How To Choose The Right Bedding For You
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The recent upsurge in working from home led to increased awareness of the importance of ergonomic office seating. It is, however, just as important to have an ergonomic bed. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to choose the right bedding for you.
Understanding mattress types
These days, there are six main types of mattresses. These are open-spring and continuous coil, pocket-spring, memory foam, latex, and hybrid. Open-spring and continuous coil mattresses are both decent enough choices for young kids and maybe for guest rooms but in proper adult bedrooms, they’re likely to have you needing chiropractic treatment in short order.
Pocket-spring mattresses are filled with multiple springs each of which is housed in its own “pocket”. They come in various grades of firmness. In fact, you can even get one mattress with two firmness “zones”. Pocket-spring mattresses are very breathable but can be filled with materials that trigger allergies. They’re also heavy so they can be challenging to turn.
Memory foam and latex (foam) mattresses are both variations on a theme. They adapt to your body and provide support where you need it. Both are hypo-allergenic although they can still be fairly heavy. Memory foam tends to hold its warmth whereas latex is more breathable. Foam-only mattresses can be great for your joints, but not everyone likes the feel of them.
Hybrid mattresses tend to have a pocket-spring core topped with some kind of foam. This is generally memory foam but it can also be latex or partly latex. There are now some really great hybrid mattresses out there. They offer a superb balance of support and comfort.
Choosing the right firmness
If you sleep on your side then you could probably go for a softer mattress if you wanted. That said, if you move around a lot, then medium-soft would usually be a better option. This will ensure you get support when you need it.
If you sleep on your front or back, then you should generally have a mattress that is at least medium firm. The taller and heavier you are, the more you should lean towards a firm mattress. Likewise, as you age, you’re likely to find yourself wanting more support. You can always up the “snuggle factor” with a mattress topper.
Picking pillows
On seating, pillows may essentially be just decor. On your bed, however, they’re effectively mini-mattresses. The key difference is that where mattresses have levels of firmness, pillows have levels of thickness. Thin pillows give you minimal elevation whereas thick ones give you maximum elevation.
This means that you should choose pillows that are the right thickness to keep your head, neck, and spine in natural and neutral alignment while you sleep. What’s more, you should remember that pillows aren’t just for your head. You might also find it very helpful to have them further down your body, especially at your hips and pelvis.
Changing your bedding
Top-quality bedding tends to be made from all-natural fibers. Adding a small percentage of synthetic fibers may help to make bedding last longer. It will, however, come at the cost of breathability and, hence comfort.
