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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – With the range of choices and the sheer number of models available, finding the right mattress can seem more daunting than buying an automobile. This checklist can help you navigate the route to a better night’s sleep:
✓ Look “under the hood.” How a mattress “feels” varies widely among innerspring, foam, gel, pillow top, airbeds, adjustables or hybrids. Do your research and enlist a salesperson to explain the different styles and how they compare in terms of comfort, support, durability, and performance.
✓ Test-drive or order on-line… these days it’s your choice. Lying on a variety of mattresses to see what feels just right to you can still the best way to determine your best sleep surface. That said, many consumers like the convenience of buying a “bed in a box.” If you order on-line, be sure you understand shipping and return policies.
✓ Size matters. If you are sharing your bed, make you have turning room. A healthy person moves 40 to 60 times a night and makes lots of full-body turns. A bigger bed will give you and your turning partner the freedom of motion you both need for a sound sleep. Need to measure your room first? These dimensions will come in handy:
Twin 39” x 75”
Twin XL 39” x 80”
Full 54” x 75”
Full XL 54” x 80”
Queen 60” x 80”
King 76” x 80”
Calif. King 72” x 84”
✓ Be sure it contains certified foam. Consumers who care about what’s in the products they bring into their home are increasingly demanding that the foam in their mattresses and pillows be certified through the CertiPUR-US® program, a foam certification program for bedding and upholstered furniture administered by a not-for-profit organization. Certified foams meet strict standards for content, emissions, and durability and are tested and analyzed by independent, accredited testing laboratories. If you don’t see a label, ask the salesperson if the mattress is certified; on-line: speak with tech support and ask if the foam in the mattress is certified.
When you consider that we spend about third of our lives in bed – and the quality of that time affects our waking hours as well – it pays to invest time and care in choosing the right mattress.
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