How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
Sleep Better, Perform Better
You’re not at your best at work, home or at play if you’re spending each night tossing, turning and trying to get comfortable. The National Institutes of Health reports that losing even an hour or two of sleep for a few nights can make you function as ineffectively if you haven’t slept at all in two or three days. When you’re sleep-deprived, you’re more likely to hurt yourself or others while driving, working around heavy machinery, taking care of people or working on an assembly line. In addition, a good night’s sleep is important in maintaining optimal health; researchers have even linked lack of sleep to obesity.
To get the seven to eight hours of sleep that the NIH recommends for healthy adults, you should avoid heavy meals within a few hours of bedtime, stop drinking caffeine at least eight hours before you plan on hitting the sack and try to maintain a regular sleeping schedule.
But we have an additional suggestion. We’ve had many customers at Showman Furniture Store in Maryland tell us how getting a new mattress has helped them establish better sleep habits and feel more rested when they wake up each day. So we thought we’d share some answers to questions that our customers often ask when they’re checking out our wide selection of Serta mattresses.
How do I know if it’s time to replace my mattress?
The Better Sleep Council (an organization representing the mattress industry) suggests getting a new mattress if:
- You’ve had your current mattress for seven to 10 years or longer.
- You’ve found that you slept better on another mattress (at a hotel, for example)
- Your mattress has sags, lumps or other signs of overuse
- You consistently wake up feeling sore, stiff and achy
What kind of mattress should I get?
Mattress selection used to be pretty easy, but now they come in a wide variety of types, materials, and sizes. At Showman’s Furniture, we’ve chosen to carry the Serta brand mattresses because of their quality and durability. Serta mattresses come in three basic styles:
- Innerspring (coil) mattresses, which consist of a spring zone and a comfort layer
- Latex foam mattresses, which use a latex foam core instead of springs for support
- Memory foam mattresses, which are denser than other mattresses and have a visco-elastic foam core
The feel of the mattress top is defined as soft (pillow top), plush and firm.
The mattress that’s right for you will depend on your personal preferences, how long you want your mattress to last and your budget. (When you’re trying to figure out how much you want to spend, remember that a mattress that costs $1,000 and lasts for 10 years will cost you less than three cents a night. Isn’t a good night’s sleep worth that price?
How should I test a mattress?
Don’t be shy! Although you may feel awkward about taking off your shoes and stretching out on a mattress in a showroom to give it a test run, that’s really the only way that you’re going to get the feel for what you prefer. Serta suggests trying several different sleep positions and paying close attention to back support and your comfort at the hips and shoulders. If you’ll be sharing a bed, bring your partner with you so that you can both try it out. That way you experience how well the mattress supports both of you.
Do I need a new mattress foundation?
Yes. A mattress and its foundation (or box spring) are designed to fit together and work together to provide optimal comfort. The Better Sleep Council cautions that buying a mattress without its foundation may affect the mattress warranty.
Getting a good night’s sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress can change your outlook on life; it really does make a difference when you wake up feeling refreshed and recharged. If you’re ready to get those benefits, come and talk to us about your mattress options at our Maryland furniture store.
