Good quality sleep is every person’s desire, starting with little children going all the way to adults. This ensures maximum performance of an individual both at work and also at the home front.
The value of a good quality mattress cannot therefore be underrated. A firm mattress made of high-quality material, coupled with a good quality but soft pillow is very ideal for sound sleep as it effectively supports and cushions the entire body.
Choice of a good mattress material
The body weight and sleeping position of a person influence the choice of the mattress because it is a critical step in ensuring sound sleep.
Heavier people will almost always prefer firm mattresses while lightweight people may not like firm mattresses as they may find them uncomfortably hard. Most people in this category prefer soft to medium firm mattress material.
People who weigh below 130 pounds sink less into a mattress vis a vis people who weigh over 230 pounds which makes them sink deep into their mattress.
Ideal sleeping styles
An adjustable bed mattress is perfect for anyone who prefers to sleep with his or her head raised. There are mattresses best suited for side sleepers. There are those best suited for people who sleep on their backs or stomachs. Then there are those that are best suited for people with multiple sleeping positions.
Environmental and toxicity considerations
Apart from sleeping style and body weight, other critical factors to consider when choosing a mattress material that guarantees sound sleep is its impact on the environment and its toxicity levels, if at all it has any.
We have eco-friendly and non-toxic options that use natural latex for those people with environmental and toxicity concerns. Go for a mattress that has ability to control odour.
For instance, a bamboo charcoal infused memory foam mattress is designed to wick away moisture and to help prevent odours.
Noise
There are people who prefer mattresses that are completely silent in the sense that they do not make any noise when the user moves or turns around in bed.
This is more so for light sleepers who tend to wake up at the slightest noise, which tends to disrupt their sleep.
The one thing that can guarantee them sound sleep is complete silence. Mattresses such as latex and memory foam are very quiet. Usually, mattresses without springs are always quieter.
Foam mattress
Foam mattress is reputed to be the most suitable for sound sleep because it is entirely made of foam without coils. It allows for very good contouring of the body, pressure relief and isolation of motion.
This makes them very ideal for side sleepers and for couples. One of the most commonly used foam in mattresses is memory foam. It is the best foam of all the foams that are used in making mattresses.
Main mattress categories
When seeking to purchase a mattress, it is good to start by considering the different types of mattresses available in the market and their distinct features.
This helps in weighing and finally choosing between the many options available in the market. There are five types of mattresses, namely; latex, innerspring, foam, hybrid and airbed. However, the main categories are foam, latex, innerspring and memory foam mattresses.
Latex
This is a mattress that is made of latex rubber. It is called an all-latex or true latex mattress because all the layers of the mattress are made using latex rubber. The natural form of latex comes from the sap of a rubber tree.
A latex mattress is reputed for its good bounce and it is also durable. For people who are eco-conscious, a mattress made with organic or natural latex is their best option because it is made of eco-friendly materials such as cotton and wool.
Pros
- Allows a generalized compression around the body and moderate level of sinking.
- It conforms to the body, allowing it to provide maximum support and relief from pressure.
- It provides relief from pain, especially muscle pains.
- It provides natural spine alignment.
- It is great for people who suffer from allergies.
- It is free from fossil fuels unlike many conventional mattresses.
- It lasts longer than most types of mattresses.
- It is recyclable and is also biodegradable.
- It is easy to maintain which makes it a great choice for a mattress material.
- It is perfect for sleeping warm rather than hot because it tends to disperse heat. This is because it is naturally porous.
Cons
- It is quite pricey. Natural latex in particular tends to be expensive.
- You can be easily duped into buying a mattress made of synthetic latex rather than natural latex where the latter is your preference, thus denying you great quality.
- Synthetic latex is not eco-friendly.
- Latex can be very heavy.
- It smells of rubber when new because rubber is a natural material. This makes it necessary to air out the mattress for about a week before sleeping on it to remove the smell.
Inner spring
This type of mattress has a support system that is coil-based. The coils help to give firm support to the mattress due to their pushback effect, but they are poor in offering great relief from pressure.
Their sleeping surface is however bouncy as compared to other types of mattresses. They are also quieter as compared to traditional inner spring mattresses because the coils are wrapped in fabric.
Pros
- Innerspring mattress is more breathable due to the manner in which it is constructed.
- It is cooler compared to other types of mattresses because the coils allow the circulation of air inside the mattress. This makes it ideal for people living in hot climates as well as people who generally sleep hot.
- They are largely cheaper than foam mattresses, particularly the basic spring mattress.
- It offers traditional feeling and style because it has been in existence for many years, which also makes it the oldest and most commonly used design of mattress.
- It offers great support to the body because the coils are designed to support your weight, leaving you with no sinking feeling.
