Sleep Props... Mattresses, Pillows. How to Avoid Being Mislead

It can be worse than shopping for a used car!  So much information to wade through.  You want to improve the quality of your sleep, and you are willing to invest in it, but how do you know you’re getting straight talk, and not just sales jargon?

Well, here are some key points to keep in mind so you can separate hype from facts.

When choosing a mattress, there are sooo many options; from the materials used to manufacture the mattress, the firmness, the technical features, the warranties (including being able to “test drive” your new mattress for 60, 90 or however many days), styles and sizes.  If you’re looking for function, how do you prioritize the features to choose the mattress that will serve you, and your sleeping partner, best.

Mattress Firmness

Have you been told that a mattress should be firm?  Firmness is relative, and your body is what it should be relative to.  You want your mattress to be firm enough to support your body in a “neutral” position.  That means that when you lie on it, your weight should be sufficient to displace it just enough to sustain your spine in proper posture.  So here’s where YOUR features affect your choice.

For example, if you sleep on your side, your mattress needs to be soft enough to allow your hips and shoulders to sink in so that your spine stays aligned, but not so much that you curve into the mattress.  Too firm, and it will feel like it’s pushing upward into your hips and shoulders making it difficult to get comfortable, but also causing a lot of stress to your spine and nervous system.  If this same person sleeps exclusively on their back, then they will likely be able to tolerate a firmer mattress with less discomfort, because they are not as likely to require the same accommodation for curves.  Now, what if their partner is twice their weight and size, and when they sleep on their side, the mattress that was great for the first person, makes the partner feel like their hips and low back are unsupported and they are being sucked into a black hole?  Also consider that in general, most women have relatively wider hips compared to their waists than men.  There are also different neck to shoulder ratios as well.

Options? Consider a split-style bed, where each side has it’s own firmness, or compromise somewhere in between the firmnesses.  I’m not a couples counsellor, so you can negotiate that one yourself.

Foam vs Coils

Lots to consider here. Foam (and gels) comes in so many different densities and qualities.  The quality will affect its lifespan, it’s ability to bounce back after it is compressed, it’s heat retention and of course, the price point.  Some foams are known for their ability to form around you.  The downsides of that are that heat retention will be greater (so they may add features to try to counteract that), and the mattress does what is known as “casting”.  It literally forms a little cast shape around your body that snugs you right in.  Sounds cozy, but unfortunately, this may decrease the small micro adaptations that we make through the night… less micro movements sometimes means more fluid pooling/less normal fluid flow and potentially more morning stiffness,.  And for those with injuries, “casting” may make it more uncomfortable to move during the night or get up in the morning.

Also, regardless of material, check to see what chemicals they may be treated with.  To be fire retardant, mattresses are often treated with chemicals.  Some mattress materials (like latex, wool and graphite… not familiar with how they use graphite in a mattress?) are naturally flame retardant and do not require chemical treatment to be sold. But again, each manufacturer creates their own specs.  Chemical fire retardants have the nasty side effect of off-gassing, meaning we are breathing that in as well as absorbing the chemicals through our skin while we sleep. That might be a priority concern for you.

For coil mattresses, there are many options, from what the coils are made of, to their pattern of alignment. Coils that are integrated, or strung together, will disperse forces over greater areas as they deform in groups when you lay on them.  This may deliver a smoother feel.  Coils that are independent have the ability to adapt precisely, but can’t rely on their neighbours for support, so may fail more easily.  They also have a different “feel” to them.

Personal Preference

You need to feel comfortable on your mattress.  Regardless of how “Good” the mattress is, you may not find the perfect one, especially if two different people are sharing it.  Sometimes a mattress’s comfort can be enhanced with toppers, a properly fitted neck pillow or strategically placed supports.

Pillows

A pillow should be sized and shaped to support your neck in a neutral posture and cradling your head.  If you sleep on your back or your side, both of these positions needs to be considered.  We use a Canadian company that makes a great pillow… that does not off-gas.  The pillows come in a range of sizes/fullnesses so that you can be custom fit for the best pillow for you.

I was a bit alarmed to hear of pillows being promoted for stomach sleepers.  There is NO good way to stomach sleep on a traditional mattress.  Unless you have some unique custom sleeping form with a hole cut out for your face, stomach sleeping should be avoided at all costs.  It creates tremendous traction to the spine especially in the area of the brain stem.  But if this is already a habit, there are protocols to help you become comfortable in other positions so you can slowly extinguish stomach sleeping from your nightly routine.

Other sleeping props

Each person is unique, and due to injuries, health concerns or other factors, sometimes modifications have to be made to sleep postures.  Various supports can be used to manage a less than ideal situation.

We see all types of sleep concerns.  People don’t often recognize how much their sleep is contributing to their problems. Answers may be more straightforward than you might expect.