World of Beds

Shopping Tips for Buying Beds

• Comfortable beds are beds offering the right support. You will need to make your own assessment guided by factors such as your weight, height, build and even preferred sleeping position. As a general rule the heavier you are the firmer the tension you will need. You don't necessarily need a hard bed if you have a bad back.
• Most of the manufacturers we deal with offer mattresses in firm, medium and soft options so please pick the correct tension for your preferred comfort.
• Your aim is to achieve a good posture in bed. Too soft and your body will slouch, leading to back pain; too firm will cause discomfort at pressure points such as hips and shoulders.
  Ideally the mattress should mould to the shape of your body while remaining supportive. When you lie on your side your spine should be horizontal, you should be able to turn easily on the bed.
• For partners of widely different size and weight, different mattresses may be required. Some manufacturers make double beds from two single mattresses zipped together, which can be of differing tension. Others can combine different degrees of firmness in one mattress.
• Comfort is very subjective. Some people like the sensation of sinking into a bed; others prefer to lie on the surface. Back sleepers may prefer firmer beds than people who sleep on their sides. there are lots of different 'feels' around - you can choose what works best for you.

Is it time for buying a new bed

• When beds are no longer providing proper support and comfort, it affects the quality of our sleep. People are often unaware that their beds may be one of the reasons why they are not sleeping well.
• Beds don't last forever - life span is affected by factors such as the quality, care, amount of use and sleeping each night versus occasional use of spare beds. Changes in lifestyle and in our bodies can also necessitate a change of bed.
• It may be time for a new mattress if:
• You wake up with aches and pains, which wear off as the day progresses
• You are not sleeping as well as you did a year ago
• You enjoy a better sleep on other beds rather than your own.
• Your mattress shows signs of wear and tear
• A new bed may not be a wonder cure to all life's stresses and strains but it should certainly help you get a better nights sleep, leaving you refreshed and ready to face the world.
• There are literally thousands of beds from which to choose from and there's no such thing as the perfect type of bed for a particular condition or situation (e.g one ideal bed for a particular back pain sufferer)

Fascinating bed Fact

• Buying a brand new bed may give a better nights sleep than taking a sleeping pill - Two year research by sleep expert Dr Chris Klzikowski found that those with uncomfortable beds slept on average one hour less each night than those with comfortable beds.
• Choosing the best mattress for lower back pain
  Lower back pain can be caused by sleeping on the wrong mattress, if a mattress has no back support it can aid in poor sleeping posture and will not help keep the spine in alignment which in affect will cause the lower back pain to start with. A poor supporting mattress will also cause sleep discomfort so making sure you have chosen the right mattress for your individual requirements is very important.
• There are many mattresses on the market today for many different types of requirement.
• Firstly there is no specific type of mattress for a person with a bad back, any mattress that helps someone sleep without pain and discomfort is the best mattress for that individual.
• Understanding the components of a mattress will help determine what mattress to choose. The spring system will help provide back support, different mattresses have different coil arrangements and the number of coils can also have a Detrimental effect. The padding on top of the mattress can come in different thicknesses and mattress depths can range from 6in to 20in deep, choosing the number of coils, padding and thickness should be determined by the customer for overall support and sleep comfort.
• A good mattress for back pain should provide support while allowing for the natural curve of the spine. A recent survey has discovered that medium-firm mattresses offer more back pain relief than firm mattresses.
• A balance between sleep comfort and back support is the key, overall comfort on the mattress is equally as important as sufficient back support, sleeping on a mattress that is too firm can cause aches and pains on pressure points. A medium-firm mattress may offer better comfort as it allows the hips and shoulders to sink in slightly. For people who want a really mattress look at increasing the overall padding in the mattress as this will allow for better sleep comfort.
• As mattresses age they tend to sag in the middle causing the mattress to loose it's support placing boards under the mattress can work as a short term solution but inevitably replacing the mattress is what is required.
• Take good care of the new mattress. It is recommended that owners reposition their mattress every six months to ensure that the mattress is evenly worn. This includes rotating 180 degrees and flipping the mattress lengthwise on a regular basis. The Better Sleep Council advises that putting a mattress on a box spring/foundation that is not made to go with the mattress may decrease the life of the new mattress.

