There is no doubt about the fact that a mattress can affect your sleep. If you are sleeping on a nice and comfortable mattress, the chances are that you are getting a good night’s sleep. It is not just the comfort factor alone that determines how well you sleep on the mattress. Various other features of the mattress can have an impact on your sleep and on your ability to relax.
How Does a Mattress Affect Sleep?
According to Michael Decker, who is an RN and associate professor at Georgia State University as well as a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a mattress can really impact a person’s sleep. The way it impacts, it is through the blood vessels.
As a person lies down for an extended period of time, their weight reduces the flow of blood through the vessels, which deprives the skin of nutrients and oxygen and the brain sends a message to the body to roll over to the other side. This explains the “tossing and turning” at night for a lot of people. As a person rolls over, their supply of blood is restored on that side, but it ends up disturbing their sleep. Decker says that the ideal mattress reduces these pressure points so that there is no need to roll over and, hence, no “tossing and turning” but an uninterrupted night of sleep.
Signs Your Mattress Is Not Right for You
- You are waking up with a stuffy nose or coughing and sneezing. This probably means you have dust mites on your mattress and your allergies are getting active.
- Your skin is not looking so good. When a person does not get quality sleep, it ends up showing on their face in terms of acne or breakouts as well as eye bags and dark circles.
- You are waking up cranky. If you are waking up in a bad mood and disoriented, the chances are that you probably did not get a very good night’s sleep.
- You feel drained all the time. If you feel lethargic and sleepy frequently, the chances are that you are not getting a whole six to eight hours of comfortable sleep. This is usually when there is a lot of tossing and turning at night, which ends up disturbing the sleep pattern.
Which Mattress Is Best for Sleeping?
So, this leads us to the main part – which mattress is the best for sleep that would leave users feeling refreshed and energetic in the morning? It typically depends on person to person. Choosing a mattress is actually quite a personal choice and what is comfortable for me may not be comfortable for you.
Many people with various medical conditions find sleeping on spring mattresses troublesome as it makes them “sink” in the mattress while sleeping on orthopedic mattresses tend to be very comfortable for them. Many others, on the other hand, find orthopedic mattresses to be hard, stiff and uncomfortable.
Thus, there is no one size that fits all. You need to determine for yourself which mattress is perfect.
How to Choose the Right Mattress?
Choosing the right mattress then depends on some basic elements which all mattresses should have, whether they are memory foam, spring or specialized orthopedic ones.
- You should choose the right firmness level according to your needs, depending on your health conditions and whether you have any neck or back pain as using the wrong mattress can further aggravate your condition.
- You should also look for hypoallergenic mattresses, especially if you suffer from constant allergies or have asthma. Hypoallergenic mattresses would prevent dust mites from accumulating on the bed and would prevent allergies.
- How old is your mattress is yet another factor that can affect your sleep. If your mattress is eight years old or more, it is probably time to replace it.
- Just because a mattress is expensive doesn’t mean it offers good quality and you should buy it.
Conclusion
Sleeping is an important part of everyone’s life. When you want to relax or are feeling down or sick, you lie down on your bed. If your mattress is not right for you, your safe space will not be able to provide any comfort and support to you. Instead, it will lead to not just further health problems due to lack of sleep but also psychological problems. On the other hand, if your mattress is the perfect fit for you, you will be well rested and not just be healthy but also be happy and full of energy!
