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Finding The Best Mattress For Couples

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Bed Cartography

The group of people who have the toughest time shopping for a mattress is couples.

They not only have to get the comfort level right for each partner but there are two other big factors they must consider in order to have a great night sleep.

I am going to go over the two issues they face when shopping for a mattress and give my recommendations to help point them in the right direction.

     Go big or go home!

If you share a bed with your significant other always choose a king size mattress.

Even if it takes up the whole room.

For ten years my wife and I slept on a queen size mattress and when we finally upgraded to a king size we were instantly on cloud nine.

Sharing a queen size bed with someone only gives you 30 inches of personal sleeping space, which is 8 inches less than a twin size mattress.

Yikes!

And if you and your spouse are sharing a full size mattress then you each have about the same sleeping space as the width of a crib size mattress.

I’m sure you don’t want to literally sleep like a baby.

So rule number 1 always opt for a king size when you are sharing your bed.

     Motion creates emotion.

You may have heard Tony Robbins say that just before he got you fired up and ready to take on the world but it’s true.

It’s true in life and it’s true in bedding.

If you have ever been woken up by your significant other because of their tossing and turning causing the whole bed to shake, then you know very well their motion has stirred up a whole lot of unhappy emotions with you.

If this is an issue for you (which it is for most couples who share a bed) then your choice of mattress should either be a memory foam mattress, a latex mattress, or a pocketed coil mattress.

A memory foam mattress provides the least amount of motion transfer, which is then followed by latex and then followed by a pocketed coil mattress.

My wife and I used to own pocketed coil mattress and although we couldn’t feel each little movement one another made we were able to tell when the other got out of bed.

When we upgraded our mattress to a latex mattress we could no longer feel the other getting in and out of bed.

Each of these three types of mattresses will do a good job of separating the motion so it will be up to you to find out which is most comfortable to you.

If you can think of any other issues couples face when shopping for a mattress leave them in the comment section below as we would love to help you out.

The 3rd Pillar Of Health

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DSC_0941 Hey! It’s the New Year, which means a new you.

You have written new goals and on the top of the list, if you’re like most Americans is to get healthy!

I’m sure you’ve signed up for that gym pass promising yourself you’ll be good this time and will workout every day.

No longer will you give up on your resolution in February because this is your year.

In fact, you probably bought a juicer and stocked up on bags of organic kale and spinach.

However, what most people don’t realize is just working out and eating healthy won’t get you to your optimum health.

You may be able to reach your goal by just sticking to the two but it will take longer.

You can eat all the kale salads and drink all the wheatgrass shots you want but missing this key piece can make it tougher for you to get there.

Which means another year of being weighed down by constant fatigue or not being able to enjoy the great outdoors.

Or better yet, being stuck in a gym contract because you gave up too soon due to the extremely slow results.

You see, most people when they talk about getting healthy they only focus on two components to the formula for health.

What are they?

Diet and exercise.

But there’s more to the complete health puzzle and a vital piece is missing.

So what is this missing piece? What is this “so called” 3rd pillar of health?

Well, to give you a hint we spend a third of our lives doing this every single night.

Yup, you guessed it, it’s sleep.

Sleep is the 3rd pillar of health and it may be the missing piece to your getting healthy mishap.

So why is sleep so important and considered the 3rd pillar of health?

Here are a couple amazing benefits of the power of sleep.

Physical Benefits

Sleep is vital to our physical health. Duh no brainer right?

But how you feel when you’re awake depends a whole lot on what happens when you’re asleep.

You see, while you’re sleeping your body is at work repairing your muscles from exercise or just from the wear and tear the day brings.

Without giving our body the sleep it needs we hinder our body’s natural process of repairing our achy muscles.

Sleep is also connected to our eating habits.

I’m about to get a little scientific and use some weird words on you so please stay with me.

Getting good quality sleep helps us maintain a healthy balance of our hormones ghrelin (which makes us feel hungry) and leptin (which makes us feel full).

When we don’t get good quality sleep our ghrelin levels go up (causing us to feel hungry) and our leptin levels go down (leaving our stomachs feeling less satisfied).

So our constant hungry belly and late night munchies can be attributed to poor sleeping habits.

