Tips on Choosing a Mattress

Except for other reasons, a good night's sleep is nothing without that soft mattress on your back.

A little trivia

Do you realize that an average person spends a third of earthly life sleeping? Sleeping enhances overall personal health, boosts the immune system, aids the reproduction of torn and dying cells and tissues and relieves us of stress and tiredness. However, not many people give a lot of attention on the quality of their mattresses, your permanent nocturnal companion for the rest of your life.

A mattress is a pad or mat, usually made of soft materials, that is primarily used for sleeping or just lying. The ancient cave people were known to have used a certain form of mattress. I am sure they were the hardest type!
 

Arabic word origin
 

The word mattress is thought to come from Arabic words which mean "to throw" or "a place where something is thrown". Ancient Arabs used to sleep on mats thrown on the floor and which practice was brought to Europe and Asia. Nowadays, mattresses are mostly placed on top of another structure elevated from the ground. These structures come in different materials and form. In earlier times, they are usually stuffed with natural materials, such as a silk and feathers, while modern versions use synthetic materials that produce equally comforting effect.

Mattresses come in different variations as to made, form and sizes. Earlier types used straw, silk and soft feathers, although there are still select people who use mattresses stuffed with feathers. These are rather very costly. Modern versions are using air and water. The ancient Persians, as early as 3600 BC, were believed to use goatskins containing water, the precursor of our modern waterbeds. Some use natural fibers, such as in futons, which are mainly using cotton fibers.

Variations; which one do you like?

In terms of made and components used, there are basically three types of mattresses, namely:

1. Innerspring core mattress - composed of a spring core, foundation and upholstery layers. The metal coils are made of tempered steel coils placed between the insulating skin and the padding. The mattress' firmness and durability depend largely on the number of coils used. The coil serves as the primary support mechanism that bears the weight of the body. More coils easily give way to pressure, while those with fewer coils tend to be firm and the mattress feels hard.

2. Foam mattress - most common and less expensive, compared to other types of mattress. It wholly uses polyurethane foam, latex or visco elastic memory foam as the primary support. It normally produces the hot feeling, since the more enclosed structure does not "breathe" or allow air circulation. Anyone sleeping on a foam mattress sheds a fairly substantial amount of bodily fluids due to perspiration.

3. Air mattress - instead of using spring coil to support the body weight, air mattress uses tightly locked air chambers. Price range varies widely, depending on the material used and size, among other considerations. In 1980, Comfortaire, as leading maker of mattress, invented the first air mattress with remote control designed to adjust firmness of the air chambers.

4. Waterbeds - instead of using any other material, obviously this one uses water locked tightly inside between the insulation and the padding. This concept is not entirely new, since, as noted earlier, the ancient Persians were known to have used goatskin stuffed with water as sleeping pads. A unique characteristic, water bed easily adjusts to the shape of the human body and heavier body portions of the body tend to sag deepest. Before choosing to buy a water bed, which is relatively expensive, try first using others if you can comfortably sleep on it.

Whatever size or made your mattress is, make sure it is the one who are most comfortable with, since a friendly one gives you a good night's sleep.

About the Author: Foo Kwong Meng 
Visit http://www.bestmattressreviews.com for more tips, advice and updates related to mattress

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Seven Reasons Why An Adjustable Air Mattress Is Better Than An Old Worn Mattress

Do you wake up each morning feeling like you have not slept a wink? Do you wake up throughout the night tossing and turning? How about do you suffer pain throughout the day in your back or neck? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you should consider getting a new bed. You should consider replacing your sagging mattress with an adjustable bed.

Here we give you the top seven reasons we think you should consider an adjustable bed. Of course, just because we think this, does not mean everyone will. An adjustable bed should be a purely personal decision, but we are here to help you make that decision.

ONE: First, people often suffer from many different side effects that result from poor sleep and habits. It is proven that some health issues can arise from poor sleeping positions and habits. Issues such as back problems, neck and shoulder pain, gastric reflux, arthritis, snoring, circulatory problems, and breathing problems can all result from sleeping poorly on an old and worn mattress. Investing in an adjustable bed could help with these health issues.

