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Why is having a good mattress so important?
A mattress needs to provide you with sufficient support while you are asleep, says Anton Odendaal, from furniture company, Rochester: “Any mattress worth its salt needs to adequately support your body in a neutral position – where your spine, buttocks, heels, shoulders and head are all well supported in proper alignment.
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How do you know it is time to replace your mattress?
Depending on the quality and make of the mattress, the general consensus is that mattresses boast a lifespan of around 9 years. “If you wake up in the morning with some lower back pain, and after stretching, it dissipates after 15 to 30 minutes – this is a good indicator that your mattress is no longer providing you with adequate support and will need to be replaced,” says Anton
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Different types
The innerspring mattress: These remain the most widely used mattresses. They comprise a centre core of springs made from tempered steel, which provide buoyancy and resilience. The coils are in turn surrounded by a protective casing for insulation and padding purposes. Firmness and durability is largely dictated by the kind of wire used for the coils and the number of coils included in the design – the higher the coil count and the stronger the wire.
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The memory foam mattress: These mattresses are generally more expensive than their innerspring counterparts. They are made from varying densities of polyurethane foam, which responds to weight and temperature. The foam softens when it comes into contact with any form of heat and it is pressure-sensitive, which allows it to quickly mould to the shape of your body and negate pressure points for added comfort. They are available in varying degrees of firmness.
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The Latex mattress: Latex mattresses provide firm, buoyant and uniform support throughout. The comfort they provide comfort is similar to that of the memory foam, but the difference is that Latex pushes back, so, ultimately, it provides better support.
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Gauge the right tension
Says Anton: “It is essential that the mattress you choose is just the right firmness for your needs. A good firm mattress should offer firm support, without putting pressure on your various pressure points. It should be able to distribute pressure evenly across the body to help circulation, decrease movement and minimise disruption.
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Size counts
Never has the old adage of “bigger is better” been truer than when it comes to the size of your bed says Anton: “It is highly advisable to choose the biggest bed possible – obviously within the limitations of the size of your bedroom and your budget. When you are sharing a bed with somebody, large mattresses have the benefit of being able to accommodate the free and easy movement of one party, without disrupting the other.
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Try it out
The best way to select a mattress is to physically try it out. You need to actually lie on the mattress and push your hand under your back – if there is a large gap, the mattress is too soft, and if there is no gap at all, the mattress is too hard. Just being able to pass your hand under your back suggests it is just the right firmness for you.
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