A study done by the University of Chicago showed that healthy adults when restricted to just 4 hours of sleep per night for a week some showed to have insulin and glucose characteristics to that of a diabetic.

Other studies have shown that consistent lack of sleep has been linked to an increase of heart disease, high-blood pressure, and diabetes.

With that all being said I think I should now go to bed. Oh wait never mind it’s only 2:37 in the afternoon.

Mental Benefits

Did you know getting good quality sleep can actually make us smarter?

How?

Because, when we are asleep our brain is getting things ready for the next day.

Our brain is actually “tiding up the house” storing the important things and getting rid of the stuff that would be considered brain waste.

Another amazing benefit of sleep is that each time we sleep our brains also clear up all the waste from the days junk.

Our bodies also do this and is done when we are awake using our lymphatic system.

But our brains don’t have lymphatic vessels so to accomplish getting rid of the toxin build up throughout the day the brain uses what is called cerebrospinal fluid which takes out all the toxins and junk in the brain to give us a fresh start the next day.

And this all happens in our brains while we are sleeping.

Ok, so now that your brain is overloaded with a lot of sleep information, let me see if I can help clear some of this up.

Let’s take a newborn for example.

Ever wonder why they sleep so much? I mean, how can they possibly be so tired?

All they do is nurse and make dirty diapers.

Well, the reason is because their brain is taking in so much new information.

So when they sleep their brains are helping them process and sort all the new information they have taken in for the day.

And if you keep a baby from her nap and deprive her of her sleep the baby becomes cranky and at times inconsolable.

Now there’s a little more to it than that but you get the gist.

So to put it simply, if we continue to sacrifice our sleep and rely on coffee to “fix it” we aren’t allowing our brains to do it’s job and we then become like the zombies from the walking dead.

This is why sleep is so vital to our mental health. Getting a good night sleep gives us a fresh new start each day.

So now that you know the 3rd pillar of health you can now finally cross off that new years resolution at the end of the year once and for all.

If you learned something reading this or have some questions share it with your friends and/or let us know.

References

i. https://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_iliff_one_more_reason_to_get_a_good_night_s_sleep/transcript?language=en

ii. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why

iii. https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/diet-exercise-and-sleep

3 Activities To Avoid Before Going To Bed

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Sleeping in front of tv

Sleep is probably one of the most glorious acts we do each day. It is amazing how sleep helps us feel refreshed, restores our body, and relaxes our muscles.

However, approximately 30% of the population complains about sleep disruption.

To help you sleep better, I have listed three activities you must avoid doing before going to bed.

Exercising

No, this is not me giving you an excuse to quit your new year’s resolution of working out.

So please don’t go tell your spouse or your friends that you can’t workout because some mattress guy told you it affects your sleep.

So please do work out, just not close to bedtime.

The reason is two fold.

First it can over stimulate us and make it tougher for us to unwind.

Secondly, it can spike our core temperature and take it longer for our body to cool down which it naturally does when we go to sleep.

If you do exercise before bed and don’t think it interferes with your sleep try exercising in the morning and see if you notice a difference on how you feel throughout the day.

Watching TV

Have you ever stayed up late and watched something super random like Finding Bigfoot or The Lost Tapes of the Chupacabra?

No?

Well I have.

And just so you know it was definitely not worth it.

I don’t even believe in that stuff and yet there I was wasting away each precious moment of sleep as I sat in front of the TV watching one of those ridiculous shows.

Anyways, the point of the story is watching TV before bed time is bad.

It’s bad because the later it gets the worst we are at choosing a good show to watch.

And more importantly the light emitted from the TV suppresses our body’s natural production of melatonin which is our sleep hormone.

Taking a hot bath or shower

This is a tough one because a nice warm shower in the evening feels so relaxing.

However, If you are going to take a hot bath and then immediately after get ready for bed then this should be avoided.

Our body temperature naturally cools down in the evening to prepare us for sleep.

By taking a hot bath or shower just before bed we are fighting our body’s natural tendency and making it tougher for us to get a good night sleep because our body has to work harder to bring its core temperature down.

If you do take a bath or shower in the evening do so at least an hour before bedtime.

So in order for you to sleep like a boss then avoid these three activities before bed and you should notice improvements in your sleep quality.