TWO: The number two reason, the most common reason people do not sleep well during the night is simple from tossing and turning. Why do we toss and turn at night? Well the main answer to that is pressure points. Our trusty coil and spring mattress tends to put pressure on various areas in our body, which then causes restricted circulation to the areas of pressure. This causes us, without even really being aware of it, to turn to a new position when we become uncomfortable.

THREE: We concluded the number three reason yet is again, tossing and turning. This time we focus on improper spinal alignment. Most of the traditional mattresses are flat; however, our bodies are not. Our bodies curve and these traditional mattress that we are used to, fail to offer enough support , thus allowing your lower back and hips to sink below the rest of your body. This again results in pressure and discomfort, causing your body to turn to a new position.

FOUR: So here we are to number four, are you convinced yet? If not, good thing we still have more to tell you. Adjustable beds offer you various wonderful benefits. Obviously, the adjustable base is just that, an adjustable base. To maximize the benefits of having an adjustable bed you need the proper mattress to team up with it. The team together creates a pressure free zone while you snooze. Studies show that if you keep your heads slightly elevated this will allow for easier breathing. Additionally, the proper team keeps your knees naturally bent and elevated slightly above your heart, taking pressure off the spine and increasing blood flow to the heart. If you were not aware of this, this could be the single most important reason to consider an adjustable bed.

FIVE: We are getting closer; reason number five is, in its own right, an excellent invention. In comes the invention of the mattress genie. The mattress genie allows you to turn any bed into an adjustable bed. This is for a fraction of the cost of a traditional adjustable bed. It features an air bladder that sits flat under your mattress until you are ready to use it; an air pump that pumps up the air bladder elevating the head of the mattress, and a handheld remote that simple allows you to access all of this with the touch of a button. It is small and excellent for travelers.

SIX: Reason number six, is geared towards the busy lifestyle. More and more people today use their bed as a relaxing point for watching television or reading. An adjustable bed gives you the opportunity to do so in a comfortable and healthier manner. Have you ever lay in bed reading a good book, having to turn frequently to remain comfortable? Imagine this, with an adjustable bed you are elevated properly, reducing stress on the back, neck, and arms and reading without interruption, an excellent idea considering all the benefits.

SEVEN: Finally, here we are at reason number seven, we have shown you that only an adjustable bed can mimic the extremely comfortable and healthy positions. Keeping your body in the natural sleep position will reduce the pressure on your skeletal frame more than 85% enabling you to get the deepest, most restful sleep you have only dreamed about.
 

About the Author
Kishor Nayak is a Business Consultant working with International clients.I hope you found this article useful. You can learn a lot more about how
adjustable beds, can help you.

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Down With Down Mattress Toppers

Everyone knows that getting a good night's sleep is important for both physical and mental health. Many people find that using a mattress topper makes their beds more comfortable and helps them fall asleep much more easily. Additionally, a mattress topper has other benefits as well. They are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased online or at various retail stores nationwide.

Some mattress toppers use down, which is a feathery type of filling that is often used for pillows. In fact, many people do not know that down actually IS a bunch of real feathers from real birds. While you might want to consider a down mattress topper, they can be expensive, and the more affordable versions leave much to be desired. The less expensive down toppers use feathers that still have sharp little quills attached. After you sleep on a mattress topper made of these kinds of feathers for a while, the quills will start to break through the topper, so you end up being poked by these sharp quills when you're trying to get to sleep. Needless to say, this does not make for a very comfortable night.

Another problem with the down toppers is that they can't be washed. Most mattress toppers that are made with down require dry cleaning. You'll spend a lot of time taking your down topper to the drycleaners often in order to ensure that the topper is as clean as you want it to be. If you don't want to be running to the cleaners all the time, you really should avoid buying a down topper. Some people will say, 'Well, we don't wash mattresses, and they're okay.' Actually, one of the major benefits you'll enjoy when you get a mattress topper is that it protects your mattress from getting dirty. Instead of dirt and grime going onto the mattress, it goes on the mattress topper, so you can see that having a washable mattress topper is the ideal solution.

