Introduction
Urban dwellers lead busy lives and need sufficient energy to face the challenges of the workplace each day. Therefore, comfortable and fitting mattresses and bedding are absolutely essential and a crucial cornerstone for quality sleep. This article teaches you how to discern right from wrong and select the best mattress that suits your needs, along with various tips for taking care of your mattress. To ensure you enjoy a good night’s sleep every night, we have gathered years of professional knowledge and experience, aiming to help you enter sweet dreams more easily. Should you regularly flip your mattress? Is it too much to use a mattress for 10 years? Is it better to be soft or hard? We will resolve your doubts immediately!
Myth 1: Mattress Age Does Not Affect Sleep Quality
If your mattress starts to sag and deform, it’s time to replace it! A mattress should have enough support and provide an allergen-free quality sleep environment. How often a mattress needs to be replaced largely depends on whether maintenance measures are taken adequately (such as regular turning and cleaning), as well as your own sleeping habits. The Better Sleep Council suggests replacing a mattress every 5-10 years, but if you are still unsure, pay attention to how you feel when you wake up in the morning; if you wake up feeling exhausted, sore all over, or as if you haven’t slept at all, it’s time to buy a new mattress. Imagine that a mattress is like an athlete’s sports shoes—if the shoes start to wear out or cause cramps when worn, most people would buy a new pair! The same logic applies to mattresses.
Myth 2: Foam Mattresses Are as Good as Pocket Spring Mattresses
Foam mattresses on the market seem comfortable and cheap, but is that really the case? This type of mattress can indeed conform to your body’s contours, creating a surface that perfectly matches your body shape, but it can also make you feel ‘sunken in.’ While it may be comfortable initially, over time it can make it difficult for you to move freely on the mattress. Moreover, the support of a foam mattress is absolutely incomparable to that of a pocket spring mattress, as each independent spring can react individually to the pressure applied, changing with your sleeping position to provide the most personalized support throughout the night. In addition, foam mattresses generally do not perform well in terms of ventilation, potentially failing to disperse the heat and moisture generated during sleep, making one feel stuffy and sweaty while sleeping. For this reason, many high-end hotels and resorts use pocket spring mattresses to ensure they provide the most ideal and comfortable sleep for their guests. In fact, many top hotels worldwide use hybrid mattresses, with a base layer of pocket spring design for support and a layer of foam on the surface to enhance comfort.
Myth 3: The Harder the Mattress, the Better
There has always been a belief that harder mattresses are beneficial for the body, but hardness is not the most important factor; support is key. To ensure a good night’s sleep, you need a high-quality mattress that can work with your sleeping position and provide enough support for your body. Yes, this is not an easy task! While soft mattresses may feel more comfortable, they often lack sufficient support; ultra-hard mattresses may provide excellent support but fail to conform to body shape, leading to issues such as body pain or poor sleeping posture. We recommend you opt for a medium-firm mattress that achieves a ‘comfortable surface with inner support’ effect. When purchasing a mattress, consider companies that offer trial services, allowing you to try out the mattress at home to see if it’s suitable.
Myth 4: Mattresses Don’t Get Heavier Over Time
Do you always feel that the mattress is heavier than before when changing the bedsheet? This is not an illusion; mattresses really do get heavier over time! Why is that? Let’s explain from a scientific perspective: On average, a person loses 285 milliliters of fluid per night, and the dead skin cells shed annually weigh up to half a kilogram! Therefore, it’s only natural for mattresses to become heavier with use. We recommend using a mattress protector to protect your mattress, which not only facilitates regular cleaning but also prevents stains.
Myth 5: Mattresses Should Be Flipped Every Few Months
Due to differences in structure and materials, traditional mattresses generally require regular flipping to ensure even wear on both sides. However, modern mattresses today use new technologies, and many models feature a single-sided design that does not require flipping. That said, it is still wise to turn your mattress every few months, and you can also change your sleeping position regularly to ensure more even pressure on the materials (especially in the first year of purchase). If you notice slight sagging on the mattress surface, do not panic; this is a normal phenomenon, indicating that the mattress material is changing shape to better conform to your body.
Myth 6: The More Springs, the Better Support
When purchasing a mattress, the number of springs is indeed important, but it is not the most effective indicator. When assessing the overall support of a mattress, you should also consider the type of springs and other layers within the mattress. There are three common types of springs: Bonnell springs, continuous springs, and pocket springs. Bonnell and continuous springs can provide good support, but since the springs are interconnected, they may not provide ideal support for certain body parts. Pocket springs are the most advanced spring technology, with each spring sealed in an individual fabric bag, operating independently to conform to unique body shapes and achieve a ‘motion isolation’ effect, distributing weight more evenly. If your bed partner likes to toss and turn, this type of mattress is the best choice for you!
Myth 7: Adding a Mattress Topper Can Extend the Life of a Mattress
If your sofa at home is becoming worn out, adding one or two cushions won’t help much, and the same goes for mattresses. If the mattress itself lacks sufficient support, adding a mattress topper is just masking the real problem. According to a study in the United States, nearly two-thirds of back pain patients reported that buying a new mattress helped improve their sleep. Conversely, if your mattress is very hard, you might consider adding a soft mattress topper, which can help alleviate pressure point pain issues, but it will not extend the service life of the mattress itself.