Latex Mattresses vs Memory Foam

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latexvsmemfoam

A common question we get here at San Diego Mattress Makers, is what type of mattress should I get, a latex mattress or memory foam? Usually the person who asks that question is tired of their innerspring mattress and wants to try something different.  A simple answer to that question is it depends… There are many variables to factor when choosing which type will be right for you.  In this post we’ll examine each sleeping surface and hopefully equip you on making a wise decision.

 

The 6 factors we’ll go over when comparing latex vs memory will be:

  1. Comfort
  2. Back Support
  3. Durability
  4. Motion Separation
  5. Temperature factor
  6. Price

  

Let’s first start with Latex Mattresses.

 

I assume you’re somewhat familiar with what a latex mattress is at this point, if your not too familiar with what a latex mattress is I recommend reading our post on What Is A Latex Mattress first to give you an overview.

 

Comfort and Feel

 

When people are looking for a new mattress comfort is usually the first thing they look for. Memory foam and latex mattresses each have a very distinct and unique feel. Latex mattresses have a more springy buoyant feel, while memory foam has a more dense and slow sinking feel. Your comfort preference is purely personal, however latex mattress do offer more variations of feels than memory foam does. If you are more accustomed to or prefer a traditional mattress feel but want to get away from a spring mattress, then latex will give you that option because you can add the quilted top to give you a more traditional feel without losing any of the benefits of latex. Memory foam mattresses do not give you that option. You can’t add any other comfort layers or padding on the top layer because you will then lose the benefit and feel of memory foam. So if you like the slow-response sinking in feeling that memory foam offers memory foam would be your best choice. If you’re looking for more variation on feel then we suggest to choose latex.

 

Edge- Latex

 

Back Support

 

Another important aspect in shopping for a mattress is back support. Like comfort, back support is a very personal thing. There are no two bodies that are exactly alike. There are so many different body types and different needs. Some people carry their weight more on top while others carry their weight near the hips and mid section. What you want to look for in a mattress is to make sure that the mattress is going to conform to your body and keep your spine in alignment.

 

Memory foam mattresses do a great job of conforming to your body’s curves. With memory foam you can be sure that there will be no empty gaps or spaces between you and the mattress. Now keeping your back straight without sinking in too much is a different matter. Not all memory foam beds are created equal when it comes to back support. When looking for a memory foam mattress, make sure there is a solid support layer underneath the memory foam so you’re not sinking in too deep. You want to make sure the support layer is a high density foam that is at least 2.5lb in density. Any thing less than that would compromise your support long term. Another thing to be aware of when trying out memory foam is, you want the memory foam to be at minimum 4lb of density, anything less than 4lb of density will begin to feel that your hips and lower back sink in much lower than the rest of your body. 

 

Latex mattresses also do a great job with conforming to your body. The big advantage of latex mattresses is that they while it conforms to your body’s curves it also distributes your weight evenly and keeps your spine in alignment. Overall latex is a more solid and consistent material, thus preventing you from sinking in too deep into the mattress. 

 

The major difference that latex mattresses have over memory foam mattresses when it comes to back support, is that with memory foam mattresses, the memory foam itself is not providing you the support, it is the poly foam (polyurethane foam) support layer under the memory foam  where you get the support. And over time poly foam does tend to break down faster than latex foam.

 

Edge- Latex

 

Durability

 

A mattress that lasts  at least 8-15 years is a good indicator of a quality mattress. The durability is one of the most important factors. Latex mattresses have a great reputation of durability. Years ago when I used to deliver mattresses, I remember taking old latex mattresses out of customers houses that were 30-40 years old, and noticed that the integrity of the mattress was not compromised. The mattress wasn’t saggy or lumpy and the only reason they were replacing their mattress was because they either wanted something softer or more firm. 

 

I’ve recently found a video showing a 50 year old latex mattress still in very good shape. 

 

In looking for a latex mattress, going with an all natural or natural and synthetic blend is the way to go in terms of durability. There is less expensive latex out there that has fillers put in to bring down the cost, and even though it feels like latex you lose the overall support and durability compared to an all latex mattress.There are also different qualities of memory foam mattresses available and one of the biggest factors that determine it’s durability is the density. As I said earlier you want to make sure the memory foam you’re getting is at least 4 lb density. Anything less than that you run the risk of premature body impressions.

