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Sleep News Blog

Prescription Sleep Medicine

The Importance of a Good Mattress

Posted by sleepyguy in Prescription Sleep Medicine, Sleep Disorder on April 16th, 2009

A good high quality mattress is essential to getting a restful and relaxing night’s sleep. An old or low quality mattress is the primary reason behind sleep complaints, with the average person keeping hold of their mattress for over 10 years when 6-8 years is the advisable length.

An inappropriate mattress leads to three main common complaints back discomfort, sleep discomfort, particularly when it comes to falling asleep, and poor quality of sleep, essentially restlessness throughout the night.

These common complaints are supported by research, in particular a study which was published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine titled, “Subjective Rating of Perceived Back Pain, Stiffness and Sleep Quality Following Introduction of Medium-Firm Bedding Systems.”

As Dr. Jacobson, one of the main researchers behind the research says, “Largely from this study we have found that new bedding systems provide immediate and sustained benefits in sleep More so, each week as the study progressed, participants noted an increased improvement in sleep quality and efficiency and in the other targeted variables, all attributed to the new sleep surface.”

The importance of a new mattress was stressed greatly, as older mattress lose their support and gradually become less comfortable through the years.

With this in mind it’s recommended to renew your mattress every 6-8 years, or even earlier if you notice any deterioration in its condition. Mattress technology is continually developing so keeping hold of a mattress any longer than that can mean that you’re missing out on the best night’s sleep that you can get.

Memory foam technology is an example of one of these technological advances. It’s particularly advantageous for those who sleep with partners of different weights, as normal mattresses slant causing discomfort for one of the partners. Memory foam, on the other hand, moulds itself perfectly around each individual, thereby providing excellent support for each individual.