Sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress versus one that feels good and fits your body can often be the tipping point between adequate and insufficient sleep. A high-quality mattress, such as an Aireloom California Handmade Design, can help support the body, reduce pressure points along the hips and shoulders, and neutralize and align the spine. Advanced technology featured within modern mattresses can even help balance body temperature and offset humidity or moisture in the sleep environment.

Each of these factors influences your sleep quality—comfort, support, and proper sleep hygiene determine your likelihood of actually staying asleep through the night. A good mattress can give you a greater chance of waking up feeling refreshed, relaxed, without tension or discomfort, and eager to begin the day.

Conversely, sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress that doesn't support your weight or body shape will more than likely lead to unwanted tension, pain, and discomfort. An old, worn-out, or improperly fitting mattress can also affect temperature regulation, leading to restless movements throughout the night and much less restorative sleep than you bargained for. 

So, do you believe your mattress affects how well you sleep? The answer should be—Absolutely.

Sleep specialists like those at locally owned Mattress World Northwest agree that individuals have an opportunity to improve their sleep quality by sleeping on premium, supportive, and pressure-reducing mattress surfaces. Still, finding the proper fit is unique to each person's individual physique, needs, and preferences. Ultimately, sleep is a pillar of our overall health and wellness, and we all need it to survive.

Next, we'll take a look at what sleep professionals and mattress experts say about the role of our mattress in achieving the best rest possible.

What Characteristics Define a Good Mattress?

For starters, you want a mattress that provides a sufficient system to maintain support for your weight and body shape, and to align your spine throughout the night. With adequate support, often provided by a premium hybrid design, the mattress distributes your body weight more evenly across its surface. Thus, an evenly distributed body will help reduce pressure points that can intensify unwanted restless movements, such as 'tossing and turning.'

That said, proper-feeling support for your physique is uniquely subjective to you. Your perspective may differ significantly from how others perceive comfort. Especially if you plan to find a new mattress to help you sleep better, it will be wise to take the mattress shopping process seriously, be thoughtful rather than impulsive, and take your time to try different options to see how they work, or don't work, for you.

So what does that mean regarding mattress comfort and firmness? Sleep health studies indicate that sleeping on an adjustable firmness mattress, also known as a Smartbed with custom inflation—such as the King Koil Smartlife—or a mattress with a 'fixed' medium-firm feel is beneficial for individuals with chronic low back pain. Medium-firm mattresses, such as the Beautyrest Black Series Three or the Avocado Luxury Organic Medium, are more comfortable than plush or soft surfaces and offer optimal comfort, proper spinal alignment, and quality sleep for the majority of individuals with pain or discomfort.

If back pain and body aches are becoming more concerning, consider changing mattress firmness, as science-backed research suggests that your sleeping surface affects your comfort. According to a study on mattresses and musculoskeletal pain, older adults who slept on memory foam mattresses with a medium firmness experienced reduced pain, helping them fall asleep more quickly.

Another study, published in the National Library of Medicine, highlights biomechanical aspects of sleep support related to mattress type and firmness. It advises that, compared to memory foam, latex material induces less pressure on the body. Meaning, latex is better at avoiding the cradling or “sinking in” feeling commonly associated with memory foam. Latex provides a more buoyant, weightless sensation that many people enjoy.

Natural latex mattresses, such as King Koil Natural, Pure Bliss, or Posh+Lavish Natural Rubber, can also help hot sleepers maintain a balanced temperature thanks to their breathability. At the same time, the materials' supportive yet conforming and pressure-relieving properties keep your body in a buoyant, stable, comforting sleeping position throughout the night.

Ultimately, a good mattress should support the healthy, natural curvature of your spine and evenly distribute your body weight to relieve pressure. A good mattress shouldn't cause you to overheat and wake up feeling hot or sweaty; it should also meet any other distinct needs and preferences that you set.

What's The Best Type of Mattress?

Coil mattresses, independent innerspring, foam, latex, and hybrid medleys are the primary types of mattresses to choose from today. Foam comes in a wide variety, including gel foam, memory foam, and more basic poly-foams. Additionally, latex is available in both premium natural rubber and synthetic-blended varieties, used by well-known mattress brands and models, such as the Serta iComfort Pro Series.