 

Overall there are way too many variables with memory foam to give you solid data on it’s durability. It is very hit or miss with memory foam to determine it’s durability because China now is a major importer of memory foam products. Latex on the other hand is much more consistent and has been proven to out last any other mattress type.

 

Edge – Latex

 

Motion Separation

 

We’ve all seen the commercials with the wine glass and the person jumping up and down on a mattress. This is a great demonstration of the motion separation from Tempurpedic. When I first saw this demo I was a bit skeptical but when I used to work as a salesperson at a popular mattress store in San Diego I had a couple walk in with a bottle of wine and actually asked to do the wine test. I was brand new at the time and didn’t know what to do so I let them do it with a towel underneath the wine of course. And to my surprise the test actually did work. The wine bottle did not tip over. 

 

Latex mattresses however are the next best thing when it comes to motion transfer. Because the latex absorbs the energy of any one moving, you will also have a hard time feeling the other person as they get in and out of bed. However, since it does have a more springy, bouncy feel you can feel the person move a bit more than you would on a memory foam. So with out a doubt memory foam mattresses definitely give you the best motion separation from the other person in bed.

 

Edge- Memory Foam

 

Temperature factor

 

Heat can be a make or break when getting a good night sleep. In my years of selling memory foam beds and in specific Tempurpedic, the biggest complaint we would get was that the mattress sleep hot. Memory foam by it’s nature is designed to respond to the temperature around it. If the room is cold the mattress will be very firm, if the room is warm the mattress will be much softer. Tempurpedic got its name from “temperature” because it not only responded to your weight but also your body temperature.

 

The past year or so several different cooling foams and gels have been added to mattresses to try to get them to sleep cooler. From the experience I have had with other customers, sales people from other mattress stores, and even experiencing it myself, the new cooling technology has been a little improvement but not enough to make a significant difference.

 

Latex mattresses have a more open cell structure as well as the have holes going through the mattress which naturally allow the mattress to breathe and allow for air to circulate throughout the mattress. So overall in mattress breathability we would have to give the edge to latex.

 

Edge- Latex

 

Price

 

Perhaps the most important factor for some shoppers is the price of the mattress.  The biggest drawback for people in going with latex mattresses is the price. A queen size mattress that is all latex will run you at least around the $1200 mark. And that is on the low end. However there are some latex blended products with filler foam that I’ve seen for under $600. But I would advise against going too cheap on latex because you then lose all the advantages latex that we talked about. So if you’re looking for a quality latex mattress look to spend at least $1200-$2000.

 

Memory foam on the other hand has quite a few more options. The choices for different memory foam mattresses has increased exponentially over the last 5 years. Now it’s no longer just Tempurpedic and a few no names to choose from. You literally have hundreds of different memory foam brands to sort through, and because of that the price has gone down dramatically. I’ve seen memory foam mattresses for under $300 recently which makes it appealing to anybody on a budget. So if price is your biggest factor then memory foam might be a better choice.

 

Edge – Memory foam

 

And The Verdict Is?…

 

If you want to count the wins and losses above then go for it. However these factors don’t all carry the same weight for some people. For some back support is the number one factor and to others it may be motion separation.  But if you are looking for more of a diverse feel with great support that will last you a heck of a long time then latex will be the clear cut winner. If you’re looking to save some money and want great motion separation then maybe a memory foam mattress might be right for you.

 

The best advice I can provide is go into a store and try both. Your body is the best judge and if the store has a lenient return or exchange policy then great, don’t sweat the decision.  Try them both out and go with the one that fits your body best. We would love to hear about your experience and which one you decided. So shoot us an email or respond in the comments and let us know!

 

 

Different Types Of Innersprings

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So you’re shopping for an innerspring mattress but don’t know the difference?  This article is all about the different types of innerspring mattresses on the market.  The goal of this article is not to tell you which is better, rather it is so that you know the type of innerspring mattress you are purchasing.

 

Bonnell Coil

Bonnell coils are among the oldest as well as most common coils found in innerspring mattresses.  It was first adapted during the horse and bonnel-coil-1carriage days of the 19th century to provide support in the seat cushion. Bonnell coils are hourglass shaped and knotted at the end. This type of coil is typically found in less expensive mattresses and are the simplest to produce.

