Choosing a bed: How to get a good night's sleep
Wednesday, 22 December 2010 10:22 AM
Choosing the right bed or mattress can be difficult, especially if you have back or allergy problems. But now the nightmare could be over, with our expert tips on getting some decent shuteye.
How should you go about shopping for a new bed? For many, it's a run and jump onto the most luxuriously padded mattress in the showroom, and the sale is made. But there are certain things that lots of bed buyers forget to consider.
Most would agree that, depending on the size of your boudoir, when it comes to choosing a bed, bigger tends to be better. An expert might add, however, that there are more important factors to consider, like whether or not the new mattress will give adequate support: settling on the wrong bed could pave the way to serious health issues.
We caught up with The Sleep Council's Jessica Alexander who gave us the inside track on buying the perfect bed for your back, respiratory and comfort-based needs.
Things to consider when buying a bed
The three main health factors affecting your decision when choosing a bed are mobility, back problems and allergies. The Sleep Council recommends adjustable beds for those with limited mobility, helping them to get in and out with relative ease. Similarly, these electrical options are a good choice for those who want to sleep upright or with their legs in a raised position to relieve back pain.
"If you are an asthma sufferer, or have any sort of breathing or allergy issues, that is something to be considered. Whilst some of those are catered for by buying special protective covers for your mattress, some manufacturers do incorporate special treatments into covers to help deal with them," Alexander explains.
Beds for bad backs
Unfortunately, there is no universal solution for those suffering from back problems. "There are so many different types of back problems it depends what kind you have as to what sort of bed you need," says Alexander.
Some people insist on memory foam for reliable pressure relief, but others can't stand the feeling of sinking into their mattress. The Sleep Council's advice is to take plenty of time shopping around for beds.
"You need to spend more time in the store. The average amount of time people spend choosing a bed is less than two minutes," says Alexander. She urges anyone with a back problem to buy from a retailer who would let them take the bed on an exchange basis if it turned out not to be quite right.
"Traditionally there was a school of thought that said that if you have a bad back, you have to have a hard bed, but more recently there's been an acknowledgement that that's not necessarily the case," Alexander adds.
She explains: "'Supportive' is a better word than 'hard'. Pain and comfort are quite subjective and everyone will have a different reaction. Some will need a mattress with more support and others are looking for more cushioning. But we all need something that holds our spine in the correct alignment."
If you want to find out more about getting a good night's sleep, check out the Sleep Council's website, SleepCouncil.org.uk.
