We spend roughly one third of our lives sleeping so making sure our bodies spend this time in deep sleep is essential to maintaining both our mental and physical health. Learning how to buy a mattress becomes crucial to obtaining restful, healing sleep for our bodies, and if your existing mattress is over five years old, it is probably time to replace it.
Because many people move around while sleeping, mattress dimensions are important. If sharing a bed with a spouse or significant other, it is a good idea to choose one slightly larger than needed to allow for movement while sleeping.
The next thing to look for when shopping for a new mattress is its firmness. Sleeping position plays a role in which firmness level of support is needed. Back sleepers will need a firm, level mattress while side sleepers will rest easier with a mattress that distributes weight evenly along the whole body or else pain in shoulders and hips can develop. Stomach sleepers need to be especially aware of the bed to choose as if they sleep on too soft of a bed, they will often develop back and neck pain. To prevent this from occurring, the best extra firm mattress should be selected.
How the mattress is made will also affect comfort. Thick padding and proper coil configuration are needed to maintain the comfort and life of a mattress. Innerspring mattresses have coiled metal springs with layers of padding between them. Other bedding options include memory foam, feather, air and water beds.