 

 

Continuous Coil 

 

 

This type of innerspring is configured where the rows of coils are connected with one piece of metal. The piece of wire continues throughout the mattress usually from head to toe, hence the name continuous.  This type of coil is more likely to be on the firmer side of the spectrum.  Like the Bonnell coil, you will typically see this coil Innerspring-1in a lower cost mattress due to the low cost to manufacture this type of innerspring.

 

Marshall Coil

 

Most commonly know as the pocketed coil, was created in 1900 by James Marshall who thought a mattress should have internal independent springs to provide both support and comfort.  A Pocketed coil system consists of individual coils wrapped in a fabric encasing. To keep them from moving out of line the fabric is either glued or sewn together whereas all pocketed-coilother coils are held together with spirals of wire called helicals. One of the benefits of this is that the pocketed coil does not transfer movement to your partner. Also, the Pocketed coil contours to the shape of you body better than the other types of innerspring.  You will typically see a Pocketed coil mattress in the medium to higher priced models.

 

Offset Coil

 

Similar to the Bonnell coil, the Offset coil is also of the hourglass shape.  The shape of the coil at the top and bottom has flat sides (looks like a square) rather than being completely rounded.  The Offset coils provide better support and contours to the body beddingcoilunit1012.5better than both the Bonnell and Continuous coil.  It can also be made firmer than the Pocketed coil since the coils are held together by helical wire.  You will typically see the Offset coil in the medium to higher priced mattresses.

 

The choice is yours

 

So now that you know the difference between the types of coils used in an innerspring mattress you can decide what is most important to you.  Of course this isn’t all you need to know about innerspring mattresses.  To find out what coil count means and what’s the difference between the gauges of wire used in the coils read our article here.

Talalay Latex VS Dunlop

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dunlop-vs-talalayIf you are in the market for a latex mattress the biggest question you probably want to know is what’s the difference between Talalay and Dunlop.  I am sure you have already went over to the google machine and started some research of your own.  If you have, you may be getting conflicting information about which is better.

 

On one hand you have all the Talalay supporters stating their case why they think Talalay is better and on the other side you have the Dunlop supporters saying Dunlop is better.  While their argument is going on you are caught in the middle of them just trying to find out what are the differences between the two. From the sound of their arguments you would think they were talking about their preferred political party or some pressing social issue.

 

I don’t blame you if you have second thoughts on buying a latex mattress since I am sure you don’t want to be associated with those Latex freaks.  Well, before you reconsider I am here to give you the differences between the two and also share the advantages and disadvantages of both.  At the end, I will also go over which method I prefer.  So let’s get started.

 

Talalay Latex

 

Talalay is one of the processes in which a Latex mattress is made and should not be confused with synthetic latex or all natural latex.  It is a seven-step process, which makes it more complex than that of Dunlop. The steps of the Talalay process are:

 

1)    First it is whipped into a frothy liquid

2)    Next the liquid is poured precisely by robotic arms into the mold

3)    Then the mold is closed and gets vacuum sealed so that the Latex gets distributed evenly

4)    It is then chilled to -20 degrees

5)    After which, CO2 is introduced to gel the Latex foam

6)    It is then heated to 220 degrees to cure the Latex final shape

7)    Lastly it is washed and dried

 

 

Advantages of Talalay

 

  • More breathable than Dunlop due to the manufacturing process
  • Wider range of ILDs. However, Talalay is still softer than Dunlop even if they are both labeled as the same ILD.
  • Conforms to the body better since it is more “airy”
  • More consistent feel throughout the mattress
  • Usually better having Talalay in the comfort layer due to its “pushiness”
  • Softer

 

 

Disadvantages of Talalay

 

  • More expensive than Dunlop
  • Softer
  • Less dense

 

 

Dunlop Latex

 

The Dunlop method has been used since 1929.  The Dunlop process is about four times quicker to manufacture than Talalay.  The steps of the Dunlop process is as follows:

 

  1. First the Latex liquid is emulsified
  2. Next it is poured into the mold
  3. The mold is then closed and gets cooked evenly
  4. Finally the Latex is removed from the mold and is washed and dried

 

Advantages of Dunlop

 

  • More dense
  • Less Expensive
  • Usually better used as the support layer in the mattress due to its density
  • Firmer

 

Disadvantages of Dunlop

 

  • Not as breathable
  • Inconsistent feel throughout the mattress due to the particles settling at the bottom
  • Firmer

 

Although it looks like Talalay is the better method of the two, you have to find out what is best for you.  You may like the firmer feel and choose to go with the Dunlop process.  My preferred combination is having a Dunlop core with the comfort layers being Talalay.  The reason I like it that way is because Dunlop is more dense it gives me that firmer support while I can still benefit from the plush feel of Talalay on the top layers.

