Do you wish to know why a mattress is important? On average, a human sleeps for a third of their life, i.e., around 25 years. That’s more than the time spent in the car (around 4 years).
And yet, we tend to choose our vehicle more conscientiously than our mattress. Paradox?
No, a misunderstanding: most sleepers are unaware that a large part of their sleep quality (and therefore their recovery, and therefore their physical and intellectual performance) depends on the virtues of their bedding.
But why does a good mattress guarantee a good night’s sleep?
Why Is A Good Mattress Important For Sleep?
The impact of the mattress on sleep quality: body support
The links between sleep quality and mattress quality play out on several levels. First, there’s the role of bedding in supporting and cushioning the body.
Not only is the body’s weight unevenly distributed, but we also change position dozens of times each night.
It is a constant challenge for the mattress: it has to compensate for both this distribution and changes in position by supporting lighter areas more firmly and relieving the weight of heavier ones.
A good mattress allows you to find the right balance, a sine qua non, for a natural, comfortable body position and better sleep.
Conversely, a poor mattress can have serious consequences for your physical condition. Problems with support and cushioning can lead to muscle pain.
It’s not uncommon to wake up with aches and pains and “back problems” when you sleep on poor-quality or outdated bedding – one of the signs that it’s time for a change.
Good comfort is therefore essential to sleep quality and depends specifically on the sleeper: your ideal mattress will be more or less soft/firm, depending on your build and needs.
The impact of mattresses on sleep quality: stress management
Then, surprising as it may be, there’s a way your mattress will alleviate your stress and anxiety. Sleep problems affect more than one in three people, with insomnia the number one concern (affecting 22% of women and 15% of men).
Yet difficulties in finding sleep stem from stressful situations experienced during the day. Put another way; we tend to take our worries under the comforter, a nasty habit (unconscious, of course) that rots our nights.
So when the mattress is uncomfortable, makes a noise at the slightest movement, or is as frozen as a piece of ice at bedtime, it doesn’t help you relax.
In this respect, mattress quality has a surprising impact on well-being. Good bedding helps combat the stress and anxiety accumulated during the day, both because it makes you feel good and sleep well.
The comfort you feel when you lie down, combined with the benefits of a restful night’s sleep, all help to “reset” the stress counter so that you wake up feeling refreshed and having forgotten (or almost forgotten) everything you had to worry about the night before.
The impact of the mattress on sleep quality: sleeping better (and more)
Finally, there’s the effect of the mattress on the speed and depth of sleep. You may not know it, but it’s proven that you fall asleep faster and enjoy a better slow/deep sleep balance when you’re lying on a quality mattress that’s still viable (i.e., hasn’t reached the 10-year life limit).
Adapted, recent bedding reduces muscular activity during the night and halves the number of micro-awakenings that all sleepers experience during their sleep.
This means we sleep better in the same amount of time, resulting in a more recuperative sleep and a more dynamic awakening.
And because you fall asleep faster, you sleep longer too. If, in addition, you enjoy going to bed earlier to take advantage of the comfort of the bedding – a habit found among owners of heated mattresses – your nights are that much more profitable.
Don’t forget that the average lifespan of a mattress is 10 years. And that the threshold beyond which its comfort starts to deteriorate (both in terms of comfort but also, and above all, in terms of hygiene) is set at 7 years.
Choosing a mattress is an important investment that will stay with you for years to come.
While it’s tempting to get carried away by the price, there are factors you need to consider, such as your fit with the product and the quality of the mattress materials.
The best thing to do is to get advice from a manufacturer who knows what it can give you and how it can fit into you. It’s not just good sleep, it’s not just rest, it’s your health. We’re here to help.
Is Mattress Good For Health Or Not?
A quality mattress is the key to a good night’s sleep. It’s not a trivial choice, and you need to take the time to analyze your needs in order to find the one that will enable you to relax and unwind, as well as provide good support, particularly for your back.
Choosing your mattress is an important step and one that involves many criteria. From your morphology to the mattress filling, size, and materials, here’s how to determine which mattress is right for you.
