Is there anything more nails-on-a-blackboard awkward than laying on a showroom bed, your partner jumping up and down on your mattress-to-be, as a 19-year-old shop assistant looks on?
Perhaps such an experience is why, although we spend a third of our lives in bed, we don’t invest much time in choosing the right mattress. “We spend more time in our beds than in our cars, for example, and you would not normally buy a car in under an hour,” says Prof Jason Ellis, director of the Northumbria Centre for Sleep Research at Northumbria University. Ellis is the UK’s first professor of sleep science and author of The One Week Insomnia Cure.
Feeling uncomfortable in bed is the main thing that disturbs us at night, according to research from the Sleep Council. And central to that comfort is your mattress – it’s literally the foundation for sleeping well.
Maybe you’re reading this because you often wake up feeling uncomfortable. Take heart: the places you feel pain at night or in the morning can be important clues that lead you to the right mattress. “If your mattress is too soft, you’re more likely to feel pain in your neck, shoulders and back,” explains registered osteopath Leah Hurle. “And if your mattress is too hard, you may experience discomfort at pressure points like shoulders pelvis and hips.”
So, what should you be looking for in a bed? Hearle recommends foam mattresses to her clients, who include Olympians and premiership football players. “The material adapts to your shape – so it’s very personalised,” she says. “If you have joint problems or you’re prone to tossing and turning before you get comfortable, a foam mattress can feel like a miracle.” The material allows your weight to sink into the mattress, so you can really stretch out. “Stretching the spine at night is part of your restorative process – it’s the antidote to hunching over a desk during the day,” she adds.
Now it’s time to find the right mattress for you. Fortunately you can get a 100-night trial from reputable brands and send the mattress back without any fuss, so there’s no need for that awkward showroom moment. “Remember to evaluate the mattress when you are on your left and right side as well as on your back, as we do tend to shift position a fair amount during the night,” says Ellis. “If you have a significant other, get them to try the mattress with you at the same time.”
Start on your back. The goal is for your mattress to support you so much your spine retains its natural S-curve when you lie flat. Hearle says to check by sliding your hand under the small of your back. Can’t squeeze your hand in there? Your mattress may be too soft because your back is rounding. If the gap is too big, then the mattress is too firm to support your back properly. You know you’ve found the perfect mattress if you’re comfortable lying flat. “This pose makes it easy for your head, neck and spine to maintain a neutral position, which means more restorative oxygen flow to your brain,” says Hearle.
How do you know your mattress is supportive enough for lying on your side? Simple: your spine should stay as straight as it is when you stand up straight. Ask your partner to check for you.
While research from the University of Pittsburgh has indicated that sharing a bed lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your body, which can help you sleep better and live longer, arguing about whether your mattress is truly comfortable can nix those benefits. The average person will toss and turn up to 60 times a night, according to the Sleep Council – more if they’re uncomfortable. While a foam mattress can absorb much of the physical disturbance of your partner rolling over, it can’t block out audible moans and groans.
Compromise comes in the form of two single mattresses mounted on one king-sized bed base, so you can combine two adjacent tensions. There’s no clunky zip between you, as foam mattresses can squish comfortably together. If one of you is prone to snoring, you can even try a bed base that raises the top of the mattress – a technique that Hearle says can make us less likely to snore.
And if all else fails? Save your relationship with a sleep divorce. An oft-cited 2005 survey by the National Sleep Foundation in the US found that one in four married couples would like to sleep in separate beds. Bearing in mind that getting a good night’s sleep improves your mood and your libido, two beds could be the ultimate win-win.
Comfort conceived in space at the core of every mattress
TEMPUR material lies at the core of all of our mattresses and pillows, and is still the only mattress product recognised by Nasa and certified by the Space Foundation. Find out more about TEMPUR’s mattresses and pillows at uk.tempur.com
