A good night’s sleep is critical to maintain one’s best health and well-being. And as sure as spring turns to summer, May brings with it Memorial Day and mattress sales.
According to Business Insider, May is the best month to buy a mattress and other bedding accessories.
But with all the mattress ads vying for your hard earned dollar, how do you know which one will provide you with the comfort, rest and longevity you want and need to optimize your overall wellness?
Sleeptrain.com offers a mattress quiz to help determine the right choice for your needs and sleeping style.” For instance, the quiz asks what position you prefer to sleeping in?
According to the site, side and/or back & side and back sleepers tend to want a softer sleeping surface. This allows for their shoulders and hips to receive extra cushioning and will help avoid painful pressure points in those areas.
While stomach sleepers often desire a slightly firmer sleeping surface so that they can keep their spine in proper alignment and prevent their back from bowing in too much.
The Better Sleep Council (http://bettersleep.org/) offers a Mattress Buying Guide that breaks the process down nicely:
- Determine your budget and needs.
- Do your homework before you begin shopping choosing the mattress size and type that will suit your individual needs.
- Choose the right type of store and start with a store you trust.
- Work with knowledgeable salespeople who can guide you through your bedding choices. Ask questions and look for detailed explanations when needed.
- Test-drive your new mattress following the S.L.E.E.P. test. Remove your shoes and lie down on several different models in various positions.
- During your test drive, be sure to spend extra time in the position you usually sleep in. It can take up to 15 minutes to relax enough to feel the true support of a mattress, so don’t rush it. The more time you take in a store, the less likely you’ll have buyer’s remorse.
Armed with the right information, you can maximize the benefits of owning the perfect mattress—and you can sleep on that!