Shopping for mattresses can be a confusing experience; few understand all of their available choices and which material would suit their sleep needs best. Finding a mattress should reflect both personal preferences and functional needs when making this important decision.
Memory foam beds may seem ideal if you prefer feeling cuddly when resting, but if your pressure points need firm support this may not be suitable.
Memory Foam
Memory foam is a soft, contouring material that conforms to your body for support in all the right places. It can help those suffering from back or joint pain relieve pressure points and reduce impacts during movement while its dense structure ensures it doesn’t retain allergens like dust mites or dander. Its versatility also makes it a good solution for hypoallergenic people as its dense construction doesn’t allow dust mites or dander from staying trapped within its fibers for prolonged periods.
However, memory foam mattress may trap heat in its interior layers and make some sleepers too warm on their bed. To combat this issue, manufacturers often add gel into polyurethane foam to dissipate heat more effectively and promote airflow.
Gel used to reduce heat retention can also enhance edge support on memory foam mattresses, giving you peace of mind that your mattress won’t lose its shape over time even when sitting on its edges for prolonged periods of time.
Foam mattresses are known for absorbing motion, making them an excellent choice for couples looking to minimize each other’s tosses and turns. Furthermore, foam mattresses provide relief to those suffering from chronic back pain as their gentle nature helps ensure proper spinal alignment and encourage proper spinal posture.
Memory foam mattresses may make some sleepers uncomfortably sleepless due to their slow response when pressed, taking some time for it to return back into its original shape after relieving pressure. This phenomenon is known as the hysteresis effect and some individuals may find this uncomfortable.
Modern production technologies are making strides toward solving this problem by producing faster-responding memory foam that’s still soft and comfortable, as well as latex foam which offers additional support and resilience without overcompressing hips or stomach areas. Latex foam also stands up well to weightier sleepers than its memory counterpart and eco-friendlier – it supports pregnant women without compressing hips or stomach area too much while offering eco-friendliness compared to standard memory foam models. Finally, latex can even support greater weight than standard memory foam options so it makes an excellent option when sleeping on mattresses of different thickness!
Coils
All those who have ever experienced sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress know the value of a good night’s rest can make all the difference in how one wakes up feeling refreshed instead of exhausted. With comfy mattresses designed to relieve pressure points and align your spine properly, restful nights may help one experience revitalized wakeful awakenings instead.
Foams are the primary comfort material used in modern mattresses, although innerspring and hybrid models with coil support systems also exist. The number, type and thickness of foam or fiber padding – known as comfort layers – can have an enormous influence on how a mattress feels; for instance a mattress featuring thin memory foam layers could feel vastly different than one featuring thick latex layers.
Innerspring mattresses feature coils made of steel that has been heated and then cooled to create strength, making the type of coil an important consideration in overall feel and lifespan of mattress purchase. Continuous or bonnell coils tend to be less flexible than offset or dual coils and may transfer more motion between sleeping partners.
Offset or “Karr” coils differ from Bonnell coils by being more nearly cylindrical in shape, giving them more of a hinged feel and increasing mattress flexibility to reduce motion transfer. They’re most commonly found in higher-end mattresses.
Dual or “coil-in-coil” coils are more recent developments, having been first patented in 2010 by Sealy. These are formed by sandwiching two coils together, typically seen in Sealy and Stearns & Foster mattresses, for more gradual body contouring than their traditional coil counterparts and can provide very comfortable sleeping solutions for most sleepers.
Foam springs are an exciting development in innerspring mattress support systems. These individually formed structures of foam provide support comparable to traditional coiled springs – ideal for people who love the feel of an innerspring mattress but want to avoid its movement transference properties.
Cooling Fabrics
Many mattress types incorporate breathable fabrics that keep sleepers cool. When shopping for either a mattress or sheet set, choosing bedding made with such materials will help ensure the best night’s rest possible.
Linen is one of the most breathable fabrics, making it an excellent choice for hot sleepers in summer months as it keeps you cool and dry while still laundering well and getting softer after each wash. Bamboo also makes an excellent lightweight option that naturally regulates temperatures by wicking away moisture to keep you comfortable; bamboo often blends well with cotton or eucalyptus to provide an ultra soft silky feel suitable for all seasons.
As well as fabric, weave can have an enormous impact on how sheets feel and appear. Selecting either sateen or flannel weaves for your sheets can give them the ideal combination of softness and breathability – these weaves are often found both high-end mattress sets as well as cheaper mattress sets.
Latex is another breathable fabric popularly used in mattresses and pillows. Harvested from rubber trees and processed using either the Dunlop or Talalay method, latex provides ample support without hugging like memory foam does while being more breathable than synthetic foams. Although latex might retain heat at first, that can easily be overcome using cooling pillows or adding an aerated or gel-infused memory foam topper to the mix.
Airbeds provide another breathable choice, using air chambers you can fill or deflate at will. For maximum comfort, look for airbeds with durable innerspring bases combined with memory foam, polyfoam or latex layers – these may combine an innerspring base with memory foam layers or thin latex ones for additional support and luxury. Alternatively, for an airbed design with thin foam layers instead.
If you aren’t quite ready to invest in a new mattress yet, a mattress topper may provide additional breathable comfort on top of your current sleep surface. Aerated or gel-infused foam, aerated wool and organic latex all make great options; cotton or polyester pads may also work.
Sheets
Not often considered, your sheets can have an enormous impact on your sleep quality. Aim for soft yet breathable sheets made from natural materials like cotton or Tencel to prevent excess heat build-up while being durable enough for regular laundering cycles; polyester sheets tend to be less breathable but easier to launder.
Finding the ideal bed sheets can be challenging. To find something tailored to both your preferences and budget, percale sheets or sateen woven sheets might be best; percale is also good for cooler sleepers as it has a matte finish which feels soft against your skin, while silky-soft sateen may work better for hot sleepers.
Another key consideration when shopping for sheets is certification status. Some brands, like The Citizenry, offer sheets with both Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and GOTS certifications that guarantee that no harmful chemicals exist in its supply chain.
Memory foam mattresses tend to provide the most restful nights’ rest for most individuals, as they mold to your body’s contours and ease pressure points. Latex may also offer excellent support and comfort – some even liken it to “sleeping on clouds.” Innerspring and hybrid models may offer similar quality sleep.
However, if you tend to experience restless nightly awakenings due to light sleepers or other factors, temperature control should be given special consideration. While all-foam mattresses can trap heat easily, innersprings and hybrid mattresses with coil support cores allow airflow between coils and keep your mattress cool by keeping circulation going throughout its surface area.
