So, in my blog ´The sleep environment pt 1: the bed base´, I shared with you my brandnew knowledge gained on bed frames. For further explanation I refer to that blog, e.g. if you want to know why I decided to include ´electrosmog´ as a criterium.
Today I will add to it some information on how to choose the best mattresses and pillows. The mattress is one of the more important aspects to make a good bedroom. If you wake up with a back ache (like me, on nearly every mattress) the first thing that will probably come to mind is this back ache and not your last dream. Following is an overview of the different types of mattresses. It may be boring for anyone not currently in need of an improved night rest, but I promise one of my next blogs will be more directly lucid-related. And besides, it will be useful when at some point you do want to buy the right mattress. So there you go. (again, by the way, my apologies for the fact that I do not have any clue how to create a decent layout)
Mattresses
Polyurethane mattress - cheap on two levels (price...and comfort) Support At least it gets better with a higher SG indication, but you still get the ´holes´ Ventilation It has a closed structure so it will not absorb moisture well and feel warm Durability 3-5 years Price Yeaj!! Electrosmog Haven´t found anything about this
Sprung mattress- Coil springs packed together Support Good, depending on the amount of springs. The more the softer. Don´t put it on a slats bed base:
between the lats it will not give support. Ventilation Keeps cool and gives you a fresh amount of air with every movement Durability 10-15 years Price Doesn´t have to be expensive, can be if you want 7 zones with many coils Electrosmog You will come out of bed loaded with electricity
Latex - Rubber mattress Support Reasonably high especially with Talalaylatex Ventilation When open cell structure such as with Talalaylatex it ventilates very well, otherwise not at all Durability Naturelatex 5-7 years, Talalay open cell structure latex 10 years Price Not that bad Electrosmog Nope
Cold Foam mattress - High resilience next to best Support Great, especially if you go HR50 or up Ventilation Great Durability Great (15-20 years) Price Less great Electrosmog No
NASA/Tempur/memory foam mattress - La crème de la crème designed for ill people and astronauts Support +++++, it forms to the warmth of your body and it does not form a ´hole´ Ventilation When it is good memory foam with an open cell structure, the ventilation is very good Durability 15 years Price Thumbs down Electrosmog No
Some remarks: The only accredited form of memory foam is called Tempur invented by NASA. Many companies make memory foam but place more cold foam in it instead with only a thin layer of memory foam that hardly responds to temperature or way too much. You´d neither want a memory foam mattress with a higher density than 50 kg m3 because it otherwise gets too warm and offers less ventilation. And finally it seems to me that google does not make much of a difference between cold foam and memory foam in English. There are not many websites that mention ´cold foam´ and I really don´t know why that is.
Air mattress - Sleeping on air Support It is like lying on air and sometimes you can decide yourself on how much air you want to lie down Ventilation Big plus, very hygienic and anti allergic Durability 10-12 years Price Big no no Electrosmog When having to adjust the amount of air electrically there will be radiation
Waterbed - Would that make you walk on water in your dreams? Support You can tune it to the right support yourself as well as temperature and movement. However,
some people find it hard to turn around. Ventilation The sweat and the germs don´t get into your bed, but where then do they go? Durability Durable until it starts leaking... Price Ahem... Electrosmog I don´t know actually but I suppose there has to be some since it goes on electricity.
As for waterbeds, there is really much more to say. There are many things you want to take into account when considering one, like depth, stabilisation, heating, etcetera.
For boxsprings, check out my last blog on bedframes.
Summary Cheapest: Polyurethane. Best: Tempur Good and somewhat affordable: cold foam
Some other suggestions on mattresses
A mattress should be at least 18 cm thick and preferably between 20-22 cm.
If you want a two persons bed think about whether you prefer a two persons mattress or two one persons mattresses. With a two persons mattress you will sooner get a ´hole´ if you sleep together (depending on the type of mattress) but there will be no nasty line in between the matresses. If you find the nasty line in between nasty, you can buy a ´love bridge´ to put in between or a mattress pad to place on top of the mattresses. You can also put a mattress pad on your mattress to add in comfort and softness if your base mattress is too firm.
Finally try to find a dealer that offers you the possibility to test the mattress. Some have test matress showrooms where you can sleep overnight. Some stores allow you to test sleep on a mattress for 14 days, though it is said you need 21 days to get used to a new mattress. Even though everybody thinks my cold foammattress is amazing, I still wake up with a pain in my back. So unfortunately, nobody can tell you which mattress is best for you and the fact that everybody loves a certain mattress will not guarantee you that you will love it too. Take your time before you pay the price. Mattresses aren´t cheap and when you buy a good one, you can sleep on it for about 15 years.
Pillows
Pillows add to both support and comfort. They keep the head, neck and shoulders in allignment, so hopefully, you will wake up the next morning without a neck ache.
Down and feather pillows
Both goose and duck down are suitable for bed pillows. However, strong goose down is the best. It offers more resistance and less is needed of it to make a good pillow. Goose down is soft and for people who like to sink into their pillows. Goose or duck feathers are less expensive and firmer than goose or duck down. You´ll have to check the amount of down or feathers in it (500 grams should be right) but I´d sooner take one with more than less since you can then remove some of them when necessary.
Latex and kapok pillows
They stay in shape, are resilient but too hard and flat for some people. The moisture regulation is not that great.
Kapok does have a good moisture regulation but you can´t put it into the washing machine.
Both start to fluff soon so you´d want a good pillow-slip.
Polyester stuffed/holle vezel pillows
I was not sure on the translation for ´holle vezel´ but google gives me the impression it has to do with polyester fillings. Anyway, it is a synthetic stuffing for the pillow.
Cheap, looks like down and is reasonably firm. Holle vezels/polyester stuffing (?) treated with silicones are smoother and clot less easily. Pillows with polyester pellets are somewhat more durable.
NASA/Tempur/memory foam pillows
There are matresses of the same material. It sinks in based on your weight and body temperature and because of this gives the right support for your posture. You have to try it before you buy it; some people do not like the feel of it.
Customized pillows
Some firms offer the option of sending them your measures of neck, head and shoulders or/and sleep posture and based on those data they fabricate a customized pillow. This can be done for as little as 60 dollars. This may not seem cheap, but there are NASA and goose down pillows for 200 dollars and those are not customized.
So, that was my overview on mattresses and pillows for now. In my next blog on the sleep environment I will tell you more about sheets, quilts and anything else I can think of more or less directly related to the bed! Any experiences on these mattresses and pillows I would like to hear through you placing a comment on this blog.
Good blog, again!
The pillow part was a bit confusing, though. The facts weren't presented as simple lists, but rather as a story, which can obscure them.