- It has a quilted top that feels smoother and which comes in different levels of firmness.
- It’s smoother surface and spring base made from steel coils makes movement far more effortless as compared to other types of mattresses.
- Besides offering support to the body, its coil spring base also offers support to the entire spring system and wire-frame of the mattress.
- The fabric wrapping around the coils and their detachment results in increased ability to absorb body movements during sleep.
- Innerspring mattress is highly versatile.
Cons
- After gradual wear over time, or where too much weight is applied, the mattress becomes prone to spring breakage.
- There are many types of innerspring mattresses available in the market with varying levels of quality due to the fact that they have been around for many years. Picking the best in terms of quality is therefore a challenge as some manufacturers use cheaper, low quality materials to cut down cost and to maximize profit.
- It is not recommended for people who love the support that a memory foam mattress provides.
- Coil spring mattress wear out faster than most types of mattresses.
- The steel coils can cause noise or squeaks when you move and this worsens with time.
- It does not conform well to the body and this eventually creates aches and pains in different parts of the body, especially those parts that put the most weight on the mattress. This mattress is particularly troublesome for side sleepers who need great comfort to the shoulders and hips.
Foam
This mattress is made entirely with foam. Unlike an innerspring mattress, it does not have any coils within it. The foam is of three types; memory foam, which is the most preferred type of foam, polyurethane foam and foam latex. Foam mattress depends on the air trapped within it to provide bounce and support.
Pros
- It provides relief from pressure and pain.
- It provides isolation of motion.
- It provides above average contouring to the body because it is soft. It shapes to your body.
- It is most ideal for couples and people who sleep on their side.
- It is easy to find online for those people who love doing online shopping.
Cons
- It tends to release chemicals with distinct odours or smells.
- Foam mattresses vary in quality and this therefore demands an execution of due diligence on the part of the buyer to guarantee a high-quality mattress.
- A low-quality foam mattress breaks down very fast, resulting in sagging and denting issues within a year or more.
Memory foam
This is a type of mattress made of high-quality foam that uses the heat of your body to make it contour to your body. It conforms or moulds to your body’s natural shape, giving great support and comfort to your body.
Pros
- It is hypoallergenic. Dust mites and other allergy inducing substances such as mould cannot infiltrate the mattress.
- It isolates motion very well.
- It provides firm support for the back, spine and joints while still permitting proper alignment of the body while sleeping.
- It is a great mattress type for an adjustable bed base.
- It relieves back pain.
- It provides a much more superior sleep quality as compared to other types of mattresses.
Cons
- Memory foam absorbs and retains heat from the body, making you hotter during sleep. This leads to discomfort and disturbed sleep.
- Some types of memory foam mattresses aren’t supportive of body weight due to low density and should be avoided.
- Some types of memory foam mattresses are constructed using poor quality materials which gives them poor performance in the quality of service they provide.
- It has an odd smell when new thou it usually subsides once the off-gassing process ends.
- A cheap or poor-quality memory foam mattress tends to develop divots in the foam quite fast which results in issues of structural integrity.
Mattress material to keep away from
Sackcloth
Some mattress material is not good for use and should be avoided. For instance, sackcloth is the lowest grade of fabric or material that can be used on a mattress, but it is coarse and rough to the touch and feel. It is mainly used on economy and budget mattresses.
Stitch-bond
The next grade above sackcloth is what is known as stitch-bond. It is far better than sackcloth and also happens to be the cheapest grade of fabric that is ethical to use on a mattress. However, it should be avoided due to its poor quality. It is not durable and will therefore not give you good service.
Others
It is advisable to avoid mattress materials that are not eco-friendly. It is also wisdom to avoid those mattress materials that offer poor body support. Mattress materials that tend to form dents over time are not good for use.
The same case applies for those mattresses that tend to sink in too much for comfort and firm support such as soft foam.
Healthiest mattress material
Cotton mattress material will always eliminate all competition when looked at in terms of health. They are an excellent choice for people who suffer from allergies because they are both hypoallergenic and antibacterial, especially the organic ones.
Latex and memory foam mattresses are among the healthiest mattress materials to use after cotton because they have excellent antimicrobial properties that make them resistant to mould, dust mites and allergens. They are great for people with allergies.
Type of mattress that is most comfortable
The type of mattress that is most comfortable depends on a person’s sleeping style. Each sleeping style requires different type of mattress for maximum comfort. For a side sleeper, a medium firm mattress is the most comfortable because it is soft.
Back and stomach sleepers require a firm mattress because it guarantees the greatest comfort to them.
Combination sleepers change their sleep positions throughout the night and therefore need a medium firm mattress made of latex hybrid for ease of movement around the bed.
Generally, a medium firm mattress tends to be most comfortable for a range of sleeping positions.
