Why Are There Different Types of Mattresses?

The whole concept of having different types of mattresses just seems kind of ridiculous, doesn’t it?

Look at us. We are, for the most part, the same. We have a spine. We have two arms and two legs. Any given body should react the same to a mattress. If that’s true, given our understanding of how the body works on a bio-mechanical level, we should be able to construct the ‘one true mattress.’

That makes sense on paper. The problem is that we don’t live on paper.

All people are just a little bit different. They all sleep a little bit differently. Some people sleep on their backs, others on their sides, a few even on their fronts. And the simple fact is that different mattresses do better at facilitating different kinds of sleep.

People who sleep on their backs, for instance, are relatively rare. Yet, they benefit from firmer mattresses. This is because it helps their spines to maintain proper alignment. These are people who could use something more minimal like a futon, which has little cushioning.

The same pattern applies to other people. What’s right for you is going to depend more on the type of sleep habits you have. That determines the optimal sleeping arrangement for you.

The Importance of Good Sleep

Most of the research that’s being published about sleeping is geared toward how little of it we need as a species to function. That is because we as a society are geared towards hard work and hard play. Sleep is for the lazy and the weak, who cannot find a way to cope with the harder realities of life.

The general consensus appears to be that we are to get by on six to seven hours of sleep per night. That clearly means we can get less than that and handle it just fine.

Doesn’t it?

Well, it turns out, that’s not really true.

Much of the research on sleep has centered around a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone. While most of its applications revolve around fight-or-flight situations and making sure you get out safe and sound and alive and all of that, it is also something that affects your sleep.

The hormone actually builds up in your body as you sleep. The gradual increase is part of the reason that you wake up after seven or eight hours, or more. The hormone is then used up throughout the day, keeping you awake and alert until you need to shut down and regenerate.

That’s a quality cycle.

What is generally advocated, however, is as little sleep as you can stand. That means that your cortisol levels never get the chance to hit their optimal rates for you. You crash and burn quicker, and the stress of it forces your body to produce more, so that instead of a long steady source of energy you get fits and starts.

If that’s acceptable to you, then so be it. But keep in mind, a quality night’s sleep means giving your body the time to do what it’s meant to.

When to Replace Your Mattress

Congratulations, you have a mattress. That’s great. Now you can have it to sleep on forever, without replacing it because these things are made to last and-

No. It doesn’t work that way.

Mattresses are a material thing. Like all material things, it breaks down. It won’t last forever, it can’t. The best you can do with a mattress is to spread out the damage over as long a period of time as you can, so as to minimize the break down that you’ll be dealing with.

Now, how you maintain these mattresses is going to differ from one to the next. A traditional spring mattress, for instance, is best maintained by flipping it over once every six months or so. This allows some of the springs to readjust, while others take on the burden of your body.

If you take the right care of your mattresses, it’s possible to see this thing last anywhere from five to seven years. It could be more than that and it could be less than that too. It’s going to depend an awful lot on things like how often it’s used, who’s using it, how much they weigh, things like that. If it’s regularly used, it’s going to come down to a matter of how well-maintained the mattress is.

The rule of thumb on this one is to use a mattress until it’s not comfortable for sleeping on anymore. When it’s not comfortable anymore, that’s when it’s time to switch it out.