No one seems to know why so many people buy poorly-designed and poorly-constructed mattresses, hang on to the sagging things for years, seldom get a good night’s sleep and get up most mornings with the same chronic backache that worsens as  time goes by.

 

ONE-THIRD OF YOUR LIFE IN BED 
Hanging on to an old, tired mattress seems to be a recurrent human trait. Most people are very resistant to throwing out their old mattress and buying a new one. Yet, the odds are they’ll live one-third of their lives on a mattress, perhaps more if they watch TV in bed.

 

Every night, on average, adults sleep – or try to sleep – for about eight hours – a total of 2-1/3 days out of every seven. In a lifetime of say eighty years, those eight hours per night add up to nearly 27 years spent in bed.

 

POOR MATTRESS – POOR BACK 
If you consistently sleep on a soft, flabby mattress, expect the worst. Poor mattresses directly cause or contribute to untold millions of backaches and restless nights – which in turn create other health problems. That’s why chiropractic doctors emphasize the importance of proper mattress support.

 

The right mattress helps ensure a good night’s sleep and supports your spine for those decisive eight hours every night.

 

The wrong mattress keeps you tossing and turning and lets you and your spine down in more ways than one.

 

bad-good-mattress

 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR 
For good spinal health and a good night’s sleep, look for these three factors in a mattress:

 

#1 • Firmness – depends on the design and construction of  the mattress and its lifelong partner, the box spring, which must be designed to work in harmony with  the mattress in  supporting your body while you sleep. When buying a mattress, buy new box springs, too.

 

#2 • Conform ability – means that the mattress conforms to your own body’s weight and shape, thus giving your entire body the precise support it needs where it needs it.

 

#3 • Space – gives you enough leeway to get comfortable, relax and fall asleep easily. If you share a bed, it’s wise to get a queen or king-size.

 

SELECTING A MATTRESS 
Here are a few mattress selection tips to help you get the best buy for your spinal health and your sleep quota:

 

  • Shop for your new mattress when you have time to try different mattresses. Concentrate on which mattress feels right.
  • Wear shoes you can easily remove while trying out mattresses.
  • Lie on each mattress for a while. Judge its support and comfort. Roll around on it. Lie on your side. Are your hips and shoulders comfortable? How about your low back? Have your partner lie down beside you. Will each of you have enough space?
  • Take your partner along to help make the decision.
  • Shop for the best value, not the lowest price. Getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t come cheap.

By exerting undue stress on the back’s muscles, ligaments and the spine itself, a poor mattress brings on back pain, back problems and other health problems. 



A firm mattress supports the body and the spine and contributes to spinal health.

 

Copyright © 2010 Health Star, Inc