It is important to choose a mattress that is produced with comfortable material, made with the right technology and for your needs. The wrong mattress could leave you sleep deprived, directly affecting your health and productivity, says Anil Gupta
Sleep is the most crucial part of the day. Many factors play an important role in making you sleep better. Humans have an ‘internal body clock’ that controls when you are awake and when you are ready to sleep. This clock typically has a 24-hour repeating rhythm. For every hour that you are a awake, the need to sleep builds. This drive reaches a peak in the late evening when you feel exhausted and want to sleep. The second process involves an internal body process. This clock is in sync with other external factors, such as light, darkness and other environmental cues that determine when you feel awake and when you feel drowsy. To elaborate, light signals received through eyes tell your brain that it is daytime. This area of your brain signals your body with periods of day and night. Your body releases chemicals in a rhythm, which your body clock controls.
This can be disturbed with a change in lifestyle or external cues. One should be careful about environmental factors such as lights, temperature, noises, etc. Humans spend about a third of their lives sleeping. It is incredibly important for us to sleep properly in order to function smoothly. Peaceful sleep is extremely necessary for healthy minds. The Journal of Neuroscience found that 24 hours of sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations and Schizophrenia-like symptoms in humans. It is imperative to understand what helps people sleep peacefully and properly. A right mattress and pillow play an important role with respect to the quality of sleep you receive.
The market is loaded with various types of mattresses like memory foam, spring, coir, cotton, latex etc. Buying a mattress can be stressful because they play a vital role in getting a decent sleep, but since they are purchased once a decade, we don’t really think much about them. As a result, once we do need a new mattress, we are overwhelmed with a plethora of choices and decisions, none of which we are an expert on. Once the right mattress is bought, we can continue living our lives, with hopes of better sleep for the next 8-12 years. On the other hand, a bad mattress can leave you dissatisfied and may increase the stress levels and cause further health problems.
Let’s break down the different kinds of mattresses and the materials they are made of. Memory foam is soft and enveloping that makes your body sink into the mattress. This means that once you are settled, it is hard to move. This is not a good option for people who prefer a little bit of freedom at night. A big drawback of memory foam mattresses is that it retains body heat, due to its closed cellular structure. So all the sweat and heat have no escape; this can especially effect those of us sleeping in warmer climates. Sleeping hot can be uncomfortable as it is associated with disturbed sleep. Also, the mattresses could have a bad odour, which can cause headaches.
Spring mattresses push back against the body with the same force as the weight is applying to the mattress. It lacks the proper support because the body weight does not push down evenly, meaning areas that carry more weight will push down into the mattress more than others. This results in uneven support which does not release the pressure points. These pressure points lead to poor blood circulation, tossing and turning, aches and pain in the joints. Spring mattress loses about 16 per cent of the support in the first year alone and also do not provide proper back support. The spring mattress makes a firm surface that does not contour around the body and does not give us enough rest. Additionally, the fluffy polyester top and the empty space between the springs creates a perfect home for dust, mite, and molds. Spring mattresses are a good choice only for the most price conscious of us.
Coir mattresses are obtained by processing coconut fiber. They do not provide high resilience as coir does not have the ability to conform to the body. It is highly firm compared to any other mattress. The material has the tendency to sag easily, which results in short lifespan of the mattress. Since the natural material is used in the mattress, extra care needs to be taken. Once a mattress is wet in any way, it results in permanent damage to the mattress. Additionally, the mattress does not conform around the body to provide rest to the muscles and keep the spine aligned as people lie down on it. The mattress has low ventilation as the moisture gets absorbed in the mattress and the less spacing available in the mattress does not let the air pass out. The increased humidity level inside the mattress results in dust, mite, and mold. The mattress has low resilience ie it makes it really hard to toss and turn it around.
Talalay latex, on the other hand, is made with the natural material ie sap of the rubber tree. It contours around the body by taking the shape of the natural curve, all the while allowing freedom of movement while we sleep. This helps the body relax and rest properly. Talalay latex has an open cellular structure that increases the ventilation and breathability in the mattress. This porous structure of the mattress is essential for its hygienic characteristics. The lower the moisture, the less suitable the environment is for bacteria and dust mites. Additionally, the mattress is recognised for its pressure-relieving quality. It contours around the body by distributing the weight evenly and contouring itself to your body, resulting in a healthy and comfortable sleep that allows your spine to be straight.
Talalay latex has no motion transfer, meaning it absorbs the motion and does not let it travel to the other side of the mattress. So if you like to move about in your sleep, you will not disturb your partner. The climate regulating properties make it ideal for any sleeping environment. You sleep warm in the winters and cool in the summers. Talalay latex is recognised as one of the most efficient technologies that aid good sleep. It is used in the mattress to provide a delightful soft feel while relieving and supporting the entire body. It ensures maximum breathability and optimum support due to its open cellular structure.
To identify a good mattress, one should look into whether the mattress is supporting the body properly and evenly. A hallmark of healthy sleep is if your spine remains straight, no matter the position you sleep in. Sleeping on a less than ideal mattress can cause more harm than good, since it can wreak havoc on your posture. It is important to have a pressure relieving mattress that is supportive and comfortable. While buying a mattress, make sure that it has low hysteresis; it should allow you to move freely at night without lowering down the blood circulation level. Additionally, the mattress should have high resilience, that means the mattress will always spring back to its original shape. It stops the mattress from aging before time.
The material used in the mattress and pillows should have climate control. This ensures that the sleeping surface remains warm in the winters and cool in the summers. The mattress and pillows should be Oeko Tex Certified, meaning they are safe for sensitive skin. It is important to use orthopedic mattresses and pillows because it is a long-term investment and we should not risk our back, shoulders, and postures. Hence, it is imperative to do our research about the orthopedic mattresses and not fall for any marketing gimmicks promised by many companies.
Usually, mattresses are made in bulk and sold to the customers. However, each body is different and so are our sleeping positions. It is recommended to get a mattress customised as per your weight and height. There are companies that sell mattresses as per the requirements, so look up online to check if you can arrange a call back from a mattress company. It is incredibly important to choose a mattress that is produced with comfortable material, made with the right technology and for your needs. The wrong mattress could leave you sleep deprived. It directly affects your physical appearance and activities. Sleep deficiency can cause dark circles, may make you age faster and dull your glow. Similarly, it will make you feel exhausted, tired and hamper your productivity at work or home. So make sure you inform yourself and get a mattress that is exactly right for you, ensuring healthy sleep and a better life.
The writer is Chairman, Thomsen Germany
