Mattress hardness: choosing the ideal option for a comfortable sleep
Content:
- The influence of mattress hardness on sleep quality
- Mattress hardness: what it is and what it depends on
- How to choose a mattress by weight and other criteria
- General recommendations for choosing a mattress
Comfortable sleep is extremely important for human health and well-being. To ensure a good night's rest, you need to choose a mattress of suitable firmness. If you choose a mattress wisely, your body will be in the correct position at night, your spine will experience minimal stress, and your back muscles will be able to relax properly. True, deciding on a purchase today is not so easy. The stores offer a huge variety of soft, hard, medium-hard mattresses. Advice and recommendations from experts will help you navigate such a variety and buy the perfect mattress.
The influence of mattress hardness on sleep quality
First of all, it's worth finding out why the firmness of a mattress is such an important factor. Stiffness refers to the ability of a product to maintain its shape when a person lies on the bed. If the mattress is very soft, the body will fall into it, like in a hammock. On such a mattress, the spine does not feel well, and excessive softness impedes normal blood circulation.
A hard surface is also not considered the best option. If in Soviet times doctors claimed that a hard bed was good for the body, then over time the opposite was proven. A hard mattress puts a lot of pressure on the sleeper’s hips, shoulders and elbows, and this is also not good for blood circulation. A person experiencing discomfort during sleep often experiences back pain and numbness in the legs and arms. In this case, you will not be able to get a good night's sleep - as a result, instead of morning vigor, you may feel a loss of strength.
Therefore, people who do not have any special problems with the musculoskeletal system are recommended to sleep on mattresses of medium hardness. On the right surface, the spine lies flat: it bends only slightly in the area of the shoulders, hips and lower back.
Mattress hardness: what it is and what it depends on
Modern mattress manufacturers use a special hardness scale, which makes it easier to choose during the purchasing process. To classify sleeping products, digital designations are used:
- From 1 to 4 – soft models designed for people with light (up to 60 kg) weight. This category also includes orthopedic mattresses that reproduce the curves of the body of a lying person.
- From 4 to 6 – products belonging to the average level of hardness. This is a compromise option that is suitable for buyers with average (from 60 to 90 kg) weight.
- From 6 to 10 - the hardest mattresses that will be comfortable for people of substantial build. If a person weighs 90 kg or more, he will not be disappointed with such a purchase.
The stiffness of a mattress is influenced by two factors: the filling material and the type of spring block. The springing properties of mattresses can depend on the number of springs, their size, thickness, location and even the brand of metal from which the structure is made.
As for the material, soft raw materials include, for example, latex. It is from this that orthopedic models are most often made. The most common “filling” of hard mattresses is coconut guillemot. Mattresses filled with sisal, jute, and linen also have a good supporting effect. The optimal filling option for medium-hard mattresses is polyurethane foam, a hypoallergenic, elastic and relatively inexpensive material with excellent breathability. In springless models, there are often combinations of different materials that give the mattress optimal rigidity.
How to choose a mattress by weight and other criteria
When purchasing a mattress, you need to pay attention to its technical characteristics indicated on the label. As a rule, it contains mandatory information such as stiffness and permissible weight. In addition to a person’s weight, other factors influence the choice of optimal firmness: his age, height, favorite sleeping position, recommendations given by doctors. Now it’s worth taking a closer look at these factors.
Selecting a mattress by weight
Depending on body weight, the mattress is selected as follows: the greater the weight, the stiffer the product should be. Under the influence of increased load, the soft elastic structure bends unevenly. Accordingly, the sleeping surface will not be able to fully perform orthopedic functions.
If two people with different weights sleep on the bed, it makes sense to purchase a pair of separate models with different hardnesses, which will be connected by a mattress cover. There are also large mattresses with two longitudinal zones: “male” and “female”. The “female” half has a softer mattress, while the “male” half will provide ideal comfort for a large man.
An excellent solution would be to buy a mattress with a double spring block. Such designs are designed for the average weight of the sleeper, and if a person with a large weight lies on the bed, additional internal springs begin to work, creating the necessary elasticity and comfort.
Selecting a mattress by age
Age is no less important when choosing a sleeping surface. The gradation in this case looks like this:
- Infants whose bone skeleton is just forming are recommended by pediatricians to be placed on springless hard mattresses.
- For children from 1 to 3 years old, designs of medium hardness, but without springs, are safe and comfortable.
- Children from 3 to 12 years old are suitable for medium-hard models, both with and without springs.
- The best option for teenagers and young people under 25 years old is soft structures. If a teenager is overweight, it is advisable to get a firmer mattress.
- People aged 25-50 years can choose a mattress according to their taste, but taking into account weight and medical indications.
Elderly people will have to abandon rigid structures. To avoid problems with intervertebral discs, it is better to give preference to moderately soft models.
If you have diseases such as scoliosis, kyphosis, osteochondrosis, you should not rely only on the advice of sellers - it is better to consult a doctor. A specialist may recommend purchasing a special corrective mattress. For example, very hard mattresses are contraindicated for people with osteochondrosis. If the patient suffers from pathology of the cervical or thoracic spine, on the contrary, it is recommended to purchase a harder mattress. You cannot do without consulting an orthopedist even if the mattress is purchased for a child with poor posture.
General recommendations for choosing a mattress
Since a mattress is the key to healthy sleep, it is advisable to take into account other recommendations when purchasing it:
- People who love to sleep on their stomach will appreciate a mattress with a firm surface. In addition, insufficient support of the body while sleeping in this position can cause lower back pain.
- For those who like to lie on their back or side, sleeping structures of medium hardness are suitable.
- It is necessary to take into account the load on the mattress set by the manufacturer. Ideally, the buyer’s weight is 10-20 kg less than the recommended weight.
- Unfortunately, no one is immune from mistakes, and it happens that the mattress is chosen poorly. If the rigidity seems insufficient, purchasing a hard mattress cover or laying a sheet of fiberboard on the slats will help solve the problem. Also, in some products it is possible to unzip the cover and change layers. You can place foam material in the lower part, and hard and elastic coconut coir on the top. The disadvantages of an overly hard mattress can be mitigated by installing an additional topper made of eco-foam or latex. In addition to optimal softness, these materials have another advantage. They support normal heat exchange, which means it’s comfortable to sleep on them both in summer and winter.
The catalog of the Garda Decor store presents elite mattresses - beautiful, comfortable, providing a person with the maximum level of comfort. Almost all designs have a memory effect and take into account even the slightest features of anatomy and physiology. The company's managers will help you choose the ideal model - a calm, undisturbed sleep on such a mattress will be guaranteed.
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