Do you find yourself lying awake night after night, endlessly tossing and turning with no sign of relief? If the answer is yes, the culprit for your sudden bout of insomnia could very well be one thing that's supposed to be giving you comfort: your mattress.
Don't get us wrong. It's not uncommon to wake up occasionally in the night. An unfamiliar noise for example is enough to rouse the lightest of sleepers. And very few of us are immune from needing to use the 'facilities' at some point after we've turned out the lights. But frequent restlessness is a key indicator that your mattress type is all wrong for you. And in these instances there's only one failsafe solution: investing in a brand new mattress. One that's expertly engineered to suit your particular sleep style.
That's right. When it comes to mattress types, one size most definitely does not fit all. Factors such as whether you sleep on your side or your back and if you sleep next to a partner or on your own, can all have a significant bearing on the mattress style you select. Yep, there's actually a science to selecting the correct mattress. Who'd have thought it?
So if you're in the dark when it comes to the differences in mattresses, fret not. We're here to put a stop to sleepless nights with our expert guide to choosing the best mattress type for your unique sleep style.
Soft or hard tension?
Ask most people which mattress type is better for you and 9 times out of 10 the answer will be hard. But the truth is, unless you've injured your back to a degree where surgical intervention is required, there really is no sleep benefit to choosing a firm mattress over a softer style. It's simply a case of going with the tension type that makes you feel most comfy.
What matters more is whether you sleep alone or with a significant other in the bed beside you. In the case of the latter, your best bet at getting a good night's sleep is an individual pocket sprung style. In this mattress type each spring works independently, so as you move in the night, the springs will collapse and recoil one by one to your movements. This process works seamlessly, so as well as helping you stay asleep, it will also benefit your sleeping partner too.
The more pocket springs packed inside, the more comfort the mattress will provide. Our Gasper mattress in king size has 2,500 of these individually heat coiled springs, so its comfort rating is off the charts. What's more, this particular mattress type is also covered in damask, and filled with breathable fibres. So it will also prevent you from overheating in the night too.
Product featured: The Gasper mattress
Whatever movements you make while you sleep won't disturb or even affect anyone else in the bed with an individual pocket sprung mattress. So even the most incessantly wriggly of sleepers won't keep you awake when you go for this style. For couples who continually wake each other up in the night, investing in this mattress type is a must.
Mattresses that regulate your temperature
Another common disrupter of sleep is body temperature. Getting too hot or even too cold in the night will soon rouse you from your slumber. And once you're awake, getting back to sleep again can be a hard task. Especially if you're not too far off your alarm going off.
The trick to combatting loss of heat in the night, or staying at an optimum temperature when your surroundings warm up, is partly down to the duvet tog you select. But your mattress also has a bearing on regulating your temperature as you sleep too.
Our Bigley and Alcombe mattresses are designed with heat regulation, as well as sleep, very much at front of mind. These mattress types are both fitted with chrome vents. What these vents are responsible for is allowing air to circulate throughout the mattress. Which in turn helps to minimise over or under heating, while keeping the mattresses fillings super fresh. For when the temperature dips, these mattresses will help your body retain heat and keep warm. And likewise, when the room overheats the vents will help to cool you down to an ideal body temperature. Preventing you from waking up unnecessarily.
Product featured: The Bigley mattress
As both mattresses are also double-sided, rotating them every few months will help to ensure both sides wear equally. And you'll feel the benefit of the chrome vents hard at work no matter which way round your mattress happens to face.
Product featured: The Alcombe mattress
How to test a mattress suits your sleep style
Trying out a mattress for size before you commit is the best way to ensure a good fit for your particular way of sleeping. There are a few simple ways you can test out in seconds whether or not a mattress is going to suit your sleep style. If you know it's not a match, you can quickly move on. Repeating the process of laying down on each style until you get to the one that fits you just right.
It's a bit like finding a dress you love but not being able to do the zip up. You can go ahead and buy it anyway, but if the fit isn't right, you're never going to get on with it. An ill fitting mattress similarly won't one day magically be right for you either. You have to keep going until you find one that offers comfort and also suits the way you sleep.
A quick test you can do to see if a mattress is right for you involves seeing how much space is left between your back and the mattress when you lie down on it. You ideally want to be able to place your hand between the small of your back and the mattress surface. If you can't then you know it isn't a good fit for you. Having too much space indicates the style is too soft for your needs. While not being able to fit your hand in at all is an immediate red flag that the mattress will be too hard.
If you're sharing your bed with another person this test is best conducted when you're both lying down side by side. As the weight of another body can affect the outcome. So you don't want to skew your result and end up with another mattress neither one of you can get any comfort or sleep on.
Remember, you're investing in being able to sleep
It can be tempting to skimp on the cost of the mattress. And it's surprising the amount of people who do try and cost save in this area. But cutting corners when it comes to the quality of your mattress is a one-way ticket to sleep deprivation. It's only going to cost you in the long run down the line.
A good quality mattress should last you at least 10 years. And when you work out the cost per night over this time frame, it equates to pennies. Not a bad investment when the price is getting 10 years of blissful, uninterrupted sleep. There really is no substitute for waking up refreshed every morning of the week. And that's the outcome when you pick the right mattress comfort for you.
For more information on our mattresses read our buying guide. Or, if you have any questions contact our Customer Service team on 020 8939 3800 or via our contact-us form.
Kind regards,
The Willow & Hall team