You don’t just want a comfy mattress. You’re looking for sleep. Good sleep.
Among other lifestyle and wellness decisions, your good night’s sleep depends on uninterrupted muscular relief and minimal disturbance, all night. This is why so many people agonize over buying a bed that’s going to provide the support and comfort that they need for an unbroken rest throughout the night.
Our bed-buying guide provides some insight into the mattress industry, what you can expect from different types of beds and, ultimately, the knowledge you need to get the first of many long, luxuriant nights of glorious sleep.
Stop the Toss and Turn by Asking Yourself these Questions
As you consider replacing your mattress, you’re going to encounter many different kinds of beds that are designed for different kinds of people. To wade through these without becoming overwhelmed, you could ask yourself the following questions.
What is my favourite sleeping position?
We’re can’t tell you what your sleeping position means about your personality, but we will tell you how it impacts your choice of mattress.
If you are a side sleeper, you’re likely to enjoy a better night’s sleep on a bed that offers pressure relief around the shoulders and hips, where your weight sinks deeper on your side. Innerspring mattresses are known to offer this kind of ergonomic support and conform to your body shape.
If you are a stomach sleeper, you probably already know the difficulty of finding a bed that suits you best. It’s widely known that sleeping on your stomach puts strain on your neck and lower back because your spine is forced to straighten out of its natural curvature and your head is often turned unnaturally far. We understand that for some, the position is irresistible.
Memory foam might offer the kind of support needed for your ribs and spine, but it also has a smothering effect around your face. To avoid this, a medium-firm hybrid or a pocket spring mattress with ergonomic features will support your midsection. Coupled with a pillowy mattress topper, your head and neck will enjoy some leeway for turning to one side.
If you sleep on your back, the rule of thumb is to find a mattress that supports the different areas of your body, such as a medium-firm latex mattress or a good quality pocket coil mattress with different ergonomic zones. The pocketed coils are well known for their ability to keep your natural spine alignment in check.
If you toss and turn, changing positions all night, it’s possible that your existing mattress is contributing to your discomfort. A new, high quality mattress may help you to rest in a single position for longer, giving you better quality sleep. As you may not be aware what your naturally-preferred sleep position is, you’d do well to consider a medium-firm pocket coil mattress with ergonomic zones, as these suite most sleep styles.
What are my common sleep problems?
Sleep disorders are no laughing matter and affect millions all over the world.
For those with restless partners, it’s best to go shopping for a new mattress together. Pocket coil mattresses are amazing for restless partners because each coil inside the mattress is independently wrapped. This means that movement does not transfer from one side of the bed to the other.
To cater for different weight ratios, many couples benefit from a nested pocket coil mattress that offers firm support for him, and high-quality latex that offers softer luxury for her.
Snoring is often caused by a variety of factors such as excess weight, alcohol consumption, allergies, and sleeping in a position that doesn’t support the head and neck well. If it’s the latter and your partner is keeping you up all night, you don’t need to move to the couch just yet. Rather, find out how pairing the right mattress firmness with a quality contoured pillow can support the head and open up airways.
Some people sleep hotter than others. If your bed is too soft, sinking deeper into the mattress may cause overheating and night sweats. Memory foam is also known to absorb and hold heat, which is fantastic in arctic environments, but less ideal in mild to warm climates.
If you overheat easily at night, the innerspring, or Bonnell system, mattresses and pocketed coil mattresses disperse heat well. When buying a bed, its also important to investigate which fabrics and fibres contribute to overheating – try to find a bed furbished in high-quality, breathable cotton or bamboo.
If you suffer from allergies, especially at night, it’s possible that your mattress is a contributing factor. Mattresses can be a haven for dust mites, which in turn wreak havoc on hayfever and sinus. Thankfully, there are many mattress brands that treat their products against dust mites, with one of the best natural treatments coming in the form of Aloe Vera.
People who struggle to choose the optimal mattress firmness will often suffer muscular aches, backache, and a sore body overall. Sleeping on a mattress that is too soft often results in lower back pain and even achey knees. This is because your hips sink too deep, putting a strain on your spine and your legs. On the flip side, a mattress that’s too firm can cause your body to ache, especially in your shoulders and hips, where your body weight is heaviest. When you decide to buy a mattress, be sure to take your weight into consideration, as heavier-set people benefit from a firmer mattress than light people.
What do I know about mattresses?
When you decide to purchase a mattress, it helps to do your research before you do your ‘rest test’. Understanding why a particular bed type may be more comfortable will help you to bypass those that you’re confident will not. Here’s what you need to know about the most popular types of mattresses on the market…
Pocket Spring Mattresses
Although at the upper end of the bed price range, pocket coil mattresses are renowned for their excellence and durability, and for good reason. Each spring is independently encased in fabric, and the coils are densely packed for optimal support. The denser the coils, the more support is offered.
Pocket springs are also manufactured in different tensions – by allocating these to different zones, a mattress brand can design a bed that offers ergonomic support to various regions of the body. Nested pocket spring beds not only provide fantastic comfort but other features such as:
- Excellent durability
- No-turn technology
- Cooler sleep surface
- A selection of pocket coil tensions and firmness
- Improved blood circulation
- Reduced pressure on hips and shoulders
- Minimal disturbance from sleep partners
Bonnell (innerspring) Mattresses
Innerspring mattresses have been around for decades, and continue to provide good support to more budget-conscious buyers. Priced in a lower bracket than the pocketed coil systems, the springs inside a Bonnell bed are un-encased and joined together.
Although they cannot contour to the shape of your body as well or offer different ergonomic zones, innerspring mattresses are durable and offer an especially good night’s sleep when topped by latex, foam, or memory foam. In a nutshell, what you can expect from your Bonnell mattress:
- Good durability
- No-turn technology in most modern brands
- Cooler sleep surface
- An excellent option for children, teenagers, guests rooms, and hospitality
Hybrid Mattresses
A hybrid mattress combines two or more different support systems, such as latex, pocket springs, or memory foam. These can come in many layers that optimize the best of each system for the best possible comfort and durability.
Choosing the right kind of hybrid can offer incredible relief from back pain and arthritis, snoring, and restless partners:
- Good durability
- Suitable for most types of sleeping positions
- Many options to choose from
- More expensive than most mattresses
Foam mattresses
Solid foam mattresses enjoy some popularity for their price tag, which is significantly lower than other types. Certain types of foam mattresses do offer reasonable levels of comfort at first, but in the long run they don’t withstand wear and tear well and lose their integrity in a short period of time.
Ultimately, foam mattresses are often disappointing:
- Poor durability
- Poor overall ergonomic support, resulting in fatigue and body pain
- Hot sleeping surface
- No breathability, resulting in a build-up of sweat and grime
- Low price for a short-term sleep solution
Fit for Bed and Hotel Harris
At Fit For Bed, we’ve dedicated ourselves to knowing as much as we can about sleep science and ergonomic support, and applying that knowledge to having the best beds manufactured for our clients.
Our Hotel Harris range is the result of that work. Browse our high-quality pocket coil beds, Bonnell range, hybrids and orthopaedic beds – all manufactured in high-grade materials and furbished in pure, natural fabrics treated with Aloe Vera for ultimate hygiene and protection.
We’d like to help you get the best sleep out of your budget – get in touch with us to chat about what’s going to suit your needs best.
