Mattress, bless the soul who had invented this beautiful creation. After every stressful hour, everybody wants to go back to bed. It would be disastrous going back to a bed that cannot provide your mind and body the relaxation you have been craving all day for. This is where the mattress plays the angel in disguise.
Today every home wants to choose the best mattress. With work stress, the home-style science department has been creating various kinds of mattress that fit the customer’s requirement. Some opt for a memory foam mattress that their orthopedic might have suggested or a spring mattress that gives the feel of a hotel room. With the increase in consumer’s demand and their changing lifestyles, mattresses are being created.
Mattresses came from the concept of lifestyles that our ancestors were living in. All of us have read the evolution of mankind in our history classes where animal skins, dry leaves, etc. were used as a source of mattresses to keep them warm and safe from the dirt. It didn’t have any foam or coir to build what we have today.
Human became more civilized, and so did their ideas. Now we not only have a durable mattress lasting from 10 to 20 years but also, we have various types of mattress to choose from.
Let’s look at some commonly known mattresses that will give us more information about them.
Memory Foam Mattress
This type of mattress provides excellent support and comfort for all at ones. It contains several layers of foam that reduces the tendency of sagging, and one doesn’t need to flip the mattress often. When sleeping, the memory foam mattress adjusts to the shape of your body, helping you relax your muscles and provides relief to the body pain.
It was a creation that was created for NASA’s astronauts for their space shuttle which, due to some reasons, were not implemented.
To create memory foam, reactions from different substances are required like polyols (alcohols derived from petroleum products or plant oils), isocyanates(organic amine-derived compounds), and reacting agents. These components are mixed together to get a foamy mixture, which is then undergoing a lot of heating and pressure process to cure the foam and make it nonreactive. Once the foam is ready, it is then cut and used as the foam for a memory foam mattress.
Smart Gel Mattress
In this type of mattress, once the foam mattress is ready, the gel is added. A smart gel supports the back, knees, and shoulders along with pressure-relieving properties.
Spring Mattress
Spring mattresses are made of coil spring, which is then wrapped in fabric. Post that soft foam is added for extra comfort. This type of mattress has less durability and can also cause certain discomfort after some time and might have to be flipped quite often. This is not recommended for people looking for a mattress for medical reasons.
Water Beds
Water beds are widespread these days. These types of beds are highly recommended for back sleepers. Water is the primary support system is water. It consists of chambers of water which is padded with foam or fibers. The movement of the water depends on which type of water beds you prefer. The free form of water bed allows water movement freely, whereas waveless water beds restrict the movement of the water.
Latex Mattress
For latex mattresses, latex foam is used. Here, all natural products are used instead of synthetic to build the foam. The main ingredient to make the latex foam is the sap of the rubber tree, Hevea Brasiliensis (the Pará rubber tree). The liquid latex, which is the initial component of the latex mattress making process, undergoes different other processes before the final outcome. To achieve the liquid latex, people tap the rubber tree, and no plants are being destroyed. Hence, acquiring a latex mattress is environment-friendly.
Latex mattress also helps in pain relief highly recommended, with excellent durability.
Apart from the listed types of mattresses, there are several other types of mattress that you can choose from, like:
Adjustable Bases mattress, which is known to be the most flexible ones and helps in providing excellent back support
Air Beds, where like waterbeds, the air is the primary support. It caters to people with different firmness requirements.
An innerspring mattress which has a variety of spring shapes and coils that affects the back support. There are several other variants in innerspring mattresses that can provide comfort based on your requirements.
a. Pocket Coil Mattress
b. Pillow Top Mattress
Futons, specially designed, keeping in mind the space that a full mattress would require. It is a foldable mattress that can be folded to a bed or a sofa as per the need.
Many more…
How to choose the mattress for you?
Choosing the right mattress for your health is crucial. A wrong mattress can worsen your body pain and cause unnecessary body sores. All of us have heard the term “sleeping funny” however; it’s not only the posture that leads to the unbearable body ache after we wake up, but also the mattress you are using.
Similarly, using a saggy mattress can cause a lot of hygiene issue for you and your loved ones. Mattresses should be used as per their durability date. Be it an all-natural product mattress or a synthetic foam mattress, everything has an expiry date, and using an expired product post its timeline can impact your health and home drastically. It can cause sleeping disorders resulting in heart diseases, diabetes, or kidney diseases.
Changing your mattress when the time is right is vital. Ignoring the fact can invite tons of bed bugs, dust mites, and allergies that you have not signed up for.
So, when should you change or replace your mattress? How to know that it is time? What are the signs I should be looking out for?
Certainly, these questions are genuine after knowing the effects that a mattress can cause post its expiry. Let’s have a look at some signs that you can look for yourself or take help from an expert.
- Wear and Tear: Mattress does wear and tear. Look for signs like feeling the spring of the mattress or the coils, or you feel that your mattress is sagging.
- Noisy: Squeaky sounds of the spring or anything similar mean it’s time to change.
- Not doing its job: Mattresses which were purchased to seek medical assistance are no longer providing what it was meant for. Signs like the stiffness of your muscle or body sores can be a common sign to look for.
- Diseases: Maybe a polyp or any allergy getting worse with time. Yes, call this strange, but an old mattress can profoundly impact a small allergy.
- Some mattresses are designed in such a manner that you cannot feel your partner’s or anyone’s movement, even though you may be sleeping on the same bed. The moment you felt another person’s movement, take that as a sign.
- In case of water or air beds, check for refills and the quality of the leather or the material of the bed. Leakage can also be something to look for in these cases. Keep a close eye, especially on these types of mattresses.
- Already flipped your mattresses multiple times but not able to get its shape back. It’s a sign that you need a replacement.
- Weight also influences the durability of your mattress. If you have gained a lot of weight since the day you have purchased the mattress, it’s time to see if the mattress is performing the way it used to and if not, replace it immediately.
Whenever we think of getting the right mattress, we think mattresses can be expensive. If you look at the right place or websites, you will see that it isn’t as expensive at all. As per many healthcare websites, you explore that good mattresses which your doctor might have recommended have been listed at an excellent and affordable range.
Don’t just go to any random store and purchase your mattress right away. Stores or the salesperson may mislead you into buying something that you might not require or might not have been recommended.
Research before you plan on buying. Do window shopping or check with your friends and family for their suggestions. Check the mattress that you want both in online and offline stores for great discounts. Read the reviews before making a decision.
There are several articles readily available online that will help you make the right choice. Even if you end up paying more than you expected, remember that it will serve your requirements for the next 10-20 years. You are not in losing in this case. After all, it’s your health!
It is highly recommended to check with an expert or a professional in case of any health issue. If you are using a mattress that your doctor might have recommended and still the issue persists, consult your doctor again. Be it an orthopedic or a chiropractor, consultation should be done before purchasing and after using it for some time to know the root cause of your health issue.
Do not ignore those tiny body aches or back pain. It may be your mattress that is causing such discomfort and not allowing you to enjoy your daily lifestyle and activities.
