When it comes to mattresses, observe the Goldilocks imperative (not too hard and not too soft); medium-firm is your best bet. If a mattress is too hard it bites back and can cause pain and even numbness (limbs falling asleep) at pressure points; likewise, if a mattress is too soft it becomes more work to move around and can cause muscle and joint strains. The best mattresses support all of your body parts equally; even at the heaviest points, your hips and shoulders.
Unfortunately, couples often have different mattress preferences, primarily because body weight is a big factor in mattress support. Sometimes the issue can be resolved with a topper. You can actually have a firmer mattress with a soft feel by purchasing a bed with large quilting on the surface or by using a cushioned mattress pad. Because people over the age of 40 lose elasticity in their skin, they have less tolerance for a firm mattress surface. Memory foams, the current darlings of the market, can bring harmony to the bedroom by adjusting for the individual body type, but many people find these mattresses to be exceptionally warm, which is especially unwelcome if you're suffering hot flashes.
As much as I hate to break this news, a recent study from the Musculoskeletal and Human Physiology Research Lab at Oklahoma State University showed that price does make a difference. Changing from a cheaper to a moderately high-priced mattress significantly improves sleep quality. Another similarly rigorous study showed that by switching to a better mattress (in this case an adjustable air-spring/box-spring combination) a full 95 percent of study participants with chronic low back pain reported reduction in pain, and 88 percent reported a better night’s sleep. This data was supported by a Consumer Reports survey that found more than two thirds of people with high-end mattresses were "very or completely" satisfied with their purchase compared to one-third of conventional mattress owners. You may want to take a look at spending priorities: Spending less on bedding and more on the mattress could be a sleep-inducing strategy.
Page 2 of 4
Excerpted from The Source, copyright 2008 by Woodson Merrell. Used by permission of Random House Canada.All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.
Comment reported
Thank you for reporting this comment as inappropriate.
Back to Comments »