digest Best Buy seal, editorial review text, references to the editorial review, and Consumer’s Digest Best Buy rating are registered certification marks and trademarks of Consumers Digest Communications, LLC used under paid license. Model names, availability and price ranges may vary at local authorized Serta retailers.We will spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, so it makes sense to spend time, thought and money on which mattress we buy.
The right one, say Deane Halfpenny – a consultant in musculoskeletal pain medicine – and osteopath Rehana Kapadia, can ensure you are not only more comfortable, but healthier, too. Kapadia recommends investing time trying them out. “Some people just go into the shop and press them to see how they feel, ” she says, “but I would say you should lie down for 20 minutes on each one. If you just hop on and off, it’s hard to imagine how you will feel after an eight-hour sleep.” Halfpenny agrees and says spending as much as you can afford on a bed is a good long-term investment in your health – especially when they typically last between seven and 10 years. “In sleep studies where you observe patients through the night, you see how much we all move when we sleep. But if you are uncomfortable, you move constantly and your sleep is not as restful as it should be. “Undisturbed sleep is important because of the fluctuating hormones that are released when we sleep.
Disturbed sleep disrupts these patterns. Our bodies are constantly breaking down and rebuilding, and restorative sleep allows your muscles to relax and improves blood flow – [especially] to the discs in your back, which normally have poor blood flow. If your muscles are tense, you won’t get that restorative blood flow.” Kapadia advises choosing a mattress that is supportive as well as comfortable. “Patients often think they should be getting a firm, orthopedic mattress. But, actually, if your mattress is too firm, you can end up with hyperlordosis, where the arch in your back is exaggerated.” Instead, you should think about a mattress that is soft enough to allow you to sink into it, while firm enough to support you. “It’s about surface area and pressure,” says Halfpenny. “The more of your body that is in contact with the mattress, the less pressure on your shoulders or hips.” Halfpenny says that, if you choose the right mattress, whichever position you sleep in will be comfortable and healthy.
She says the optimum position for sleep – to avoid back problems or ligament strain – is on your side with your knees bent. This is because it allows your body – from the back of your head, through your neck, spine and pelvis – to align. “Even without pillows, your neck, spine and pelvis should be in line, so that you aren’t twisted, or turned in on yourself,” she says. “If you sleep on your front – it doesn’t matter how good the mattress – you will twist your neck and back; your head will be turned to the side and your leg probably twisted up. Even sleeping on your back with your legs straight can put strain on your lower back.” She says that, although many people think they have little control over the positions they adopt in their sleep, it is possible to train yourself to sleep on your side – and doing so is a good idea to avoid long-term back problems. However, because our shoulders and hips are our broadest points, even lying on your side on a too-firm surface can throw this alignment out, says Kapadia.
“You can get a lumbar spine sag, meaning your middle will drop into a U shape, stressing the spine ligaments, which can press on your nerves.” So, for eight hours, your ligaments will be working instead of resting. As a result, you can wake up feeling achy instead of rested. “This is why you need a bed that will allow your shoulders and hips to sink in, then your waist and side are supported.” In fact, Kapadia suggests taking a friend bed-shopping with you to check your alignment as you lie on a bed – or even taking a photograph to show how well you are supported. The worst mattresses, Halfpenny warns, are the old, soft ones, which dip like hammocks in the middle, curving your back. Another tricky issue is buying a mattress for a couple, as each person may have different needs, thanks to their different shapes and weights. “You don’t want one of you to sink in and the other to be bouncing on the top. It’s about surface area and pressure. You need to sink in at first, and then be supported.”
Halfpenny says choosing a bed with breathable, natural materials can improve your sleep quality – so that you don’t get too hot and sweaty in the night. But, for those with allergies, Kapadia suggests trying out a bed with natural latex instead. It’s also worth thinking about a bed with a slatted base so that air can circulate, or one with pocket springs to match the mattress. For older patients, and those who find it hard to get in and out of bed, getting a higher base can also help. If you are on a very tight budget and can’t afford the mattress you want, buying a decent one and adding a mattress topper for extra comfort can help. Finally, don’t forget to think about pillows, say the experts at John Lewis. If you sleep on your side, you might need a firmer one, to fill the space between the side of your head and shoulder. If you are on your back, you need a softer one to keep your neck in line with your spine. Anyone sleeping on their front needs a very flat pillow.
But Halfpenny has a final warning: even when you successfully find the perfect bed, your problems might not be over. The pain specialist says he spent more than £4,000 finding the right mattress for himself and his wife, and hours researching it. Although now he can happily sleep for 10 hours at a time, there is one drawback – going on holiday or to visit family is torture. “I just want to get back to my mattress!” £2,050 in a kingsizeDeane’s top choice Rehana: This is really high end. My body is nicely supported so my lower spine is not being pushed down or up. It can be short-sighted to buy too cheap a mattress – try to buy the best you can afford. Deane: This is fantastic. Not too hard or soft. R: Memory foam like this moulds to your body, but some people find they can get very hot. It’s not very breathable and it retains a lot of heat. If you can’t afford one, you could buy a mattress topper for support.D: This mattress takes time to mould around you, but it’s very supportive.