Take the First Step Toward... BETTER SLEEP. BETTER HEALTH. Take the BETTER YOU. First Step Toward... Mattress Buying Guide a publication of Handcrafting high quality, all-natural fabric mattresses, the one at a time, since 1929. MATTRESS COMPANY TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION You will spend one-third of your life in bed. So it’s important to choose your mattress wisely. Most of us don’t put enough Introduction 3 thought into choosing the right mattress, especially | considering how much time we spend using it. The Importance of Quality Sleep 4-6 Understanding Your Sleep Needs 7-9 Did you know that the mattress you sleep on has a significant impact on the quality of sleep you get at night Tips for Better Sleep 10-11 and, consequently, how you feel throughout the day? Selecting the Right Pillow 12-15 In this ebook, we’ll walk you through the process of choosing the right mattress for your sleep style, as well as what to look Mattress Basics 16-35 for in a mattress store. We’ll also take a look at the factors that Mattress Types 17-27 affect your quality of sleep and why it’s important to get good Comfort Levels 28-30 sleep in the first place. Mattress Sizes 31-32 Foundations & Frames 33-35 What Makes a Mattress Green? 36-38 The Importance of Accessories 39-40 What to Look For In A Mattress Store 41-43 Key Takeaways 44-45 Sleep Needs Assessment 46-47 About the Publisher 48-50 THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY SLEEP Everyone knows that sleep is important. But do you know WHY sleep matters? Sleep plays a critical role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Scientists have discovered that sleep plays a vital role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions. Getting enough good quality sleep can help protect your mental health, physical health, and quality of life. How you feel, and how well you function during the day is di- THE IMPORTANCE rectly related to the amount and quality of sleep you get at OF QUALITY SLEEP night. Getting restful sleep increases your attention span during the day, helps you make better decisions, and enhances your learning ability and problem-solving skills. It also has a pro- found positive effect on your mood, impulse control, and social interactions. Most people don’t get enough sleep. However, lack of sleep - more specifically, lack of quality sleep - can have severe conse- quences. Studies show that sleep deprived people have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling emotions and behavior, and coping with change. Bottom line, people who don’t get enough sleep are less productive at work (or school), take longer to finish tasks, have a slower reaction time, and make more mistakes. PAGE #4 THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY SLEEP Immediate effects of lack of sleep include: Poor judgement Irritable mood Difficulty learning and retaining information Increased risk of serious accidents and injury Chronic sleep deprivation, or not Dangers of getting good quality sleep over a Sleep Deprivation sustained length of time, can contribute to serious health According to the National Highway Traffic Safety problems, including obesity, diabetes, UNDERSTANDING YOUR Administration, drowsy heart disease, kidney disease, high driving causes more than SLEEP NEEDS blood pressure, and even early death. 100,000 crashes, 71,000 injuries, and over 1,500 Sleep deprivation has also been linked deaths in the U.S./ yr. to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior. PAGE #6 PAGE #7 UNDERSTANDING YOUR SLEEP NEEDS UNDERSTANDING YOUR SLEEP NEEDS Did you know that, according to The Better When it comes to getting the right amount Sleep Council, nearly 50% of Americans are of quality sleep at night, there are three sleep deprived? factors you need to consider: HOW YOU SLEEP WHERE YOU SLEEP HEALTH FACTORS THAT For optimal health, most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per AFFECT SLEEP night. Moreover, recent research by Sleep to Live shows that • Your sleep position will • Your sleep environment influence what type of contributes greatly to Many different health simply “getting more sleep” will not suffice. You need to have mattress and pillow is your sleep quality. factors can affect the good quality, restorative sleep for optimal health and quality of best for you. • Is your mattress comfort- quality of your sleep. life. • Do you sleep on your able and supportive? For example, sleep apnea, side, your back, or your • If you sleep with a stomach? shift-work disorder, aller- In order to get that good restorative sleep, you must first partner, is your bed big gies, asthma, stress, anxiety, • Finding the right enough to provide you understand your physical and environmental needs. While your mattress for your