What Is A Latex Mattress?

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What_is_a_Latex_MattressWhen I am asked about latex mattresses often times people are curious on the feel and the process on how a latex mattress is manufactured.  Is it funny to think you can sleep on the same thing that is worn on the hands of doctors?

A latex mattress is an all-natural rubber that is tapped from the rubber tree and made from the milky liquid that comes from the tree. An all-natural latex mattress consists of pure latex without the use of synthetic chemicals and is the greenest type of mattress in the market.

Latex can also be made from synthetic material from a chemical called Styrene-Butadiene also known as SBR. Although they are different they are typically made using the same methods known as Dunlop and Talalay.

Dunlop

The Dunlop process is a denser form of latex. This is an older method and has been used in the latex mattress industry since 1931. The Dunlop process is pretty difficult to make in a softer version of latex because during the manufacturing process, it takes time for the liquid to set into a solid latex mold. The Dunlop latex process is best used as a support or core layer of your mattress or for those who prefer a firmer mattress.

Talalay

The Talalay latex process is more complex than the Dunlop process. It is first whipped into a foamy liquid and then poured into the mold. Once it is poured it gets vacuumed sealed so that the latex gets distributed evenly. After it has been vacuumed it is then chilled to -20 degrees. Freezing it prevents gravity from the particles to settle at the bottom giving you that more consistent and “airy” feel. This process is best used as the comfort layer since the desired softness or firmness is rather simple to produce as opposed to the Dunlop process.

Final Thoughts

Although a lot more goes into the Talalay process, it does not mean a Dunlop latex mattress is inferior. It all depends on the individual’s preference and what they are looking for in a mattress. The two differences you will notice are the difference in feel and also the difference in price. Talalay tends to be pricier because it is a more complex process.

When looking for a latex mattress, be sure you know what it is you are looking at. If the sticker on the mattress says “100% latex” then you are more likely than not looking at a blended latex mattress rather than a 100% all-natural latex mattress.

How To Find the Perfect Mattress

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We all love perfect. We all want the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect spouse, or even perfect kids. But like most things very few things can be perfect. What about the perfect mattress? Is there such thing as the perfect mattress?

Well, it depends, there are several factors to look for when looking for the perfect mattress.

      1. Comfort/Pressure Relief
      2. Support
      3. Durability
      4. Motion Separation
      5. Temperature Regulation
      6. Price

We’ll take a look at each one of these and go over what to look for when purchasing a new mattress to help make it a little easier to find your perfect mattress.

Comfort

When searching for a new mattress, remember “Comfort Is King”.

Out of all the elements that make for a perfect mattress comfort trumps all, that is the main reason why you’re looking for a bed right?

The thing about comfort is that it’s very subjective. What may be comfortable for you might not be so comfortable for your partner.

So how do you choose a mattress based on comfort?

 Pressure Relief       

A major factor in finding a comfortable mattress is pressure relief.

Pressure points are one of the major reasons why you are tossing and turning at night.

Generally, side sleepers toss and turn more because our hips and shoulders have more pressure points than the other areas and also because that is where most of our weight lies, in the hips and shoulders.

 Comfort Layers      

If you are a predominately side sleeper we would usually recommend choosing a mattress that has at least one inch or 2 inches of pressure-relieving materials (padding/foam).

Not all pressure relieving materials are created equal.

Just because one mattress has more foam than the other does not mean it is more pressure relieving.

The best type of materials that relieve pressure points will be latex foam and memory foam, and even that foam varies in quality and density.

To learn more about foams you can read our article here.

Latex foam is the most expensive but also the most durable foam there is.

If it’s in your budget we recommend choosing a mattress with at least one of these types of foams in the comfort layers.

Testing the Mattress

When searching for comfort make sure you give each mattress at least a minimum of 2-5 minutes on each one.