The history of Memory Foam Mattresses

• Memory foam is now one of the most popular materials used in the production of mattresses with nearly every major manufacturer in the bedding industry producing a memory foam mattress option within their range. 10 years ago this material was not even available on the consumer market so what has made this material in mattresses so popular so fast?
• Memory foam was first introduced in the 1970's by NASA in it's original form known as T-Foam for use on space shuttles but unfortunate due to a gas it released it wasn't suitable at the time for use in a closed environment, but luckily for us someone saw it potential for pressure relieving and the medical industry embraced it. Over the years memory foam was shown to be unique in the way it responded to temperature and also in ability to spread pressure over a greater surface area (and thereby reduce pressure points significantly). Although this material was already been looked at from the bedding market for use in mattresses and beds, the material was still in it's early development and durability was still a problem causing the memory foam material to crack over time.
• The first company to see the overall benefits of memory foam in mattresses was a company called Tempur . They developed these mattresses purely for the medical industry but after receiving lots of feedback from patients who said using the foam in mattresses made them sleep better and helped with back issues brought about Tempur-Pedic the first company to sell memory foam mattresses to the masses.
• Because the foam that was produced in the mattresses was from the medical background the overall cost was very expensive and still remains so today. Other manufactures have found similar foam that was been developed within the bedding industry that is currently sold at a fraction of the price.
• What many consumers don't realize is the many different types of memory foam mattresses that are available today and the differences between them. Major factors of memory foam are durability, hardness or softness and it's response to temperature.

How an adjustable bed works

• As the name suggests, an adjustable bed can be adjusted to a number of different positions. For people with certain types of back problems, sleeping on an adjustable bed that is at a slight incline may be comfortable, with the upper body positioned higher up than the lower body (as when sitting in a recliner) and some support under the knees to bend the knees at a slight angle. The combination of upper body incline and the knee support can help take some of the stress off the lower back. Provided that the patient is comfortable sleeping in this manner through the night, this position can support the curves osf the spine and relieve pressure on the entire body.
• In addition, after having low back surgery, some patients feel that an adjustable bed is more comfortable than a flat mattress. Like most choices when it comes to mattresses, this is largely a matter of personal preference.
• In general, it is reasonable for a patient to consider the option of an adjustable bed if he or she feels better sitting in a reclining chair with the knees supported or slightly elevated and if he or she is having trouble getting a good night's rest on a conventional flat mattress. If a patient is not sure if they would benefit from an adjustable bed, or is not sure about buying a new bed, then it is also possible to use pillows to prop up the upper body (being careful to provide support for the lower back) and placing a pillow beneath the knees.
• Potential benefits of an adjustable bed
  Basically, an adjustable bed has the potential to help anyone who feels more comfortable in an inclined position (such as sitting on a recliner with the feet up) rather than when lying on a regular flat mattress. The following provides a few examples of certain back conditions and how an inclined position in an adjustable bed can sometimes help the patient feel more comfortable.
• " Degenerative spondylolisthesis. For some people with degenerative spondylolisthesis, sleeping in a reclining position with support under the knees can reduce some of the pain discomfort in the lower back, making it easier to sleep through the night.
• " Osteoarthritis. Individuals with osteoarthritis in the spine, or facet joint arthritis, often wake up feeling quite stiff and sore in the morning. Sleeping on an adjustable bed may possibly provide better support and therefore decrease the irritation by minimizing joint compression.
• " Spinal stenosis. People with spinal stenosis most often feel more comfortable when bending forward instead of standing up straight. Likewise, sleeping on a flat mattress can sometimes be less comfortable for people with this condition than sleeping in the reclining position, such as that afforded by an adjustable bed.
  Patient's preference should determine the choice of bed and mattress.
• It is important to remember that the patient's personal preference for sleep comfort and back support should ultimately determine which type of bed or mattress is best. There is no single type of bed or mattress that works for all patients, and there is no real medical evidence that supports that an adjustable bed is a preferable option. The bottom line is that whichever bed or mattress allows a patient to sleep comfortably and without additional pain or stiffness is the best choice for that individual.