sleep circulatory problems, aches, both room to move and and pains. own individual sleep needs will be unique to you, there are type will help tremen- stretch comfortably? dously in improving some general principles that apply to most everyone. • Is there clutter or other your quality of sleep. Moreover, distractions, like a pile of • Other sleep factors to unfinished work, in your poor sleep can consider are your bedroom that might be exacerbate these typical sleep and wake keeping you awake? conditions. times, when and how • Is your bedroom often you exercise, your environment conducive bedtime routine, the to good sleep? number of times you awake at night, how • It’s best to keep your bedroom clutter-free, The National you feel upon waking, Institutes of Health and your partner’s sleep and cool, dark, and habits. quiet at night. suggests that school- • All of these factors can • And keep electronic influence not only how devices, like TVs, com- age children need at much sleep you get at puters, and cell phones, least 10 hours of sleep night but also the out of the bedroom. The daily, teens need quality of that sleep. light they emit can 9-10 hours, and adults disrupt normal sleep need 7-8 hours. patterns. TOP TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP • Make sure your bed is comfortable and that you have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably without bumping into your sleeping partner. • Find the right mattress for your sleep style. If you have an innerspring mattress, make sure you replace it every 7–10 years. • Create an ideal sleep environment. Your bedroom should be cool, dark, and quiet. • If you can’t eliminate nighttime noise (like city traffic or barking dogs), try masking it with ambient noise, such as a sound machine or fan. • Keep a regular sleep schedule – go to bed at the same time each TOP TIPS FOR night, and wake up at the same time each morning. • Invest in a comfortable, supportive pillow. BETTER SLEEP • Keep televisions, computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices out of the bedroom. The light they emit can disrupt normal sleep patterns. • Exercise. Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. Just don’t exercise too late in the day, which may make you too energized to fall asleep at bedtime. • Avoid eating big meals, drinking too many liquids, and consuming alcohol within a few hours of bedtime. • Try to cut back on caffeine consumption throughout the day. • Get a bed with superb motion isolation, or an adjustable bed, if you and your partner have different sleep schedules and inadvertently wake each other up. • Engage in a relaxing bedtime routine, like reading a book or listening to calming music. • See a doctor if you’ve tried all the tips above and are still having trouble sleeping. You may have an undiagnosed sleep condition, like sleep apnea. PAGE #10 SELECTING THE RIGHT PILLOW Once you’ve assessed your sleep needs, it’s time to start shop- ping. And it may come as a surprise, but you should start by selecting the perfect pillow. If your head is not properly supported first, it will be difficult to tell if your body’s properly supported during your mattress rest tests • Your ideal pillow should let your head rest so that it’s aligned with your shoulders, hips and heels. That means your body and head should form a straight line. SELECTING THE • If your head tilts back (or to one side when side sleeping), your RIGHT PILLOW pillow is too thin and might cause stiffness in your shoulders. • If your head tilts upward to disrupt a straight line, your pillow is too full or thick. This can reduce the size of your airway and result in snoring. With so many shapes, sizes and types of pillows, how can you narrow your choices before you rest test them? PAGE #12 SELECTING THE RIGHT PILLOW SELECTING THE RIGHT PILLOW First, the right pillow for you depends on your sleep position(s). Other types of pillows that solve specific needs include: • BACK SLEEPERS: Try thinner pillows or pillows with more volume in the bottom-third to cradle your neck • Cervical pillows • SIDE SLEEPERS: Look for a firmer pillow that fills in the space • Oxygen-promoting pillows between your ear and shoulder • Anti-snoring pillows • STOMACH SLEEPERS: Opt for a very thin pillow to keep your • Positional pillows back from arching, or maybe even sleep without one. • Water pillows • And cool pillows, which claim to solve specific needs (however, they’re so new that PILLOW TYPES little feedback or evidence has been gathered to support the claims.) You’ll find even more pillow types than mattress types. You can find more comprehensive pillow reviews online. • TRADITIONAL: Filled with polyester, down, down alterna- But ultimately, you have to choose a pillow type that gives you tives, or feathers.