Do you spend each night tossing and turning because you can’t get comfortable? Your bed could be to blame.
There’s no secret formula to achieving the perfect comfortable bed. We all have our own sleep preferences which can depend on our size, our health, our natural sleeping position and our sensitivity to heat/the cold. These factors can all have an impact on the best type of bed and the best type of bedding to use.
Below are just a few things to consider that could be causing you to have an uncomfortable night’s sleep.
Your bed itself
Does your bed creak loudly whenever you move? Do your feet stick out the end because you’re too tall (or can you not straighten your legs because of a footboard)?
These are factors that could be affecting your sleep. If you’ve got a creaky bed, it could be time to buy a newer one or to get to the source of the creaking (are screws coming loose?). If you’re very tall, you may have an issue finding a bed and mattress suited to your height, however such large beds and mattresses do exist. Footboards can prevent foot drop but may be an inconvenience to some sleepers.
Your mattress
The right type of mattress can depend a lot on your sleeping position. If you’ve got health problems such as joint issues, this could also be a factor to consider.
Soft mattresses tend to best suited to side sleepers (the most common sleeping position). They can offer ample support for the hip and shoulder, reducing pressure on the spine. There are all kinds of soft mattresses on the market – the most common modern option being memory foam mattresses. To get the best idea of a mattress’s softness, you may want to visit your local mattress store.
Firm mattresses are better suited for back sleepers and stomach sleepers – soft mattresses may cause discomfort and spinal pain in both cases. If you’ve got back pain, a specialist orthopaedic firm mattress may be recommended. As with soft mattresses, the best way to test out firmness is to try a few mattresses at your local mattress store.
Hybrid mattresses exist which can offer both a soft layer and firm support at the same time. These can offer a good middle ground between the two and may be best suited to couples with different sleeping preferences.
Your bed sheets
Do you get sweaty in the night? Do you get itchy as a result of dust mites?
These are questions to consider when choosing bed sheets based on comfort. If you often get sweaty, it could be because you’re using materials that aren’t breathable – cotton and bamboo are some of the best bed sheet materials for preventing night sweats. If you suffer from dust mite allergies, a hypoallergenic option such as silk might be a good option to reduce dust mites (a hypoallergenic mattress may also be able to prevent this).
Your duvet
Some people need to sleep with a thick duvet, while others can find such duvets overly suffocating. If you’re prone to getting cold, a thicker duvet with a higher tog rating might be recommended. Those that get easily hot may prefer a lower tog rating. This guide to tog ratings offers more information.
Hypoallergenic duvets may also be necessary if you’re allergic to dust mites or certain fillings like feathers.
Your pillows
Do you wake up with an achy neck? Are you constantly turning your pillow over at night in order to find the cold side?
Most people sleep with not enough or too many pillows. How many pillows you should use may depend on your preferred sleeping position. Front sleepers tend to only need a small thin pillow, while back sleepers may benefit from a single plump pillow. Side sleepers are able to get away with more pillows, but generally anything more than two pillows is excessive.
There are pillows on the market that are designed to stay cool throughout the night as detailed here at Womens Health Mag. These could be ideal if your cheeks are constantly feeling hot.
As with other bedding, hypoallergenic options can be found for those with allergies to dust mites of feathers.
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