Mattress FAQ’s
How do I know when I need a new mattress?
Q: Are you sleeping as well as you were a year ago?
Q: Have you had your best night's sleep recently somewhere other than your own bed? A hotel bedroom for example?
Q: Do you wake up with pain, stiffness or soreness?
Q: Is your mattress showing visible signs of wear and tear? Are the springs 'noisier' than they ever were?
In short, a worn out mattress can contribute to the rapid degeneration of your spine. It can also cause your adjustments to hold for a shorter period of time. If your mattress is saggy or uncomfortable then you are unlikely to enjoy a great night's sleep what’s worse, a bad bed can create serious spinal problems. People are often shocked at the tremendous difference they feel when they sleep on a newmattress, falling asleep earlier and waking up rested and alert. Your chiropractor recommends a mattress over $2000 in value, there are many out there that have the CAA approval.
How do I choose the right mattress?
Look for a quality mattress from a recognized brand manufacturer. Look for thick good quality cushioning, in the feel that suits your needs. Try out different feels - soft, medium, firm, pillow-top. Choose one type of feel and then try different mattresses in that type of feel. Use the 'process of elimination' by choosing between two and eliminating the least comfortable.
It's a fact that for every ten years of your life you'll spend 30,000 hours sleeping on your mattress, that’s ⅓ of your life. It's vital for the health and wellbeing of your spine. Be sure that you have all the facts available to you to make an informed and correct decision that you'll benefit from in terms of having years of "peaceful nights and rested mornings".
Should I have a matching base, or will a slat base bed be better?
Modern mattresses are designed and engineered to suit a matching base, with spring modules inside it. The matching base will assist in allowing the mattress to contour to your shape to provide the maximum comfort. Isn't that why you are buying a new mattress? A slat or rigid base bed will not conform at all. It is similar to sleeping on a mattress on the floor or on a board. A rigid base can shorten the life of your mattress by up to 33%. A beautiful slat bed looks nice, but will it be the most comfortable?Experts will be able to answer all of your questions regarding the base for your new mattress.
How do I shop for the best mattress?
Think about the mattress you have now and what you would like a new mattress to be like. Consider the biggest size you can fit in your room. Does your partner have a different comfort preference to you? Talk about the comfort you would both like to have.
Visit a mattress retailer that specializes in good quality mattresses from recognized brands. Make sure the salesperson knows what they are talking about. Try different comfort feels and compare. Lay down on the mattresses, you cannot 'feel test' by sitting on a mattress.
Look for an exchange service from the retailer, in case you are not totally satisfied when you have tried it at home for a while. It is often difficult to choose a mattress in 15 minutes that you will have for 10 or 15 years.
What's the best mattress to buy?
There is no 'best' mattress that will suit everyone. Each person has individual needs. We are all shapes and sizes and we have different preferences. Some people prefer firm, some prefer soft.
If you choose a new mattress from a recognized brand of supplier, and buy it from a specialist mattress retailer - you will have the highest chance of ending up with a comfortable night's sleep.
Major suppliers like Sleepmaker invest in the latest technology for manufacturing techniques and for spring design and comfort layers.
Tips for a restful night's sleep:
1. Keep regular hours:
Keep your biological clock in sync. Go to bed at the same time each night if you can and try waking up at the same time each morning - even on weekends.
2. Develop a sleep ritual:
Try to do the same things each night just before bed to cue your body to get ready to settle down for the night. Predictable pre-sleep patterns encourage your body to relax.
3. Sleep on a comfortable supportive mattress and foundation:
It's difficult to get deep, restful sleep on a mattress that's too small, too soft, too hard or too old. Since you'll spend a third of your life in your bed, a quality innerspring mattress and foundation is one of the most important, valuable and cost-effective purchases you can make. Studies have shown that an innerspring mattress and foundation create the least tension, least strain and least muscle fatigue on the lower back, resulting in a better night's sleep allowing you to wake up refreshed and feeling great.
4. Exercise regularly:
Regular exercise can help you to relieve the day's tensions - but not too close to bedtime or you may have a hard time falling asleep.
5. Cut down on stimulants:
Consuming stimulants in the evening interferes with falling asleep and prevents deep sleep. Caffeine is a common stimulant and the last thing you want in your system when you're trying to sleep. It can be found in coffee, teas, chocolate and some medications including nasal sprays. Be aware of your caffeine intake and limit it to consumption up until 3 to 4 pm, if you must have it at all. Late night trips to the coffee shop may be fun, but they'll wreak havoc on your ability to sleep. Try decaf.
6. Don't smoke:
Smokers take longer to sleep, wake more easily and more often, and experience disrupted, fragmented sleep - it's the nicotine that does it.
7. Drink only in moderation:
Alcohol interrupts and fragments sleep. Try not to drink alcohol in the hour before bedtime.
8. Unwind early in the evening:
Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before going to bed. Create a bedtime routine that makes you comfortable. Keep a pad and pencil by your bed and make yourself a to-do list for the following day. This will put your mind at ease and allow you to sleep better. Obviously a warm bath, calm music, or if you're lucky a massage from a friend will also help you unwind.
9. Sleep position:
Try and avoid sleeping on your stomach as that position forces your back's natural 'S' curve into an unnatural arch. If you sleep on your back, a pillow under your knees will help maintain your proper spinal curve. The most natural position to sleeping though is the one you learned before you were born - the foetal position, on your side. Snoring can often be reduced by using o contoured chiropractic pillow or by putting foam wedges under the mattress to raise your head and shoulders. You can also try sleeping on your side rather than your back; people who lie on their back tend to snore more.
10. Don't make false savings:
A top of the range mattress requires three times the manufacturing time than any of our other mattresses. That's because there are more comfort layers and support technology systems built in to give you the best possible night's sleep. With mattresses (as with most things) you really do get what you pay for - skimp on the costs and within a couple of years your body will be telling you that you've got to go shopping for a new mattress again. Buy the best you can afford now, even if it means stretching yourself a little bit, and you'll get a pay back every night when you go to bed.