We can all agree that getting quality sleep is vital for your physical and mental wellbeing. Even one night of inadequate sleep can completely ruin your day. For this reason, improving your sleep pattern is one of the best things you can do for your health.
A quality mattress is crucial to getting a good night’s sleep. They can be expensive, but some of them are worth every cent. You might be wondering: how does your mattress affect your sleep quality? This article will show you exactly how a good mattress can supercharge your sleep and how a bad one can ruin it.
Benefits of a Good Mattress
Hypoallergenic Qualities
Your mattress is in close, regular contact with your body. As a result, sweat and skin flakes can easily find their way to the insides of your mattress. Do you know who loves skin flakes? Dust mites. A bed infested with dust mites can be a huge problem, and it will repeatedly lead to allergic reactions. Allergy issues are especially prominent with old mattresses.
The obvious solution would be to clean your mattress regularly. However, some modern mattresses, such as latex ones, are resistant to dust mites.
Sweat is another problem altogether. If you sweat heavily in your sleep, you’ll want a breathable, quick-drying mattress. This way, you’ll avoid potential mold growth.
Good Back Support and Spine Alignment
The most obvious side-effect of an inadequate mattress is back pain. A low-quality mattress can completely wreck your back in just one night. This is because the role of a mattress is to support your spine and joints. Naturally, some mattresses fulfill this role better than others.
While most people will have their preference, the general rule is to choose a medium-hard mattress. It’s the perfect middle-ground: a soft mattress will sag, putting your spine out of alignment; a hard one will put pressure on your joints.
According to studies, Canada faces a back pain epidemic, and the rest of the world is not far behind. As we explained, backaches are often the result of an improper sleeping position.
It is important to note that the older your mattress, the worse it will be at providing support to your body. Due to the nature of sleep, some parts of your mattress take on a more significant load than others. Years of use will always lead to perpetually squished spots. If you notice these, it’s time to go shopping.
One more thing: a wrong sleeping position translates to more than just back pain. It can also lead to sleep apnea, which is a severe health condition. Among other things, it will make you frequently wake up during the night, interrupting your sleep cycle.
Breathable Surface
A mattress with a breathable surface will help control night sweats. As we mentioned before, this will reduce the possibility of mold development. However, this is not the only reason to avoid night sweats.
Let us explain: when your body gets too hot during sleep, its natural reaction is to wake up. For this reason, a good sleeping environment should be cool and well-ventilated. If you’re too hot, you’ll never reach the deep, restful stages of sleep.
However, even if your bedroom is cool enough, a bad mattress can still interfere with your night’s rest. A non-breathable surface will trap the heat coming out of your body, leading to restlessness.
Durability
No mattress will last forever, but recent technological developments mean that mattresses are much more durable than they used to be. Durability is especially prominent with latex mattresses. The best part: they can boast a lifespan of up to 20 years! Hybrid mattresses are a close second, whereas memory foam will start to deteriorate after about ten years of use. Traditional sprung mattresses are the least durable, although quality ones still benefit from high-tech foam solutions, tempered steel coils, etc.
Everything mentioned above means that a quality mattress will hold on to its characteristics for a long time without showing its age. On the other hand, a cheap mattress will quickly start to lose its shape. Moreover, it will become gradually worse after each night of sleep.
Choosing The Right Mattress
These days, your best bet will probably be to choose between memory foam, latex, or a hybrid mattress.
Memory foam is a modern yet time-tested material. A good memory foam mattress conforms to your body, offering ultimate support for your spine and joints. However, memory foam tends to run a little warm because of its body-hugging properties. Maybe that’s why it’s so popular among Canadians.
Latex mattresses offer a different approach: they are bouncy and better suited for people who want a colder bed. Don’t worry, though: a good latex mattress will still offer plenty of support.
Hybrid mattresses are a good middle-ground choice. They use a mixture of materials: latex, memory foam, and springs, offering all of their advantages and few drawbacks (if any).
By the way, many of these mattresses come conveniently rolled up and stored in a box nowadays. Gone are the days when you had to hire a moving truck just to get a new mattress. The box packaging means that you can simply put your new mattress in the trunk of your car. Likewise, shipping costs for boxed mattresses are a lot lower. For further info, check out these great Canadian mattresses in a box.
Summary
By now, you’re probably well aware of your mattress’s impact on your sleep quality. If you’re not satisfied with how you sleep, it’s likely your mattress’s fault.
You can take many different measures to improve the quality of your sleep, but a bad mattress will still ruin your chance of a good night’s rest. Take what you’ve learned from this article and consider the quality of your mattress. If it’s sub-par, it’s time for a new one.
Featured Photo by Alena Shekhovtcova from Pexels