Not many people put much thought into buying a mattress. They just buy a mattress that falls within their budget and feels soft. While cost and comfort are extremely important factors when choosing a mattress, they aren't the only ones. You shouldn't just pick any mattress. Instead, it would be best if you did your research well and chose a mattress that meets your comfort needs to absolute precision.
You may wonder why we are stressing about buying the right mattress so much. Well, your mattress isn't just a mattress. It's so much more than just that! Most people see their mattresses as a place to sleep. While a mattress is precisely that, you'll be surprised (or should we say, shocked) when we tell you how much the wrong choice of a mattress can affect your health and overall well-being.
This blog post takes you through how a bad mattress can affect your health and how you can ensure that you're investing in the right mattress.
How a Bad Mattress Affects Your Health?
A bad mattress does a lot more than just disturb your sleep. It affects your body, mood, and even your performance at work. It may all seem too far-fetched, but it really isn't.
Let's look at how a bad mattress can affect your health and why it is important to choose it carefully.
Poor Sleep Quality
If your mattress isn't comfortable, you'll keep tossing and turning in bed all night. Your sleep will break several times during the night. You'll feel as if you haven't slept at all when you wake up. As a result, you'll feel drowsy and dull throughout the day. You'll feel short on sleep and won't be as active as you need to be to get through the day.
Body Pain
Another way a bad mattress can affect your health is by causing body pain. If a mattress isn't well-suited to your body, you won't be able to achieve the correct sleeping position and will sleep in awkward or unnatural positions. As a result of this, your body will feel stiff and it'll hurt when you wake up in the morning. If you continue to sleep in an uncomfortable bed, it'll put stress on your back and this might cause chronic back pain and injuries in the long run.
Weak Immune System
Lack of quality sleep can weaken your immune system. The immune system is your body's natural defense mechanism against illness and infections. You'll easily catch infections like colds when your immune system is weak.
Heart Diseases
According to a review published in the European Heart Journal, people who sleep less than 8 hours every night are at a 48% higher risk of developing heart disease. Not getting enough good-quality sleep puts you at risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and other heart-related health conditions. This means having a bad mattress can increase your chances of developing a heart condition as it'll interfere with your sleep.
Lack of Concentration
When you don't sleep well at night, you won't wake up fresh in the morning. You'll feel lazy throughout the day, affecting your focus and concentration at work. With poor focus, your performance at work will get affected significantly.
These are just some of the many consequences of sleeping on a bad mattress. To keep it short, if you sleep on a bad mattress, not only will your physical health will get affected, but your mental well-being will also go downhill.
Choosing the Right Mattress
Choosing a mattress isn't as straightforward as you think. If you go to a mattress shop, sit on the mattress to check its softness, enquire about the price, and close the deal, you aren't doing it right. You've got to consider various factors before settling on any mattress.
Below are the different factors that play a vital role in your selection of a mattress:
Mattress Type
When you search for the right mattress, you'll see that there are various types of mattresses. Not all types of mattresses are suitable for everyone, and having an understanding of different mattress types will help you choose a mattress that's right for you.
1. Foam mattresses offer adequate contouring, motion isolation, and pressure relief and are suitable for couples and side sleepers. Memory foam mattresses like MLILY Dreamer Gel Memory Foam Mattress are quite popular today.
2. Innerspring mattresses are cheaper. These mattresses are pretty bouncy but don't offer much support to the body. They also lack motion isolation and pressure relief.
3. Hybrid mattresses consist of different layers of foam and innerspring. These mattresses are bouncy but provide good body contouring, ensuring that all body types get adequate support at night.
4. Latex mattresses are very bouncy, exceptionally durable, and also provide adequate contouring, making them a good choice for individuals who want a comfortable mattress that'll go a long way.
5. Airbeds are costlier but are worth it. Users can adjust the firmness of the mattress according to their preferences. The best thing about airbeds is that if a couple is sleeping together, each individual can adjust the firmness of their side of the bed to suit themselves.
Firmness and Sleeping Position
Firmness is one of the most important factors that you must consider when choosing a mattress. Firmness is how soft or hard a mattress is. If you're buying a mattress only because it's super soft, trust us when we say you aren't doing it right. Just because a mattress is soft doesn't mean it's right for you. Below is a precise outline of which mattress is suitable for you based on your weight and sleeping position.
Extra soft and soft mattresses are suitable for side sleepers who weigh less than 130 pounds.
Medium soft mattresses are suitable for sleepers under 130 pounds and side sleepers who weigh less than 230 pounds.
Medium mattresses are ideal for side and back sleepers who weigh between 130 and 230 pounds.
Medium firm mattresses will suit sleepers who weigh between 130 and 230 pounds and side sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds.
Firm mattresses are best for side sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds and side and stomach sleepers over 130 pounds.
Extra firm mattresses are best suited for stomach and back sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds.
Body Type
Another important factor that's worth your consideration when buying a mattress is your body type. As you already know by now, different types of mattresses will suit people with different body weights. Someone who's heavier will be comfortable on a different type of mattress, and one with lower body weight will sleep well on a different type of mattress.
People who don't weigh much (less than 130 pounds) will be pretty comfortable sleeping on a soft mattress. Soft mattresses are the most comfortable for side sleepers with a light profile, as the mattress will offer good contouring to their bodies. People who weigh between 130 and 230 pounds will be more comfortable on a firmer mattress. People who weigh more than 230 pounds will sink into a softer mattress, which can cause body pain. A mattress with considerable firmness will be the best for them.
Medical Conditions
If you have a medical condition, you should consider that when buying a mattress. The mattress affects people with back and joint pain greatly, and the wrong mattress can worsen their condition and pain.
If you suffer from the lower back, you need a mattress that provides support to your shoulders so that all the stress doesn't fall onto your lower back. If you're a side sleeper with lower back pain, a medium soft to medium firm mattress will suit you best. If you're a stomach or back sleeper, you should opt for a medium-firm to a firm mattress.
For people with joint pain, a medium soft to medium firm mattress would be best, as a mattress that's too firm can exacerbate joint pain and make it extremely difficult for them to sleep comfortably.
Final Word
At the end of a long, tiring day, all you want is a comfortable bed to sleep in. If your bed isn't comfortable, you won't be able to get a good night's sleep, and you'll feel cranky, irritable, and lazy the following day. It'll affect your mood and your performance at work. A good night's sleep is crucially important to ensure physical and mental well-being, and the secret to a peaceful, deep sleep is the right mattress! The next time you buy a new mattress, ensure you aren't overlooking any critical factors.
