{"id":47134,"date":"2016-01-22T11:15:21","date_gmt":"2016-01-22T16:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=47134"},"modified":"2021-09-01T10:19:39","modified_gmt":"2021-09-01T14:19:39","slug":"mattress-tips-sleep-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/mattress-tips-sleep-better\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the Right Mattress Change Your Life?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Can
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maybe you\u2019ve heard, but we spend a full one-third<\/a> of our lives asleep. \u201cA mattress is so important since it\u2019s the one thing that is closer to us than anything else when we are sleeping, during that one-third of our lifetime,\u201d says Dr. Neil Kline, a board certified sleep physician and a spokesperson for the American Sleep Association<\/a>. \u201cDuring the day, we can [consciously] adjust our positions and change our behavior, but at night we cannot. We really depend on our mattress,\u201d says Bart Haex, a professor of biomechanics at the University of Leuven in Belgium and author of Back and Bed: Ergonomic Aspects of Sleeping<\/em><\/a>. Here\u2019s what you need to know to be sure you can count on yours to give you the best night\u2019s sleep possible.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>6 Signs You\u2019re Exhausted (Not Just Tired)<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Your Mattress Is So Important<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Simply put, \u201can uncomfortable mattress can<\/em> negatively affect sleep,\u201d says Kline. And we already know that poor quality sleep has major consequences<\/a>. If you\u2019re waking up sweating or with neck, back<\/a> or shoulder pain, your mattress could be the culprit.<\/p>\n

Whether your bed is too firm or too soft, both instances can lead to discomfort and interrupted sleep \u2014 and may also mean it\u2019s time for you to buy a new mattress.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Keeping your spine aligned in bed is helpful in reducing muscle and joint pain, says Adam Tishman, co-founder of Helix Sleep<\/a>, a personalized mattress brand. What\u2019s more, though, is that your mattress plays a role in regulating your body temperature overnight due to the stifled airflow caused when you snooze. So its fabric matters, too.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>THIS Is the Exact Time You Should Take a Nap<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOur thermoregulation is less functional during REM sleep,\u201d says Kline, so it becomes more important that our environment \u2014 mattress included \u2014 help keep you cool and comfortable. Furthermore, if your mattress isn\u2019t a good fit, as in your spine isn\u2019t entirely aligned, research has shown<\/a> that you\u2019ll spend up to 49 percent less time in your critical REM sleep stage. (Reminder: REM sleep is the really deep, restorative kind you definitely want.)<\/p>\n

How to Assess Your Current Sleep Situation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First up, think back to when you purchased your bed. If it\u2019s been around 12 years, your mattress is probably starting to break down, says Dr. Kline. And if you have a spring-loaded mattress, even just a little bit of wear and tear can have a big impact, so you may want to replace those even sooner. If your mattress has 60 springs in its length and just three or four are out of whack, it becomes harder for the mattress to compensate, says Luke Sherwin, co-founder of Casper<\/a>, a delivery mattress company. However, foam mattresses are more forgiving, Sherwin explains, because there are thousands of tiny air bubbles in the layers that can adjust to the pressure of your body, whether you stay in one position or move around all night.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 9 Cool Gadgets to Help You Sleep Better Tonight<\/a><\/p>\n

Next, lie down on your bed and really take notice of how you\u2019re really feeling. Does the bed feel more like a wooden board? Haex says that if it feels firm, you\u2019re likely only supported under your shoulders and hips, leaving your spine unsupported and unaligned. \u201cAlternately, if it\u2019s too soft, it\u2019s like sleeping in a hammock,\u201d he adds. And while that may sound lovely, having a sunken spine and unsupported shoulders and hips makes for a far less enjoyable snooze. Whether your bed is too firm or too soft, both instances can lead to discomfort and interrupted sleep \u2014 and may also mean it\u2019s time for you to buy a new mattress.<\/p>\n

Your Buy-a-New-Bed Checklist<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Learn the cardinal rule.<\/strong> It\u2019s important to know that there isn\u2019t one make or model that will lessen everyone\u2019s back pains, regulate everyone\u2019s temperatures and support everyone\u2019s spines. \u201cThere is no one perfect mattress for everyone \u2014 every body is different,\u201d says Kline. So keep that in mind before you buy something because of a smaller price tag or trendy packaging.<\/p>\n

2. Pinpoint your sleep style.<\/strong> Then, take stock of your own situation, determining what kind of sleeper you are. Stomach sleepers, for example, need more support than back or side sleepers so their lower back doesn\u2019t arch, which can cause pain, says Tishman. And side sleepers should avoid extra-firm mattresses, says Haex, since their bodies will unconsciously start rotating into a prone position in order to get sufficient support.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 9 Ways to Finally Get a Better Night\u2019s Sleep<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Assess your chill factor.<\/strong> You should note whether you\u2019re someone who gets very warm while sleeping. If you are, you\u2019ll want to avoid memory foam and latex, which retain a lot of heat. Spring mattresses are the coolest because they allow for the most airflow. \u201cGood support of the back can be obtained from all different types of materials,\u201d says Haex. \u201cThe choice of material depends more on whether you sweat a lot,\u201d as well as how warm you get at night.<\/p>\n

4. Look outside the box spring.<\/strong> Still can\u2019t find the perfect fit? Customizable companies like Helix start with a questionnaire to help you determine your preferences and needs, then build a custom mattress based on your responses. For fit-minded folks, startup Bear Mattress<\/a> created a bed that contains celliant, a mineral \u201chelps with increasing oxygenation in your blood,\u201d explains Bear Mattress founder Scott Paladini. \u201cIncreased oxygenation increases blood flow which helps you recover faster and gives you more energy in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The Hidden Ways Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Weight Gain<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Rest assured.<\/strong> At the end of the day, always, always<\/em> go with what feels good when you lay on it. (Always <\/em>lay down on the floor model first.) That way, you\u2019re ensuring yourself some solid rest. \u201cIf you sleep on a good mattress, you\u2019ll see [fewer] interruptions [in your rest],\u201d says Haex. \u201cThere is most definitely a relationship between good mattress support and good quality of sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Finding the right mattress can make you more than just cozy: You\u2019ll sleep better and feel great, too. Here\u2019s how to find the perfect mattress for you. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,13],"tags":[280,345,377],"class_list":["post-47134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-sleep","tag-sleep","tag-tax1conditions","tag-tax2back-and-neck-pain"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/85"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47134"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47134\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}