FAQs

How did you sleep last night? Answering this question honestly is the easiest way to know whether it’s time to replace your mattress. A bad mattress can cause a host of issues, including back and neck pain and unsatisfying sleep that leaves you tired all day. The Better Sleep Council recommends that mattresses be replaced every 5 to 7 years, but many people sleep on a mattress that is giving them improper support and should be replaced sooner.

Your mattress may not fit you for several reasons. The most common issue is that the mattress does not provide proper support to align your spine as you sleep, which causes you to wake up with discomfort, pain, or the need to stretch out kinks and stiffness. The mattress may also not have the right type or number of pressure relief layers, which can leave you tossing and turning all night in an effort to ease the pressure and cause you to wake unrefreshed and still tired.

There is an old belief that firmer is better, but this is not always the case. A mattress that is too firm can cause the lower back to arch and create lower back pain.  But instead of considering firmness, it is often more important to choose a mattress based on the level of support it provides.  If a mattress is firm but lacking support, it can lead to shoulder and upper back pain or a fitful night’s sleep full of tossing and turning.  If you prefer a firmer mattress, latex foam may be a good option for you.  Latex foam is a perfect combination of firmness and support, and it doesn’t conform to the body like memory foam.

Latex is a naturally based material while memory foam is a synthetic material derived from plastics. Latex is breathable and tends to sleep cooler than memory foam, which is extremely dense and typically leads to a warmer sleep. You sleep ON latex, you sleep IN memory foam. Latex is an uplifting, bottomless material while memory foam is a sinking material with a maximum compression level. Latex is a fast-response material while Memory foam is a slow-response material.

When a person has back pain, a good mattress can help with that back pain. The restorative periods of sleep allow the body to relax, which can aid in the healing process. When sleeping on an old, tired mattress, the body isn’t relaxing, and it’s also being placed in a bad position. This can cause more back issues than it alleviates. It can be tough to find a good mattress when you sleep with another too. You have to compromise with a style that works for both of you.

Equal parts soft and energy absorbent, memory foam was first developed by NASA to be used on the inside of airplane seats. Memory foam is made from a unique material called viscoelastic, which means it easily adapts to external pressure and responds to heat. Memory foam mattresses offer a variety of advantages to help encourage a restful night’s sleep. In the paragraphs that follow, we will elaborate on some of these benefits.

• Superior Comfort

One of the best things about memory foam is the comfort factor that it offers. Soft and plush, it conforms to the shape and position of your body as you sleep. This in effect takes pressure off your spine and joints, leading to a reduction in stiffness and pain upon awakening, according to Nature’s Sleep.

• Body Heat Response

Memory foam is designed to respond to your body heat by molding itself to your unique shape as you sleep. When the neck, spine, and joints of the extremities are all in proper alignment, this takes a great deal of pressure off your body. Because memory foam evenly distributes your body weight across the surface of the mattress, it provides a proper degree of support while still remaining comfortable. This helps correct poor posture while you sleep, leading to waking up more refreshed and with less pain.

Latex mattresses have been in existence for several decades now and continue to be a favorite mattress type for many people. Natural latex is made from the sap of a tree and offers a wide array of benefits, as further addressed below.

• Supportive but Comfortable

Latex provides a semi-firm surface while still offering a high degree of comfort. Latex also conforms to your body while still allowing for greater ease of movement than certain other types of mattresses offer. This means when you change positions during the night, a latex surface will move along with you rather than keeping you more confined to one spot. The firm but flexible surface also provides a great deal of support for the spine and allows for pressure to be taken off the joints, leading to less stiffness and pain when waking up.

• Anti-Allergy

A mattress made with latex is a good choice for those with environmental allergies. Natural latex is resistant to mildew, mold, dust mites, and a variety of other irritants that can cause flare-ups in those who suffer from allergies. Additionally, if you suffer from conditions that affect your breathing, such as asthma, the hypoallergenic nature of natural latex can be of benefit to you. 

• Even Distribution of Motion

If you sleep with pets or you have a partner who moves around a great deal, you will appreciate this particular benefit of a mattress made from latex. Because of its solid construction, this type of mattress will allow for an even distribution of motion across the mattress surface. This allows for a better night’s sleep for you, even if your partner continues to move about frequently.

Spring or Coil mattresses are designed with coils inside. These coils are usually made from metal, and they are placed in lines throughout the length of the mattress within a layer of padding. The coil design allows the mattress to respond to changes in weight, giving the mattress a springy feel. These mattresses were developed in the 1900s, and they were the most popular type of mattress for most of the century. They are still widely used today. Since coils were first developed for use in mattresses, there has been a lot of variation on the design. When you consider what a coil mattress is, you must look at all different types. The standard type of coil is an open coil. These coils are placed throughout the mattress without additional housing. Pocket coils, on the other hand, are placed in small compartments. Bonnell coils are another option. Unlike coils in other beds, Bonnell coils are connected to one another. In general, standard coils are the most responsive. However, pocket coils and Bonnell coils offer firmness. Your specific needs will dictate which type of coil is best.

It really depends on the materials the mattress is made of. A traditional spring mattress will usually last from 5 to 7 years. Most foam mattresses can last anywhere from 8 to 15 years, depending on their usage.

1. Look for a mattress with the proper level of spinal alignment support for your body. When you lie on your back, you should not feel your back arch at all. Someone looking at you from a distance should see your head, hips and toes all in line with each other, which probably means your shoulders and hips are settled into the mattress somewhat. There should not be space between your lower back and your mattress.
2. Look for a mattress with the proper level of pressure relief for your body. When you lie on your side, you should not feel any pressure on your shoulder or hip.
3. Look for a mattress that isolates motion from one side of the mattress to the other. Take your partner shopping with you. Lie on the mattress together and have your partner toss and turn. The more you feel the mattress jiggle, the more fragmented your sleep is likely to be.
4. There is no perfect mattress that will cure all of your aches and pains. Mattresses and other accessories can only help you sleep more comfortably, provide more support to alleviate hip, back and neck pain, and help you wake up feeling much more refreshed.