Some places will say at least 15 minutes but we realize you’re busy and that’s may not be realistic.

However, you do want to make sure you are giving it the proper time for your body to adjust.

Sometimes a mattress will feel comfortable at the beginning but as you spend more time on it you’ll be able to tell if there are any uncomfortable pressure points developing or if your arm begins to fall asleep.

I’ve seen some people come in with the preconceived idea that they want a firm mattress, and come to realize that a softer mattress feels much better for them because they lied on the mattress a few minutes longer than they would have.

 Support

First things first let’s determine what mattress support is and where does it come from.

Mattress support comes from within the mattress.  Mattress support is much more than just coil count.

In the old days of mattress shopping, large mattress companies did a good job of misleading the public about coil count.

Coil count was the end all and be all to the quality of a mattress.

Generally, the thought was the more the better but now we’ve learned it’s not always true.

There are several different types of mattress support systems you can choose from which we won’t go into too much detail here.

To get a more in-depth look at mattress support systems you can read our article here.

The 3 main types of mattress support systems are:

  • Innerspring/Pocketed Coil
  • Foam- Latex, Polyurethane foam,
  • Air chambers- Think Sleep Number or Arrow Bed

Each of our bodies are different and each of our bodies has its own unique curves.

The main function of the support layer is to keep our spine, and muscles in alignment.

If you’re on your back or your stomach (sleeping on your stomach is the worst sleep position for support) the mattress should contour and be supported by it’s natural “S” curve.

You should have someone see if the mattress is conforming to the “S” Curve of your back.

If you’re lying on your side your spine should be straight starting at your head and neck.

A good way to test this is to have your partner or someone else look at your back when you’re lying on your side to determine if your spine looks straight.

You’re not looking to be 100% straight to the millimeter because our bodies are flexible and bend.

But it should have an overall straight look. Lay in your general sleeping position for about 5-15 minutes.

If there is any twinge or discomfort you know the mattress is not giving you the support you need.

Mind the gap

While lying on your back or side make sure there are no spaces or gaps between any part of your body or mattress, especially the lumbar area.

Either yourself or your partner slides their hand underneath you and make sure that your body is in complete contact with the mattress.

Durability

So you’ve found a mattress that feels great and is giving you proper support, so how would you now determine how long it will last?

First, you must know the difference between “mattress life” and “comfort life”.

The “mattress life” is the length of time the mattress will hold up before it breaks down and sags within the allotted warranty time.

Usually 1 ½ inches. “Comfort life” is much more important.

It is how long will that mattress give you the same feeling of comfort it did when you first purchased it.

There are many factors to determine this, because it depends on the use or abuse a mattress receives, if you are rotating the mattress properly, and if you have adequate mattress protection from any liquids or moisture.

A quality mattress should give you at least 8-12 years of comfort life and it would be safe to say you got your money’s worth.

 Motion Transfer

If you share your mattress with another person then an important feature to look out for when purchasing a new mattress is how well it eliminates motion transfer.

Mattresses with pocketed coils are better at reducing motion transfer than the more traditional connected coil innerspring.

The pocketed coil moves more independently because each coil is in its own pocket.

In contrast, the connected coil has much more motion because the coils are tied together, and when you move, the other coils near it move with it as well.

So if you’re looking for an innerspring mattress and motion is an issue with you, a pocketed coil mattress may be the better choice.

Another type of mattress that is great with motion separation is a foam-based mattress such as latex and memory foam.

You’ve seen the commercial with someone jumping on a mattress next to a glass of wine. Well, that is memory foam at its best.

Memory foam, as well as latex mattresses, do a great job at absorbing energy and reducing motion, thus giving your partner undisturbed sleep so you can sneak out to the fridge in the middle of the night without having to worry about waking him/her up. 🙂

So if motion separation is on the top of your list of important features when buying a mattress then here are the top types of mattresses to go with.

  1. Memory Foam
  2. Latex mattresses
  3. Pocketed coil innerspring
  4. Connected coil innerspring.

The Temperature Factor

The trend and buzzword in the mattress industry today is “Temperature Regulating”.

Most mattress companies today are striving to make their mattresses sleep cooler and for good reason, sleeping hot sucks!

