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Selecting A Mattress Prepare To Bed-Shop. This is the one decision you need to make lying down! Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes you can remove easily. If you're going to share this bed, bring your partner along and "test drive" a variety of mattresses together. Discard Old Notions About "Firm". Ten or 15 years ago, the conventional thinking was that a mattress had to be as hard as a board to be good for you. Now we know that a too-hard mattress may sabotage sleep by creating uncomfortable pressure at the shoulders and hips. Today's mattresses are much more "sleeper friendly", combining comfort with deep-down support. Get The Whole Story. Study all the available literature. Once you make a decision, you should ask for any special care information prepared by the manufacturer or by the store itself. First Impressions Count. Quality bedding will give the outward appearance of quality. Look for fine tailoring, superior fabrics and a surface that looks and feels plush. Better bedding features extra layers of soft cushioning in high-quality natural or man-made fibers. About the Guarantee. The guarantee is there to protect you against product defects, not against the gradual loss of comfort and support. Although a sleep set may be usable after 10 years, it may no longer be providing the comfort and support your body needs. Bigger is Better. If you sleep with someone else, don't settle for anything smaller than a queen; consider a king if you're tall or like lots of extra space (we all turn between 40 and 60 times a night). Buy a Matching Set. Don't make the mistake of putting a new mattress on an old foundation. A mattress and foundation are engineered to work together as a sleep set. The foundation, or boxspring, acts like a giant shock absorber, taking a lot of the nightly wear and tear, and contributes to the bed's overall comfort and support. Source: "The Better Sleep Council" |
Body Impressions Many of today's top-quality mattresses use technologically advanced foams and fibers that are designed to be softer and more comfortable while ensuring your body has the support you need for good health. By cradling your body, these materials relieve pressure and are so comfortable that you'll probably toss and turn less in the night. For that reason, in the first few weeks you sleep on a new mattress that offers these extra comfort layers, you will likely notice some body impressions on the mattress surface. These impressions are normal and shouldn't be considered a sign that something is wrong with your new mattress. Unless your mattress care instructions indicate otherwise, you may want to rotate your mattress from end-to-end and from top-to-bottom. After a few weeks, the impressions will begin to smooth out and, over time, disappear. You may feel a slight discomfort with your new mattress for the first week or so, this is normal and to be expected, your body is used to the old mattress and your new one is now supporting your body. It may take up to 2 weeks for your body to adjust to your new mattress. The mattress should conform to you, NOT you to it. Rotate your mattress as often as the warranty card reads. The layers of upholstery in old mattresses have become compressed and flattened over the years. Upholstery layers in a new mattress have a certain amount of air in these materials. In addition, a break in period is required. This is when new materials begin to settle and conform to the shapes and curves of the body. This takes time. While this adjustment is taking place, creases, or "comfort wrinkles," may be noticeable. This is a natural process and these creases are not defects. To help the new sleep system complete this adjustment to personal needs, the sleep set needs to be maintained. This settling of materials can be evened out by rotating the mattress on a regular basis. It is recommended that the mattress is alternately turned once every two weeks for the first three months, and then twice per year after that. The foundation should also be turned every 12 months. The other part of the bedding investment is the use of a proper frame. A queen or king sized bed needs to have a frame with a center support to compensate for any set. We also strongly recommend center support for full size sets of bedding. The difference in size between a queen and a full is only 6 inches in width and only 5 inches in length. While not required by the manufacturer, we have found that your full size set of bedding will perform better and last longer with center support! Vacuuming is the only recommended way to clean a mattress. A quality, washable mattress pad will help keep the sleep set free from stains. |
Expectations Of Your New Mattress |
Twin 39" x 75" (also known as single) Most common for childrens' rooms, Daybeds, Trundle units and hideaways. Twin Extra Long 39" x 80" Is generally used in college dorm rooms and is 5" longer than a standard twin. Bedding may be harder to find and available only a limited variety of pattes. Approx. width per person: 39" Pros: Standard fare in college dorms. Longer length is good for taller teens and adults. Still easy to make. Cons: Bedding can be harder to find. Double 54" x 75" (also known as Full) Double beds are only 15" wider than a Twin bed. This won't leave much elbow room for 2 adults (each will have only 27" of width vs. 39" in a Twin bed). Too, a Double bed is only 75" long which may be too short for some adults. Approx. width per person: 27" Pros: Fits into smaller rooms. Sheets are less expensive than queen or king size. Cons: Many people find a Double is too narrow for 2 adults with only 27" in width for each person. And, it may be too short for some. Queen 60" x 80" Queen Beds are 6" wider (and 5" longer) than a Double bed. These added inches can make all the difference in comfort, but each adult still has 9" less than the width of a standard Twin bed. However, it's a good choice for guest rooms and smaller master bedrooms. Approx. width per person: 30" Pros: A better fit for 2 adults. The 80" length comfortably accommodates most adults. Bedding is easy to find. Cons: At only 30" of wide for each person (only 3" wider than a Double) many people find a Queen is still too narrow for comfortable sleeping for a couple. Note that some bedding is sold as "Full/Queen" and may not perfectly fit either size, so check the measurements before purchasing. Can use standard pillows or the slightly larger queen size pillows. King 76" x 80" Also known as Eastern King King is about 16" wider than a Queen bed. Both are about 80" long. The Eastern King is the only bed to give each person the same width as a Twin bed. In fact you can push 2 Extra-Long Twin beds together to be the same size as an Eastern King. This is a good way to have a versatile guest room (use 2 twins separately or push together to make a king bed for couples). An Eastern King bed comes with one mattress and two half-width box springs to be more manageable when moving. Approx. width per person: 38" Pros: This is the widest standard bed available. Roomy enough for 2 large adults. The 80" length comfortably accommodates most people. Sheets are easy to find and are generally labeled simply "King". Cons: This is a very large mattress that may not fit easily up stairs or into smaller rooms. (Check bendability on king size mattresses)Taller people may prefer the California King instead with its longer length. All bedding is most expensive in king sizes. Needs 3 standard pillows or 2 king pillows for this width. California King 72" x 84" California King is 12" wider than a Queen bed but adds 4" in length. This may be a better choice for taller adults. This size is sometimes known as the "Western King". Bedding may be labeled either "California King" or "Western King". A California King bed set comes with one mattress and two half-width box springs to be more manageable when moving. Approx. width per person: 36" Pros: A California King size mattress is roomy in width for 2 adults. Also, it is the longest standard bed available at about 84", and is ample for most taller people. Cons: This is a very large mattress that may not fit easily up stairs or into smaller rooms. Sheets are plentiful on the West Coast but may be a bit more difficult to find in other parts of the country, so try looking for them online if you're not on the West Coast. Needs 3 standard pillows or 2 king pillows for this width. All bedding is most expensive in king sizes. |
Size Matters |
U.S. MATTRESS OUTLET |