We’ll also give you a few tips on durability, maintenance, and quality assurance.
Morphology And Support, Two Criteria For Choosing A Mattress
If there’s one thing to remember, it’s that to get a good night’s sleep, you need to choose a mattress that’s perfectly adapted to your morphology. There are 3 morphological criteria to take into account:
- Your height, in order to select the appropriate length
- Your weight, in order to select one with adequate support.
- Your physical structure, in order to improve your overall well-being.
When the support is adapted to your morphology, your spine is straight and well-aligned. This means you can relax your muscles completely, and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
It’s essential to choose a mattress with firm enough support to rest properly.
A soft mattress is more suitable for people of lighter build, while a firm or even very firm mattress is more suitable for people of heavier build.
When two people sleep together, and their morphologies are very different, it’s better to opt for independent sleeping rather than trying to compromise between the 2 people.
If the firmness of the mattress is not adapted to one or the other, you run the risk of suffering from back or neck problems.
Mattress Technology: The Key To Body Support
The main technologies are :
– 1. Foam: mattress thickness between 15 and 18 cm
– 2. Innerspring, with a thickness of between 20 and 25 cm
– 3. Latex, between 15 and 18 cm thick
– 4. Relaxation mattresses
1. Foam Mattresses
Foam mattresses have come a long way. Originally almost exclusively chemical, they are increasingly natural and no longer use CFC-type materials, which are very harmful to the environment.
There are three main types:
– closed-cell polyether foam, used for entry-level and mid-range products
– Open-cell polyurethane foam, which offers greater density than polyether foam, is firmer and holds up better over time.
– Memory foam or viscoelastic, for memory foam mattresses, is the most high-end foam, originally created for space travel.
Of these 3 types, the memory foam mattress offers excellent support, combining firmness and support, ideal for people with back problems.
For optimum performance, choose a density of at least 55 kg/m3 and a viscoelastic layer of between 5 cm and 8 cm.
Beware: despite its effectiveness, memory foam can be very uncomfortable for some people, who much prefer other types of foam for sleep and relaxation.
2. Spring mattresses
Spring mattresses offer excellent ventilation. They are ideal for people who sweat easily or feel hot at night. There are three types of spring:
– Conical springs: the first to be used, but offering little long-term comfort.
– Multi-coil springs: consisting of a single spring made from a single wire, they don’t offer independent sleeping comfort.
– Pocket springs: the most advanced spring technology, where each spring is encased in a bag, providing good sleeping independence and ventilation.
3. Latex mattresses
Derived from rubber, latex mattresses can be natural or synthetic. Generally, they are a blend of natural and synthetic materials, with at least 15% natural latex.
They offer several comfort zones and benefit from excellent aeration thanks to perforated cells.
4. Relaxation mattresses
These are optimized for relaxation and allow the upper and/or lower body to recline. They are generally made of latex or foam. They improve blood circulation and breathing.
The relaxation mattress is recommended for people with blood circulation problems or frequent bronchial problems.
What materials are used in mattress manufacture?
Every mattress is made up of two parts: the top part, the core, and the center. The filling is the covering for the core.
Mattress filling is not a support element, but a comfort element. The filling of a mattress is the most important factor in determining its quality and ensures a good night’s sleep.
It’s the intermediary layer between the foam, latex, or springs and the fabric cover. It should be made from natural fibers such as sheep’s wool, coir, bamboo, recycled cotton, silk, cashmere, or organic cotton.
Synthetic fibers are also used to guarantee mattress strength. Depending on the choice of natural fiber, the mattress will feel different. With cashmere, for example, the sensation of softness is incomparable.
The filling is covered by a fabric called coutil. It is this coutil that distinguishes between the winter and summer sides of the bed.
On the winter side, a layer of wool is generally added for extra warmth. Others offer the possibility of being de-foamed, which is ideal for guaranteeing good hygiene.