And with recent studies in sleep wellness sleep researchers have found that sleeping too hot or too cold can affect your quality of sleep.

So what should you look for in a mattress to ensure that your mattress is going to help you sleep cooler?

  1. Innerspring mattresses naturally sleep cooler than memory foam mattresses. It doesn’t matter what cool features are used in the material (Gel, Outlast, phase change materials). Innersprings will most often sleep cooler because air easily passes throughout the spring system without trapping the heat while memory foam beds have much less air circulation thus trapping more heat.
  2. Latex mattresses are very similar to innerspring mattresses because latex mattress has hundreds of holes throughout the mattress which aids in the airflow thus transferring heat away from the sleeper.
  3. Check if the mattress has phase change materials. Phase change materials help regulate the temperature of the mattress by absorbing the heat if you get too warm and releasing the heat back to you if you get too cold. Pretty cool stuff.
  4. In spite of what has been done in technology memory foam does sleep warm. However, some of the newer memory foam beds with the phase change materials have improved the heat issue slightly.
  5. Myth– Gel helps a mattress sleep cooler. Gel packs are heat conductors. If you’ve ever had a gel pack in your freezer you know it freezes well, but if you put that gel pack in the microwave it will get scorching hot. Gel takes on the temperature of whatever it is exposed to. It does not dissipate heat or make an object cooler.

Price

The final factor to consider when finding the perfect mattress is the price.

Determining how much to spend on a mattress can be a tricky thing, mattress shopping is not like car shopping or even shopping for electronics where the more expensive ones are generally better than the less expensive items.

A $5000 mattress is not necessarily better than the $2000 mattress if the $2000 mattress addresses all the factors that we talked about earlier.

Go with the lesser expensive mattress.

However in some cases, the lesser expensive models lack some of the features that the more expensive ones do, then you must ask yourself are those extra features worth paying the extra money.

Only you can answer that question. Remember that buying a new mattress does not need to break the bank.

If you’re shopping at a department store, furniture store or big box mattress store, these places often have tremendous wiggle room on price negotiation.

So never ever pay full price (Unless you’re buying a Tempurpedic or Icomfort because they’re price fixed) if you are buying from one of these types of stores.

You should be able to get a 20-30% discount if you negotiate smartly.

In an upcoming article, we’ll show you how to save 20-30 % off a mattress purchased from a mattress store.

Wrapping it up

You are now more equipped with your mattress and have the knowledge to find your perfect mattress a whole lot easier.

We hope that you find this article useful and would love to hear your own experience in your search for the perfect mattress.

Do I Need A New Mattress?

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Is the Pope Catholic? No just kidding… it all depends.

If your mattress looks anything like the picture listed in this article then the answer is a definite yes.

If it doesn’t then what you will want to do is evaluate how your body feels after a night’s rest.

Are you waking up with aches and pains or better yet, are you having a rough time getting comfortable in your bed?

If you answered yes to either one then it may very well be time for a new mattress.

However, if not that still doesn’t mean you don’t need to replace you mattress.

I remember growing up one of my friends could sleep on anything.

It didn’t matter if the springs were coming through the mattress, he was still some how able to sleep comfortably through the night and wake up feeling good.Do I Need A New Mattress-

Another way to tell if you need to buy a new mattress is to see how it looks without any sheets and covers on the mattress.

Inspect your mattress for any lumps or check to see if it is sagging.

If it is then that tells us that it is not providing your body with the necessary support even if you are able to have a good night sleep like my old buddy was able to.

The next thing to do is check to see if the interior of the mattress is exposing itself.

If a spring is sticking up out of the mattress where you sleep then it’s definitely time for you to buy a new mattress.

Other than my friend, who would want to sleep with a spring sticking out of their mattress and it digging into their back?

I know I don’t.

However, if there is just a little tear around the edges or the corner of the mattress then it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to buy right now it just means the time to replace your mattress is right around the corner.

So, if you can answer yes to any of those reasons stated above then perhaps it’s time to start looking for a new mattress.

And when that time comes, be picky about what you buy because that is where you will be spending most of your time.

If you don’t know where to start when it comes to mattress shopping don’t worry we got you covered with our FREE mattress guide you can download and follow when looking for a new mattress to make sure you find the right one. Just click on the picture below.

Mattress Shopping Guide