HOW TO: Get A Good Night’s Sleep – Invest in The Right Mattress

A focal point of any bedroom is, of course, the bed – the most utilized piece of furniture in the home, experts say. Since we spend so much time in bed, our mattress should be of the highest quality we can afford. If you take care of a quality mattress, it should last from 5 to 10 years. Take these tips, from Donna Wilkinson’s The Only 127 Things You Need, to make the best decision.

Sort through the myths: Firmer is not better. “For the most part studies that have been done show that there is no best mattress firmness for everyone,” says Dr. Scott D. Boden, an orthopedic surgeon, director of the Emory University Spine Center in Atlanta, and spokesman for the American Orthopedic Surgeons . “Medium-firm and medium are generally preferred by most people, but some people sleep better on a slightly softer one or a slightly harder one.”

Go with what is comfortable to you: Experts say, that when buying a mattress, the key word is comfort. “It’s really an individual preference – whatever meets a person’s needs in terms of comfort level,” says Dr. Clete A. Kushida, director of the Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research, and an officer of the board of directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Take your time and give the mattress a try: Dr. Kushida stresses the importance of lying down on mattresses in the store to determine your comfort level. “There is such a wide selection of mattresses now, so you have to shop around carefully and test a mattress for as long as possible. The more exposure you have, the better you’ll be prepared to know how you’ll sleep.”

Look for support: “A mattress should provide support but not to the point where it puts a person’s body out of alignment or causes tissue strain,” says Dr. Kushida. For example, he says, “Spine specialists tend to recommend that one of the better postures to sleep on is your side with hips and knees slightly flexed. But if you sleep on your side and your mattress is too firm, it’s going to be uncomfortable because it’s going to put pressure on the shoulders and the hips.”  On the other hand, says Dr. Boden, a mattress that’s too soft may contribute to back problems. “If you don’t have a supportive mattress, your back sort of flattens out. Like the arch of your foot, you back is arched in places, so when you sleep you want it to rest in that natural position. A mattress that’s too soft may put your back in a less than ideal position when resting, which could load certain joints or stretch certain muscles or tendons, which puts stress on the back.”

For more tips on how to find life’s essentials, check out The Only 127 Things You Need by Donna Wilkinson.