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How mattresses affect sleep quality

Metro Creative

Your mattress can greatly influence your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
Metro Creative

People make many renovations around their homes to improve their quality of life. When attention turns to the bedroom, some changes can greatly affect quality of sleep.

The temperature of the bedroom, its configuration and lighting can impact a person’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. However, the item that may bear the most influence is the mattress.

The Better Sleep Council says whether one wakes up feeling rested and healthy depends largely on the age of a mattress and its condition. A good mattress should alleviate pressure on joints while providing bodily support. It should not be a contributor to aches and pains.



Mattresses that are seven years or older may need to be replaced.

A century or two ago, mattresses were constructed of whatever people had on hand — from feathers to pine needles to straw. That’s all changed today. But even though there are many options, it’s key for people to discover which material is right for them.



Innerspring

Innerspring (also called coil) mattresses have been around for some time. These metal springs provide internal support. The number of coils, types of coils and distribution pattern throughout the mattress impacts how well the bed will conform to the body. These mattresses may be best for back or stomach sleepers due to their level of support. Keep in mind that innerspring mattresses may have limited durability and may start to sag after just a few years.

Memory foam

Memory foam mattresses are relatively recent additions to the market. According to the mattress shopping resource The Sleep Judge, memory foam mattresses may eventually replace innerspring mattresses. Famous for its ability to contour to the shape of the user’s body, memory foam envelops a person and absorbs energy. This means there’s less motion transfer. That’s a big plus when sleeping with a partner who moves around in bed. Memory foam provides a high level of pressure point relief and promotes proper spine alignment.

Gel foam

Gel foam mattresses bounce back to their original form when pressure is released. Hollow columns in the mattress allow for increased air flow that improves this pressure release and enables people to sleep coolly and comfortably. Sometimes gel is paired with memory foam for a hybrid mattress.

Latex

Latex mattresses are coveted due to their durability and comfort. Latex also conforms to the body, but more generally than memory foam, so it bounces back quickly. One of the biggest draws to latex mattresses is how natural they are. Latex is made from natural rubber. Cost can be prohibitive, however, as latex mattresses tend to be expensive.

Purchasing a new mattress can lead to better sleep. This is a bedroom renovation worth pursuing.


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