A mattress topper made of a material other than down can be just as comfortable and less expensive. Many toppers make use of synthetic down substitutes. With this type of topper, you won't be poked during the night by the sharp quills of an inexpensive down topper, and you'll be able to wash and dry the topper just as if it was a comforter. You'll rest easier knowing that your topper is affordable and washable and that it will save the wear and tear of your mattress. 

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Air Mattress Beds and Back Health

The world was once full of snake-oil salesmen hawking their wares. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that, while the products may have changed, the promises of miracle cures are still thrown around with reckless abandon today. If you don't believe me, a few late nights watching infomercials (or even regular commercials) should serve to convince you. Modern sufferers have found themselves on their share of the wrong end of wonder-cures and their endless quest for a solution to often debilitating discomfort makes them ripe for the picking.

It's with that in mind that I'm going to offer full disclosure followed by simple honesty. Disclosure: I'm an advocate of air mattress beds as a potential solution for back pain. Honesty: An air mattress bed may not do a darn thing for your back pain. How contradictory of me.

The thing everybody needs to realize up front is that there is simply no one cure for everybody's back pain because there is simply no one cause for back pain and no universal body. The air mattress bed that serves up blissful relief for one person may do absolutely nothing for another person. Worse, it may compound matters or mask a serious medical condition with temporary relief.

Does that mean you should abandon all hope and move on to consider the next miracle solution? No. It simply means you should be an informed consumer.

Prior to considering any mattress, (air mattress, foam or inner spring) with back pain relief in mind, you should consult with a doctor to rule out or identify any serious medical issues behind your back pain. While the healthy support and minimal pressure point irritation of an air mattress bed might be beneficial to somebody with a slightly herniated disc or weak core muscles, it might provide only limited or temporary relief (if any) to a person with a ruptured disc.

Assuming a physician finds nothing seriously wrong, think logically about whether or not an air mattress bed, or any bed, is really the solution to your problem. I consider myself lucky to spend 6 hours a night in a bed. My average sleep schedule grants me about 5 hours. If I'm lucky, I manage to squeeze in an hour nap on the couch in the evening. I do, however, sit glued to an office chair for the better part of 10-12 hours a day. In determining what might be causing me back pain, I'm going to first look at my office chair as the culprit rather than my mattress. Take the time to review your daily habits before concluding your current mattress is the source of your woes.

If you have enough hours in the night for good rest but spend it tossing and turning uncomfortably, wake up feeling tired, are sore or have trouble getting out of bed due to an aching back, now's the time to start thinking about a new mattress. But even with this in mind and having already stated I'm an advocate, I'm not going to try to sell you on the idea of an air mattress bed specifically. That might be the solution for you, yes, but your body is unique and another solution such as a memory-foam mattress might be the better option for you. So what to do? How do you decide what kind of mattress to purchase?

Avoid ordering without trying. While some high quality air mattress bed manufacturers offer mail order purchasing and delivery, you don't want to invest the next few years of sleep and a substantial amount of your money on a sight-unseen bed. Visit a showroom and spend at least 10 minutes flat on your back on the model you are considering. If you have to drive out of your way to find a showroom selling the type of mattress you are considering, think of that as a worthwhile investment of your time.

Just as important, make sure the company offers a return policy. My own air mattress bed (a well known model with prolific advertising surrounding a particular number preference) offered a liberal satisfaction guaranteed policy and that was the deciding factor for me. Though a few minutes in a showroom and a couple nights on a similar model at a B&B had me pretty confidant in my purchase, there's no knowing how those results will measure up after a month. Suffice to say, I remain very happy with my purchase.

Finally, give it time. Some sufferers report near immediate improvement after investing in a high quality air mattress bed. For most of us, 2 to 3 weeks for noticeable results is a more realistic expectation. If you're so lucky as to wake up feeling like a new person after your first night on your new air mattress, great! But don't throw away that customer support number or return policy just yet. Your body may simply be responding favorably but temporarily to the changed sleep conditions. Give it time to work and give it time to ensure it will continue to work.

