Are you confused about which mattress is good for your health? Many people think buying a mattress is just going to the shop and buying the one that fits their budget. Some of us do consider firmness, but that is all there is to it. But budget and comfort are not the only things to be considered when buying a mattress. In this article, we will give you the ultimate guide to buying a good mattress. Read on to find out more.
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Why does a good mattress matter?
A good day depends on a good mattress.
Do you think I am exaggerating?
Ask yourself the following questions?
- Am I getting the same level of comfort as before?
- Do I have disturbed sleep patterns?
- Does it take a long time for me to fall asleep?
- Do I have back or neck or body pains?
- Do I suffer from fevers, allergies, migraine, insomnia, etc. frequently?
- Has my lifestyle changed from the time when I bought the mattress?
- Do I feel tired throughout the day?
- Do I feel sleepy throughout the day?
If you have answered “yes” to even one of the questions above, it is time to change your mattress.
Your good health depends on a lot of things.
And one of them is having a good amount of sleep at night.
We need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night to remain healthy.
Our body needs that rest, so that it may function properly.
But the fact is that many of us are sleep-deprived.
Not getting sufficient sleep at night leads to stress.
And stress can lead to many complications like diabetes, hypertension, stomach troubles, mood swings, depression, etc.
All these will affect not only our health but also our lifestyle, work, and relationships.
Many of us think that we can “make up” the sleep time at night by sleeping during the day.
But that is the wrong approach.
We need to sleep 7 – 8 hours at a stretch at night so that our body and mind get proper rest.
That is how our biological clock works.
And getting proper sleep at night depends a lot on your mattress.
If your sleeping mattress is not comfortable, you just cannot have a deep sleep.
As a result, you will have disturbed sleep, pains in your body joints, and feel tired throughout the day, leading to all kinds of health issues.
What is a bad mattress?
Look closely at your present mattress.
Are you seeing any of these signs as below?
- Sagging in the middle.
- Uneven surface.
- No bounce.
- Feeling very hard or firm when pressed.
- Sounds when tossing, turning, and applying pressure.
- Dirty.
- Torn.
- Bad smell.
- Bed bugs.
If you have found any of the signs above, you are sleeping on a “bad” mattress.
If a mattress is used over a long time, it is bound to worn out, like everything else.
As a rule of thumb, a mattress will last an average of 10 years, if maintained well.
The life of a coir mattress is the shortest – just about 5 years.
Other mattresses like spring and foam last a bit longer.
The most durable mattress is latex mattresses.
So you should change your mattress after it is “dead”.
Change your mattress keeping in mind the type of the mattress.
That is, consider changing a coir mattress if it is over 5 years old.
If your spring or foam mattress is over 10 years old, look for the signs above.
If you are using a latex mattress and it is over 15 years old, see whether it needs to be changed or not.
What is a good mattress?
A “good” mattress is one that is comfortable to sleep on.
Some people like to sleep on a firmer mattress, some on a soft mattress and some like to have a spring feeling in their mattresses.
So the comfort of a mattress depends on personal preference.
So if someone likes a soft mattress but buys a spring mattress, it will not be comfortable for him or her.
In such a case, even if the spring mattress is of good quality, it is a “bad” mattress for that person.
Apart from this, there are other factors too which you should keep in mind while hunting for a good mattress.
These are explained at the end of the article.
Which mattress is good for health in India?
Although you can buy any mattress that you like to sleep on, your number one concern should be buying a mattress that does not cause any health problems.
For buying a mattress that is good for your health look for these features:
- Medium-firm comfort.
- Good material quality.
- Good build quality.
A mattress with medium-firm comfort is widely recommended by orthopedic doctors. A medium-firm comfort level provides good support to the spine. The chance of having back pains is lower when the spine remains straight when sleeping.
The material quality of the mattress should be very good too.
By materials, we mean both the primary material of the mattress like coir, spring, foam, and latex, and the secondary materials like the fabric and additional materials used in other layers of the mattress.
