If you value your sleep as much as I do, you’ll know that there is no greater feeling than getting into a comfortable and cosy bed at night — but this joy can be short-lived.
Cue the hot sweats, the tossing and turning, and the stiffness you feel in your body when you roll out of bed in the morning. I don’t care what anyone says, there is no amount of caffeine that can cure a succession of an uncomfortable night’s sleep.
Of course, there can be a number of factors affecting your sleep — and some that don’t even relate to the mattress you’re on! But let’s work on suspicions of the mattress first.
Firmness isn’t the issue, it’s about support
Comfort is subjective; you’ve probably heard this before. Not everyone finds a soft-plush mattress comfortable. The same goes for firmer mattresses. What everyone needs is a bed that’s supportive.
A supportive mattress does a great job by keeping your spine in proper alignment without creating pressure points. If it doesn’t achieve this, that’s what can lead to waking up in pain — or even building up to an injury!
The feel of the mattress (firm, medium or soft-plush) is a consideration of personal preference and how comfortable the mattress feels initially— that’s it! So whoever convinced you that you need a firm mattress for a bad back is having you on. A soft mattress can still support someone with back issues.
Your sleep position can affect your comfort
Whether you’re a back, side or front sleeper, this can affect your comfort too. A good rule of thumb: whether you’re standing or lying down, your posture should be the same.
The best sleep position is one that promotes healthy spinal alignment. So if you are achieving this with your preferred sleeping position; you shouldn’t feel forced to change it. If you’re not — you can achieve better spinal alignment and minimise your risk of discomfort with the right supportive mattress and pillow.
There are certain sleep positions that can be particularly beneficial for different stages of life, changing lifestyle factors or managing a health condition. For example, pregnancy; sleeping on your side can help relieve the pressure of a growing belly.
Body impressions or a sagging mattress? There’s a difference
Over time, the comfort layers of a mattress naturally conform to your body; called body impressions. They are completely normal and they aren’t a sign that your mattress needs replacing.
However, there is a difference between a body impression conforming to your individual unique body shape versus a sagging mattress that dips in the middle.
Sagging can happen when the frame or foundation beneath the mattress is not supportive enough. As a result, your body comfort pays the price!
Side note: Our mattresses are supported by bed bases constructed with a solid pine timber slatted frame (warranty for 10 years). If you currently have a spring base — the issue with these is that you don’t really know if it’s actually your mattress causing discomfort or the springs in the base might not be functioning properly.
Your mattress needs to breathe, so your body doesn’t overheat
Waking up in a pool of your own sweat is incredibly uncomfortable. Not to mention, frustrating when you have to keep changing the sheets. If you’re experiencing night sweats — and you’ve already ruled out any underlying health conditions, the next obvious place to turn to is your mattress.
Truth is, foam mattresses can get hot; which is good to keep in mind when you’re looking at the specs of one. Being Australian-based ourselves, heat is a major thing we consider when we manufacture our mattresses.
Without getting too swept up in the technical details; we don’t just use any old foam in our mattresses — we use a combination of latex and eco-friendly supportive foam. The natural high-quality latex layers will not only fight off pesky bed bugs, dust mites and are hypoallergenic; its perforated surface helps the mattress stay cool.
Moral of the story — check what type of foam. Is it high-quality? Has it been constructed with other materials to help the mattress breathe? What about it helps your body stay cool?
Ahhh, we know this part of the conversation can get quite technical — start with our easy peasy mattress quiz to find the right mattress for you (it’s got all the technical details explained in way more detail — without all the jargon!).
Your age can influence your comfort requirements
Our bodies change as we age, which means the level of support, comfort and hours of sleep we require does too. For a child, more entry level mattresses (less specs) can be completely fine. Whereas, teenagers and young adults who are trying to keep up with demanding schedules across school, work and life need supportive sleep to recover and rest properly. For older people, well, you get the picture.
Mattresses can’t live forever, at least not comfortably
It’s good to evaluate your mattress for a potential replacement every five to seven years. Other than how you’re feeling, you can check for physical signs of the mattress such as ridges, sags or lumps; all of these can impact your quality of sleep. So if you do come across any of these with your mattress — it’s time to start shopping!
Lifestyle changes can influence your comfort needs
When we talk in the context of lifestyle changes, this can mean pregnancy, increased daily activity, change of job, recently retired, taking up a new fitness regime, playing sports, ex-tradies suffering chronic back pain — to name a few.
Say you’ve started sharing the bed with someone; that’s when you might want to consider a mattress with a pocket-spring system for anti-partner disturbance. As for firmness level, this might mean a bit of compromising.
Taking into consideration all of these factors; if you do come to the conclusion that you need to get a new mattress, here’s a pearl of wisdom for you.
An expensive mattress doesn’t always = the most comfortable
Having the most expensive mattress with all the high specs doesn’t mean you’re going to find it comfortable. Every person has their own unique sleep style — which is why choice is important. Plus, it helps to know how to choose a new mattress and what is going to give you not just one, but many a comfortable night’s sleep.
