Hello, How are you sleeping? Do you have back pain? Do you toss and Turn all night? Maybe your mattress is not the best fit for you? So, what new mattress type do you pick? Firm, Soft, foam, coil? Which mattress will give you the very best sleep? Let's talk about it on this week's of Design Time with Sleep Expert Kathy Kilbourn of Tri City Furniture.
Remember, when you start to shop for a new mattress what the state of your old mattress is in. If it is very saggy and uncomfortable, your mind may tell you to go to something completely different, such as a firm, because you are so uncomfortable and you desire to have support..
Maybe a firm is not what your body needs, but, yes, I will agree- you do need support.
Support and firmness are two different things. You can have a plush supportive mattress without it feel firm.
Most people relate firm as to sleeping on the floor- no give. What gives a mattress support is the type of coils, foam and the amount of each of these. Big box stores are none to have a sale on mattresses, but the quality is just not there within them. These sale mattresses may only have 200-400 coils within a queen size. That may be good for anyone under 10 years old, but you will not get the longevity and comfort that you should from a mattress that only has 400 coils vs a mattress that has 800-1200. And that is the life span without anyone jumping on the bed! So ask questions. Ask about the coil system. Ask about the edge system. Will it break down when it is sat on? You have worked too hard to invest a mattress that will not withstand and that will breakdown on you and be uncomfortable.
Maybe this mattress is for 2 people. Maybe both of those people prefer different feels within their mattress. My mother-in-law has a fussed back. She needs a very, very, flat bed that does not give her back curve, but she needs some softness, because of tender pressure points. My father-in-law is a Marine, so he can sleep anywhere, but he snores. He needs an adjustable base so he can raise his head. We can do this.
They can still sleep in the same bed, but have their own comfort styles.
Bed size is important. What size bed do you need? A lot of comfort comes from just having enough room. Are you a back sleeper, side sleeper or stomach sleeper? Back and stomach sleepers usually take more space. These individuals if sleeping together may want and need a king bed so there is enough room on the bed for your elbows. If you do not have arm support you will loose circulation or try tucking your arms in areas that will not be comfortable for long.
Maybe you toss and turn. Maybe you flip and roll. That will also take up space in the bed. You may want to go to the next size larger if sleeping together.
After you determine the size of bed and the way you sleep most, then it is time to talk about comfort. There was just at a conference and stayed in a hotel and if you are like me, you know the hotels like to use FIRM beds within their rooms. Hotels like firm beds, because they last the longest and are the cheapest cost. If you had to buy 200 mattresses, you may buy cheaper as well.
It always bothers me though, because I AM BUYING SLEEP at a Hotel- so why would I BUY CHEAP? I want to go to the hotel who has the best bed! I want the same for my home. I want the BEST SLEEP of my Life.
Usually what goes wrong with a mattress is that the padding compresses and gives a body impression. That appears as sagging in the middle body area. Firmer mattresses, if lower quality will do this very quickly, because there is less of everything. So if you are buying a firm mattress, make sure you find one with enough inside it to last you.
You may prefer a firm mattress, because....
You may sink in the bed and have trouble moving across the bed or getting out of it.
You may have have back or shoulder issues that require you to lay flat.
You may sleep on your stomach and need extra support so your core does not sink in.
You may sit on the edge of the bed and do not want to slide off.
or You may just prefer firm as comfort.
If you are wanting firmness because of all the reasons outside of comfort, you may want to try a quality mattress that has a little plushness for your pressure points, but ALSO the support you need for your body. There is a difference from firm and supportive. Come try the difference.