Long story short, there isn't one best mattress for everyone. Though there may be better materials or styles to choose from, the best mattress is the one that fits your physique and personal preferences, and gives you an instinctive good feeling when you lie down on it. The individuality behind mattress selection makes trying them out thoughtfully just as important as doing your initial research.

What Matters Most With Your Mattress

As the thriving mattress market supplies more and more of an abundance of choices for consumers, Dr. Romina Ghassemi, a licensed chiropractor, says it’s equally important to keep mattress replacement in mind as well.

Indeed, mattress quality levels and types, such as memory foam and coil-spring mattresses, have varying life expectancies. What matters most is sleeping on a mattress that offers lasting comfort and reliability. That said, your comfort can also depend on the level of mattress care, such as using a mattress protector and rotating it regularly to keep it 'like new' for most of its lifetime.

Of course, now you know that a mattress can improve sleep quality. But only one that delivers in the categories of lasting support via natural spinal alignment, even body weight distribution, and pressure-point relief. These factors matter most with your mattress, and by focusing on these aspects, you can improve your comfort and sleep quality for the better.

How Often Should You Get a New Mattress?

When you think about your mattress, you may feel the same way you do about a favorite pair of old shoes. They go on, allowing you to walk, even if the cushioning has become worn down or compressed, or if they no longer provide adequate arch support. You keep wearing the shoes because, well, they're your shoes, and they're broken into the shape of your feet to protect them.

Just like a mattress, even if it's old or uncomfortable, your mattress lets you lie on it; it may even let you sleep, but not for very long if it isn't the right one or no longer performing at its best. For essential products that impact your health, like your shoes and mattress, it isn't always evident that they have outlasted their useful life just by looking at them.

Mattress Replacement Procrastination

A decent to high-quality mattress typically lasts about 7 years. Conversely, analysis by the Better Sleep Council indicates that people tend to hold onto their mattresses for a bit too long—about 10 years on average. That’s over 730 nights—over 2 out of the 10 total years you have had it—that you may have experienced unsettled nights sleeping on an inadequate mattress system.

Most people don't remember when they bought their last mattress, but that doesn't mean you have to procrastinate on your next one. As the saying goes, time flies, and you've likely been sleeping on the same mattress longer than you realize.

The Golden Rule: Replace Your Mattress Every 7 to 8 Years for Optimal Sleep

A mattress's lifespan depends on its quality level and how frequently it is used. Generally, a mattress set that is 7 years old has reached the end of its usability and should be replaced. You can use this as a helpful guideline, but it’s still important to remember that our bodies change over time, and our need for comfort and support often increases as we age. You may find that your body is ready for a new mattress before even reaching 7-years, so pay close attention to any signs it gives you. It’s savvy to periodically compare your existing mattress to the latest models to check if there’s a sleep system that feels more comfortable or offers features you may not have considered in the past that could help you improve your sleep.

Hold Your Mattress Accountable for Your Comfort

Getting deep, rejuvenating sleep is so important for your wellness, productivity, and ability to thrive and feel like you're performing at your best.

To maintain good sleep performance and ensure restful nights, you should monitor your mattress's condition and observe your sleep patterns, so that a replacement is never postponed. 

Until they think long and hard about it, many people don't even realize their mattress has grown old and worn out, the culprit of back pain and sleepless nights.

So, keep in mind these tell-tale signs that you probably need a new mattress:

• You toss and turn, waking throughout the night with discomfort, tingling, or numbness.
• You wake up from sleep with aches and pains, feeling stiff and sore more so than when you went to bed.
• You begin to recognize that you sleep better somewhere other than your own bed, on your own mattress—such as a hotel, a friend's, or a family member's house.
• You see visual signs that your mattress is breaking down—dipping, sagging, bunching, edge support compression, or has visible tears, rips, holes, stains, or other deterioration.
• You either can't sleep at all or feel tired even after trying to sleep for the recommended duration—7 to 9 hours.

It’s Not Too Late to Sleep Like a Baby: Improve Sleep at Mattress World Northwest

Now, you’re a mattress nerd and sleep geek like the sleep specialists at this local sleep shop— Mattress World Northwest! So head down to one of their family-owned and operated mattress store locations near you, for the best selection of premium mattress brands on sale. 

Mattress World Northwest is your one-stop-shop for innovative sleep solutions, including adjustable beds and massage chairs that boost circulation and help relieve back pain to prepare for restful sleep and improve your sleep quality.