Other Important Criteria
Other criteria are also very important to consider when making your choice: mattress comfort, hygiene, allergies, ventilation, sleeping independence…
Comfort
The feel of the mattress during the first 10 minutes of sleep. It can be soft or invigorating. It depends on whether you have a soft or firm mattress.
This sensation depends on the filling and the base. A thick filling guarantees a soft, comfortable mattress. It is made of noble materials such as virgin wool or silk. The quality of the mattress also depends on the quality of the materials used for the top.
Please note, however, that “soft” does not mean “squishy”. You’ll benefit from good support despite a soft welcome.
Hygiene
Certain fillings make it easy to enjoy healthy bedding. Cotton absorbs moisture easily. Or bamboo fiber naturally eliminates dust mites and pathogenic bacteria, without any chemical treatment.
Allergies
20% of the French population is allergic or sensitive to dust mites and pollens. Hypoallergenic bedding is designed to limit the development of dust mites.
It means that the filling is made from a hypoallergenic material, which also generally reduces perspiration.
To achieve this, the material is either chemically treated or benefits from a natural treatment, as in the case of natural latex or bamboo. Some materials are also treated with essential oils.
Ventilation
Ventilation not only improves hygiene by allowing air to pass through but also ensures good ventilation and therefore less sweating.
The effectiveness of ventilation depends on the core. Latex cores ventilate easily, as they are made up of a multitude of perforated cells. For spring mattresses, the very structure of the core ensures good aeration.
Aeration of the foam core will vary according to the honeycomb structure of the foam, but in all cases, it remains low compared to latex or springs.
Memory foam, on the other hand, is very tightly packed, which means it is neither ventilated nor breathable.
Sleeping independence is another important criteria
Sleeping independence
. The Consequences Can Be Serious, Ultimately Causing Back Pain And Muscular Problems.
Chronic fatigue, sleep, and concentration problems
Sleeping independence enables two people to spend a good night’s sleep on the same bed, each benefiting from an ideal position for their spine. This is an extremely important criterion, especially when the couple’s morphologies are very different, particularly in terms of build.
It’s the suspension that defines sleeping independence. It is optimized with pocket springs.
A bad mattress can be:
A source of stress for the ligaments, tendons, and joints of the spine.
. The Consequences Can Be Serious, Ultimately Causing Back Pain And Muscular Problems.
A good mattress should ensure your comfort, but above all keep your spine in healthy alignment, by allowing certain pressure points to sink naturally into the hips, lumbar region, and shoulders.
So, between firm and soft, you need to find the right balance and choose your mattress according to your body type. After 8 hours of sleep on a good mattress, you’ll feel a real difference in your back and neck.
Unfortunately, whatever the quality and composition of the mattress, it will inevitably sag under your weight over the years.
Get into the habit of turning it regularly, but don’t forget to change it after no more than 10 years, or as soon as muscular pains appear.
Back and neck pain
Do you wake up with a sore neck and aching upper and lower back? Be careful; beyond the discomfort and inconvenience you feel, it’s your health that’s at stake.
Sleeping on a mattress that doesn’t give your body the muscular relaxation it needs is a serious health risk.
Chronic Fatigue, Sleep, And Concentration Problems
Do you wake up regularly? Do you toss and turn to find the right position? Your mattress may be aging.
The fact that it has lost its holding power, that deformations are appearing on the surface and in the depths, or that it is so saggy that you can feel the slats on the base, are all sources of discomfort that have a profound impact on the quality of your sleep, causing you to wake up frequently.
This is far from harmless. Without sufficient rest, the body is unable to function efficiently.
The consequences are numerous:
- fatigue, loss of concentration, irritability, and mood swings
- anxiety and depression
- weakening of the immune system
- weight gain
- Allergies and asthma
Conclusion
Now you know why a mattress is important. As you can see, a good night’s sleep depends on a good mattress. But don’t rush into buying just any mattress!
Testing the product to find the one that’s right for you is essential. Some brands now offer a 100-night trial. Time enough to check that your mattress is right for you.
Check