Why a Good Mattress Is So Important to Your Health

Does a good mattress really matter? Does it improve sleep? Many factors contribute to the constant aches and issues we feel. It can be difficult to determine what needs to be improved to offer you a better chance at being comfortable. The thing that many people overlook is their mattress. You might think, how could my mattress be causing issues that seem unrelated? In exploring why a good mattress is so important to your health, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of how much is really affected.

In this blog, we explain why a good mattress is important for your health and the types of mattresses you should be looking for. 

Mattress Types

The way your mattress responds to your body laying down is an essential aspect to consider. There are a variety of options for mattress material. Many of these options will depend on what you’re looking for regarding support and movement. Spinal alignment and support of your back and pelvis are crucial. Though some options allow for the sleeper to completely sink in, some consider such mattresses too squishy while others need something firmer.

It’s important to establish the requirements and must-haves for your body before shopping for a new mattress. You should also try out a variety of different types to narrow your search. In visiting Supernova Furniture’s mattress store in Houston, TX, our experienced professionals can help you try out different types of mattresses with different levels of firmness. We can partner with you to help determine the best choice for your specific needs. There are three main types of mattresses to be aware of. 

Innerspring

Often in thinking about innerspring mattresses, you may remember the mattresses your family had in your childhood. This type of mattress is one of the oldest technologies that has remained popular throughout time. It contains supportive springs in at least one row of the product. They are in the core of the bed and covered with other material layers to provide comfort. The topping material can be latex, polyfoam, or even memory foam. Stearns and Foster are two popular innerspring mattress brands that we carry.

Memory Foam

Memory foam is also known as visco-elastic foam. First designed in the 1960s by NASA, this material provides support and pressure relief. Memory foam is made from polyurethane and often has a longer lifespan than innerspring mattresses. Three types of memory foam are commonly used: traditional, open cell, and gel. The purpose of memory foam is to form to your body as you sleep.

Some people feel too warm while cradled in traditional memory foam, so they may use open cell instead which offers more movement and airflow to transfer heat away from your body during rest. In regards to gel-infused memory foam, options include one that absorbs heat whereas the others work to regulate your body temperature by cycling your body heat through its material. We carry both Sealy and Tempur-Pedic which are trusted brands with exceptional memory foam mattresses.

Hybrid

A hybrid mattress joins an innerspring coil system with layers of foam and other materials. It combines layers that cushion and offer pressure relief. The spring coils tend to be individually wrapped, as well, to reduce the feeling of their existence and help with less transferred motion and enhanced support. In a hybrid, an innerspring mattress is paired with memory foam.

To be categorized as this type, the mattress has memory foam on top and can be paired with springs. The appeal of this option is that it softens and shapes around your body using your body heat. When you get up, the memory foam will slowly bounce back and over time it will remember the shape of your body to help you sleep in the best position.

Back Health

Different types of mattresses will give people varying results. Determine your personal preferences and those of someone you share the bed with. If there are two people with different wants and needs, then that helps narrow the search to a mattress that can meet the needs of both. Different mattresses will also be better for targeting upper or lower back pain. They need to aid in pain reduction and give the spine appropriate rest so it can restore strength throughout the night.

It’s recommended sleepers with back issues choose something that has a medium firmness. The reasoning for this is that it helps distribute weight and has good edge support. Then, your movements affect your co-sleeper less and vice versa. A mattress with medium support also conducts less heat and decreases stress in the back. Maintaining good back health using a properly chosen mattress determines health in other areas, too.

Overall Health

Neglecting the importance of a good mattress can come at the price of your overall health. Many don’t realize that if your back is in poor shape, then other areas of the body are consequently going to be negatively affected. Everything is attached if you suffer from severe back issues. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of throwing your back out, you know that your limbs may not be able to carry you because of it.

Body Pain

If your back is in poor condition, then you may lose mobility and the ability to complete your daily tasks. The sciatic nerve in the lower back can hinder your power to stand, walk, and could cause pain to shoot down one or both of your legs. Back pain radiating to other body parts could not only be incredibly uncomfortable and affect your daily life but could also be a safety concern. If you’re unable to use the basic functions of your body due to your back issues, you can experience trouble protecting yourself from happenings in the world around you.

Your Wellbeing

A proper mattress for your body based on what lends you comfort while still giving you the necessary level of support is essential for your overall wellbeing. Good sleep does a number of things for you beyond the physical advantages to your back and extremities.

Rest

Proper rest means that you have less broken sleep. When you’re not overheating or in unnecessary pain because you have the appropriate mattress, your brain and body are getting the rest they need. When you get better sleep, your brain functions better. You can solve problems, think, maintain awareness, and your mood should improve as well. Fatigue and achiness can have an immense effect on productivity and an array of other skills that help you succeed while out in the world doing your daily tasks.

Stress

Getting inadequate rest can influence your mood. Being groggy can make it difficult to complete tasks throughout the day. It can also cause a surge of emotions. Our brains need rest, and when we’re uncomfortable—even if we don’t realize it—our REM cycles are being consistently interrupted. Even if stress takes time to catch up with you, it will. An overload of stress is not only unhealthy but can lead to a major breakdown.

In addition to these reasons why a good mattress is so important to your health, there are other benefits. With some mattresses that offer the right support to the head and neck, snoring can also be prevented (snoring relies heavily on positioning, so having the proper mattress can mitigate that). Moreover, the right material can deter the accumulation of dust mites, mildew, and other allergy-causing agents. Eliminated coughing and wheezing can subsequently get you a better night’s sleep.

Adjustable bases can help alleviate snoring. With the implementation of new technology, Tempur-Pedic’s smart adjustable base has the ability to pair with Alexa to listen for snoring and automatically change your positioning. It can also be used to track your sleep patterns to determine ways to support a better night’s sleep.

Understanding why a good mattress is important to your health is the first step in enjoying a better night’s sleep. Explore our blogs to learn more about finding the right bedroom furniture, and check out our furniture store in Katy, Texas, the next time you need a new mattress.