Having pointed out the precautions, it's fair to point out the benefits of an air mattress bed and why it might be the solution to your back pain problems. Air mattress beds have several points in their favor over either inner spring or foam mattresses.

The adjustable firmness offered by air mattress beds is probably the most important feature relative to back pain relief as this allows you to customize your bed to your particular needs and preferences. Remember, every body is different. With a foam or inner spring mattress, you are very limited in your ability to customize the firmness to your needs.

An air mattress bed provides the flexibility their competition doesn't. Some manufacturers even offer dual-zone models meaning you can set your preference on your side of the bed without your spouse having to compromise their preference on their side of the bed.

Like foam mattresses, air mattresses are very forgiving on pressure points such as your shoulders, elbows, knees, hips and head. This affords a more comfortable and restful sleep; both of which are key to health and recovery from illness or pain such as, you guessed it, back pain.

Last but not least, air mattress beds are at least on par with foam mattress beds in their ability to contour and support your back. This one feature is absolutely critical to good back health.

I hope these suggestions help you with your own back pain problems. Remember that your time in bed represents a surprisingly big part of your life. We spend about one third of our lives sleeping so it makes sense to buy the best quality mattress you can afford. Advertising claims of back pain relief should be taken with a grain of salt and with the knowledge that, what works for some won't necessarily work for others. Don't let the advertisers convince you. Figure it out for yourself.

And while we're at it, stop carrying your wallet in your back pocket, lift with your legs and stretch/warm-up before you exercise!

About the Author  ToxicDave 

Among other blogs and websites, David writes for www.airmattressbedsguide.com, a blog devoted to reviewing and discussing air mattress beds for camping, RVing, health, home and daily use.

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What's in Your Mattress

Some of the chemicals added to your conventional baby mattress are to reduce the chance of a fire? These chemicals are called fire retardants which only reduce the chance, not eliminate the possibility of your mattresses bursting into flames. 

These toxic industrial strength chemicals are added to met the minimum standards set by government agencies, yet there are no regulations as to the type of chemicals that can be used. The most common chemical fire retardants used are PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) and mainly pentaBDE. I decided if I could not pronounce the word I was not going to eat it, so why should I sleep on it! Due to the way the chemical is added to the mattress, PBDE particles leach out into the air and are inhaled by your baby and you. This exposure can cause thyroid and liver damage, change our motor behavior and other brain activity. This chemical, pentaBDE has been banned in Europe and some states in the US, however there are no plans for a recall of the mattresses with the banned chemical. It is being replaced by other chemicals which are no better. 

Are these chemicals harming our children and should you truly be concerned? I know that I am and it scares me! Life is hard enough without added hardships caused by toxic chemicals that we as parents are able to control the exposure to our children, so why don't we take charge? My reason was due to lack of knowledge and information, but now that I know, things are changing in my house. We as a family eat healthy, we raise our own meat, eggs, I buy organic products and in the summer I plant a big garden and put up the produce. After research and information that I found, my children are now sleeping on organic mattresses and we are slowly converting to organic clothing. I want to reduce our chances of having health problems that will affect the rest of our lives. Since babies are more vulnerable to chemicals than adults and your baby can accumulate up to 50% of her lifetime cancer risk by their second birthday, I am going to do everything I can to eliminate that chance. 

When you are purchasing a new bed or replacing an old baby mattress, the only mattress that you should use is an organic mattress. There are many options available to the parents, do you want one with coils in or with out coils? The mattress should contain organic wool as it is naturally fire resistant and resistant to mold, mildew and urine odors. Organic cotton can also be used; however it should be combined with the organic wool to have the most protection for your baby. True they are a bit more expensive than the conventional mattress where I found a cheap one for $35.00: however, my baby's life depends upon the choices I make for her, so I will do everything that I can to make the right choices to protect her and her health. The extra expense is worth her life. Join me in protecting our children's future.

About the Author: Audra Jensen
Audra Jensen is concerned about the health of her family and yours. For an organic life experience for your baby and you visit: www.dakotaroseorganics.com/page/12770196

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