Did you know that you spend 1/3 of your life in bed? I am a thrifty person who wants the best value for my money but one item I don’t scrimp on is my mattress. This is an item that is going to receive a lot of use and according to Michael Decker, a professor at Georgia State University and spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, can impact a person’s sleep. Of course, I didn’t need a researcher to tell me this. The one night I spent on a mattress with a spring poking through the mattress into my back or the nights I spent sneezing at my Grandmother’s using one of her feather beds, let me know in no uncertain terms that when I grew up, I would get a good mattress. Here are four tips I have learned that will help you find a mattress that will help you sleep like a baby. (And, by that, I mean one of the good babies that sleep all night, not like my children who never slept and cried constantly.)
1. Realize that Mattress shopping is personal. Everyone has a different comfort level. Whether you choose a firmer mattress, a softer mattress or a memory foam mattress , choose what feels comfortable to you, not what someone else recommends. When we shopped for a new mattress for my son recently I asked, “Which type of mattress would you like?” He preferred soft. Bryan kept finding mattresses he liked and asking, “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a firmer mattress?” We went with the mattress my son preferred.
2. Test the Mattress in different positions. Most people tend to sit down on a mattress in the store for a minute and then say, “Oh! This feels comfortable. I’ll take it.” Instead, test the mattress for several minutes, up to fifteen or twenty. If you sleep on your side, lie on your side. The important point is to try it for a longer period of time in your favorite sleep position. Remember, if you don’t like it at the store, you will probably not be satisfied with it at home.
3. Mattresses need to be replaced over time. When Bryan and I both began to have trouble sleeping, I was puzzled. We had purchased a high quality mattress when we were first married. When we absolutely had to replace our mattress, I was amazed at the difference. I couldn’t believe how much more comfortable our new mattress felt. We were soon snoozing away and, after two years with the mattress, we’re still comfy.
4. Get Allergy Protection. I’ve suffered from allergies my entire life. Once I invested in a mattress and box spring protector and pillowcase covers, washing them frequently in warm water as the manufacturer recommended, I wake up much less stuffy than before. Buy high quality allergy protectors that will not rip or tear. What tips do you have for buying a good mattress? What type of mattress did you choose?
We are going to be looking for a new one soon. These are great tips for shopping so perfect timing for this post!
We need a new mattress. Badly. I want something that will last, unlike what we have now (7 years old, AWFUL shape and it wasn’t cheap!)
What a great post; loved your tips. I was just thinking the other day that I need to start looking into buying a new mattress. Will keep your tips handy to guide me towards a better sleep…..
A great night sleep is totally worth the investment in a good mattress!
Someday I want to invest in a really nice, fancy mattress. Mine is alright, but it came out of an old apartment building, so it was more on the thrifty side than the fancy side. 😉
This is a timely article as I’ll be shopping for a mattress soon and want to make sure I do it correctly.
My back used to hurt so bad until I got the right mattress. It’s so easy to have an old mattress that needs to be replaced and drag your feet about doing it,but then it is so nice once you do that you wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
I really need to get a new mattress set. I have spine problems and my firm and wore out bed is not helping matters at all. Thank you for the great tips I can use when I am able to go on the hunt for a new mattress.
What a great list of tips! We finally bought a memory foam after way too many years of sleeping on a terrible mattress.. it was the best thing we’ve done! It’s SO comfortable!
Really great tips! I too would love it if I could test drive the mattress at home before committing, it feels so funny to lay on them in the store.
I’d add as it happened to us: Also make sure the one they deliver is the exact item you ordered… on our recent purchase we received a model that was one sku digit off from ours and it was hard as a rock! Took us a little bit to realize what the error was and fortunately the company had good customer service.
thanks for the great tips, we are looking for a mattress for my daughter.
Fantastic tips. I always feel self conscious in the mattress store spreading out on the mattress. But really I need to see how it will feel when I sleep on it. Since I sleep on my stomach and side, I need to try out the mattress in those positions.
Great tips on buying such an important item for your home. I’m hoping we don’t have to buy a new mattress for a few more years.
We go all out on allergy protection for our mattress. Same goes for our pillows. I have chronic allergies that are difficult to manage, so I need an allergen-free night’s rest.
I wish you could test drive a mattress in your home. Laying on one in the store is not really the same, you know? We got very lucky with our most recent mattress purchase and love it!
Thank you so much for the great tips. We are currently shopping for a new mattress. I will keep all these in mind while shopping.
great tips! we just purchased a new mattress but now that im pregnant its not soft enough for me anymore :/ trying to convince the hubby to get a new one for our spare room
Good tips! My current mattress is just a couple years old. I think I visited and tested it so many times in the store before finally committing.
A new mattress is on our need-to-purchase list, and I am totally the girl who lays on a mattress for like 15 mins in the store getting all snuggly! LOL
We bought a new mattress once with the idea that “firm” is good for us. However, it was way too firm and my husband had back pains from it. We ended up having to buy another mattress within a few months, so we were bummed about the cost associated with buying a second one. We sold the old one at a huge loss on craigslist, but at least we were able to sell it for something. Ahhh, what a costly mistake! We should have followed your advice to test the mattress in different positions.
With the last mattress purchase I made, I realized how important it is. My back had been hurting for a long time and I had no idea why. When I bought a good mattress, it stopped hurting. Just like that. I don’t need top of the line, but I won’t settle for cheaply made mattresses any more!