Many of us never really know when it’s time to buy a mattress. So where do you start? How do you choose?

How to know when you need to replace your mattress

• You’re tossing and turning throughout the night.
• You’re waking up tired and achy.
• You have dents in your mattress or can feel the coils in your bed while you’re lying on it.
• You sleep better somewhere else.
• The current mattress you’re using is more than 10 years old.
• Your mattress is sagging on the middle.
• Back pains when you wake up in the morning.

All of the above scenarios are telltale signs that it may be time to replace your mattress.

So the first thing you want to do is be sure and purchase your mattress from a reputable company. Next make sure you’re familiar with the size of mattress you’ll be purchasing as well as making sure the new mattress will fit the existing space, if you’re going up a size and making sure the new mattress will fit through existing doorways hallways and stairways leading to its final destination.

The standard guideline for mattress sizes are: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King and California King. And let’s not forget when come to purchase your new mattress, make sure that if more than one person will be occupying the bed both parties are present. You’ll need to focus on a mattress that will provide you with the support you’ll need giving your body weight and preferred sleeping positions.

    Types of Mattresses.

So now that you know what’s needed to purchase a new mattress and you’re familiar with the sizes, let’s take a look at the different types of mattresses available in the market today.

Memory Foam Mattresses.

The first type will discuss is memory foam. Memory Foam custom forms to your body in response to heat and pressure. The slow bounceback response of memory foam means the pressure won’t push back against your body. This is why it’s excellent for people who suffer with pain body aches or trouble sleeping. It basically cradles stiff or sore joints without sacrificing overall support. The technology behind memory foam is pressure relief and motion separation which allows you to fall asleep faster and wake more rested.

Now with all that said, not all memory foam mattresses are created equally. And depending on the type of memory foam mattress you choose, comfort levels, quality and prices will vary. Better quality memory foam will be more resilient bounce back better and last longer. Just be sure to research the brand you choose and know that a good quality memory foam will offer a nice balance of comfort, pressure relief and support. Bottom line, higher density equals higher quality.

Spring Mattresses or Pocket Coil Mattresses.

The next mattress type is called pocketed coils. Pocket coils or Spring mattresses are still the most common mattresses around. It’s what we’re all most familiar with because this type of mattress has been around the longest.

These mattresses have a much broader range of price points. Are best for those needing spinal support and our ideal for those who prefer to sleep on their stomachs, as well as people who prefer a little more bounce. They’re also beneficial for hot sleepers because these type of mattresses retain less body heat than a traditional memory foam mattress. It’s simply a coil mattress surrounded by layers of foam or fabric.

In the past, coil mattresses needed to be rotated and flipped over. This was to help prevent the mattress from sagging and to help keep it in the right shape. The reason flipping was necessary is because the mattresses were designed from the inside out ,but the coils being in the center and layers of fabric and foam on the top and bottom of the mattress. However, there have been some changes over the years.

Now, almost all coil mattresses are designed from the bottom up consisting of coils, foundation foams and then comfort layers. So there’s no longer a need to flip your mattress. It’s important to know that just like memory foam mattresses, there are some features with inner spring mattresses that will make one mattress more expensive than the next. Things like, a heavier gauge of steel coils, the number of coils which help with motion isolation, a higher quality box spring and most important a higher quality grade material like memory foam, gel memory foam or latex materials on the top layer of the mattress. Altogether, these features will give a more comfortable mattress.

Hybrid Mattresses.

Hybrid mattresses offer the combination of memory foam or inner spring. Hybrid mattress combines the support of an inner spring model with the benefits of memory foam together offering great motion isolation and spinal support. And don’t forget when purchasing a new mattress it’s always best to protect your investment by adding a mattress protector. With all this said, ultimately there’s only one true way to determine which mattress will best suit your needs and that’s to lie on it and you’ll rest easy with the type of mattress you choose.

Quality Sleep definition

There is no clear definition on what quality sleep is. However, there are a few indicators that can be used for quality sleep definition. For an adult, quality sleeps means that you go to bed and fall asleep between 20-30 minutes and sleep without interruptions. If you do get out of bed, then you should be fast asleep within 20 minutes of hopping back to bed.

     Quality of sleep vs quantity; what does it look like?

Whilst you may sleep for 8 hours, it does not entirely mean that you had quality sleep. There are five stages of sleep, and the quantity of time one sleeps can only be referred to as quality sleep if all the five stages have been completed. A person who sleeps for 6 hours and passes all the five stages successfully will consider themselves to have quality sleep than someone who sleeps poorly for 8 hours without completing the 5 stages of sleep.

   Quality sleep tips

• Include Tryptophan in your diet. This amino acid contains serotin, hormone that regulates sleep. It can be found in fish, chicken, turkey, etc.

• Good oils scent like lavender is known to reduce high blood pressure hence relaxing the body. This can translate to your peaceful sleep. Also you can use candles or even sachets.

• Artificial light is known to be a hindrance if you want quality sleep. Make sure you block all sources of artificial light an hour before going to bed.

• Noise is another factor that interferes with the quality of sleep. Reduce all noise and music as possible in order to sleep soundly.

• Do not consume heavy meals before going to bed. On the other hand, avoid going to bed on an empty stomach. This will lead to tossing and turning leading to poor quality sleep.

• After 6:00 P.M, avoid drinks like coffee, alcohol and nicotine.

• Adopt a regular sleeping routine. These can be things like listening to soft music, reading or listening to recording of books, yoga. All these are healthy lifestyle choices that could help improve your quality of sleep.

• Change of lifestyle is another factor/tip that can help improve quality of sleep. Adopt patterns like cycling or regular exercises. This will greatly help on the circulation of blood therefore your body will relax and you will sleep better at night.

• Stress is another hindering factor to the quality of sleep you get at night. Avoid stressful events and seek professional help if possible. Talking to friends and joining clubs can help manage stress.

• Daytime nap is one other thing that you need to completely avoid if you need quality sleep. If it is vital that you nap during the day, it should be no more than 30 minutes.

          Sleep quality improvement

Quality of sleep can be achieved through many other factors and not only the above tips. You need a perfect bedroom and by this, it means having quality sleep materials including mattresses, bedcovers, comfortable beds, and many others. This is the focus of our site, is to help you achieve all your quality sleeping goals.

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