Most mattresses use an additional layer of foam on the top and the base of the mattress for comfort and support. These layers are often not made of good-quality foam. You should keep an eye on these layers too.
The good build quality of a mattress depends on the layers of the mattress and its craftsmanship. If a mattress has a lot of layers, craftsmanship should be good too.
As a rule of thumb, you may buy a mattress of a minimum of 6 inches of thickness, so that it lasts long.
Now, a common question that can arise in your mind is – how to check all these.
There are two ways to check it:
- Third-party certifications of the mattress.
- Reviews and comparisons from independent websites.
Please do not buy a mattress based just on your budget or as recommended by a shopkeeper or friends.
Which mattress is good for health coir or foam or spring?
Coir mattresses provide firm support to the body.
PU foam mattresses are soft and mainly provide soft comfort.
Foams such as memory foam and latex provide medium-firm support to the body.
Spring mattresses are bouncy.
Bonnell spring mattresses are traditional spring mattresses that provide mainly comfort.
Pocket spring mattresses help in motion isolation.
That is, the tosses and turns of one person are not felt by the other person.
So, among all these, memory foam and latex mattresses are good for health.
Which mattress is good for health cotton or foam?
Cotton mattresses do not provide any support.
But foams, such as memory foam and latex foam provide medium-firm support.
So, memory foam and latex foam mattresses are good for health.
Which mattress is good for health hard or soft?
Neither hard nor soft mattresses are good for health.
Hard or firm mattresses cannot provide adequate support to the different parts of our body because they cannot mold as per our body curves.
And soft mattresses cannot provide any support at all.
They are good for comfort only.
Which mattress is good spring or foam?
Foam mattresses such as memory foam and latex foam are good for health.
Which mattress is good for back pain in India?
Mattresses having medium-firm support are good for back pain in India.
Which type of mattress is healthiest?
The type of mattress that is the healthiest is latex mattresses.
Latex is derived from the rubber tree, so it is a natural product.
Being a natural product, it will not cause any health issues like allergies, asthma, etc.
Latex is also naturally firm and bouncy.
It provides medium-firm support to the body.
So, it does not cause any back or neck, or body pains.
Which mattress is best for daily use?
All mattresses are good for daily use.
But if you are looking for a mattress that does not need much maintenance and lasts long, then buy either a latex mattress or a spring mattress.
How do I choose a mattress material?
You should choose the mattress material as per the condition of your body, preference of comfort level, and budget.
How to choose a good mattress?
After you have decided on the material of the mattress, you need to choose the brand.
A good brand should have good customer support above everything else.
Remember, name and fame are not everything in this game.
There are many new mattress companies that are eager to serve their customers compared to other established players in the market.
Do not reject a company based on how long it is in the market. Read the reviews, do the comparisons and then decide which one is best for you.
This is a competitive market and the customer is the king. So there will be no chance to win for a company that does not care about its customers.
Lastly, you should choose the mattress that fits your budget, right?
You are buying something which you will be using for a long time.
So, it is a kind of investment.
An investment in your health.
Hence, you should not buy a cheap mattress and compromise your health.
Cheaper mattresses are generally made of cheap materials. They will neither last long nor give you optimum benefit.
If you have found a good mattress that does not fits your budget, you can opt to pay EMI (Equal Monthly Installments).
But never compromise your health.
Note: Buying a good mattress depends on comfort, cost, and customer support.
Conclusion
If you are buying a mattress the two topmost things you should consider are your health and comfort.
We know that a latex mattress and a memory foam mattress are the best mattresses for back pain and general health.
But why?
It is because latex mattresses and memory foam mattresses provide medium-firm comfort.
That helps to keep our spine aligned properly during sleep, which helps in reducing body pains and back aches.
A latex mattress is even healthier than a memory foam mattress because it is a natural product.
Besides being good for our health, latex mattresses and memory foam mattresses are also very comfortable.
In fact, comfort and health go hand-in-hand.
If a mattress is not comfortable, you will not get a comfortable sleep.
And if you do not get the right amount of sleep every day, it will affect your health.
And a latex mattress or a memory foam mattress is the best match for both.