Good mattress, good sleep
A BAD night’s sleep will leave you feeling tired and down. Chronic bad sleep can even affect your physical health. But what do you need to look out for in a mattress?
No matter how much – or how little – sleep you need, over the course of a year we spend a considerable amount of time in bed. That’s why it’s essential to sleep on a good mattress.
A mattress should be replaced every 10 years, says to Ulrich Leifeld from an association of mattress manufacturers.
Even if an old mattress looks perfectly okay on the outside it will still need replacing. That’s because every mattress absorbs moisture over time. “A person can sweat up to a half litre every night. It’s absorbed not only by bedding but by the mattress too,” says Leifeld.
Mattresses all look basically the same. The differences are to be found inside. The model you need to choose depends on your body size, shape and weight.
“It needs to be firm enough to support the body. But it shouldn’t be too hard,” explains Leifeld. “And it also needs to retain heat without causing excessive sweating.” As a rule of thumb a mattress should be soft if a person is lightweight, or firmer if heavier.
You will need to test each mattress before buying. A good mattress will evenly spread the weight of a body over the mattress and thus prevent the formation of pressure spots.
“When you’re testing a mattress pay attention to any pressure you can feel on your body,” says Leifeld.
It’s also very important that the bed’s springs match the mattress.
“If there’s a difference of more than 15kg in weight, a couple will need separate mattresses,” says Leifeld. A lightweight woman will have different lying characteristics than a man of 180cm and an appropriate weight.