New Chiropractic Patients
It seems that choosing a new mattress can actually give you sleepless nights: there is almost too much choice in materials, claimed benefits, construction,size and so on, to make a good choice.
It can get confusing knowing just for what to look for. We’ll explore some of the main types and benefits they provide. Before looking too far into this, it’s important to understand two things: A healthy, well functioning body can find comfort in most places. If there are underlying issues, it is more likely the body will struggle in finding a comfortable position. Also… everyone has their own personal preference!
There are different archetypes of the body, which can be described as earth, wind, fire and air. An earth type is typically very well grounded, tend to have thicker joints and are well suited to strength based activities. Imagine a front row rugby player… they are most likely this type! Earth types tend to like firmer matresses. Have you ever seen those people who just seem to float when they walk? You can hardly hear their footsteps. They would be described as wind types, and they tend to react very well to soft-medium mattresses. A fire type would typically be an athlete with a speed preference. Their muscular tone is ready to go… and they probably love a coffee. Once again as the body is slightly engaged, they respond well to a firmer mattress. A water type is someone who is super flexible. They seem to be able to just attempt moves, say at their first yoga class and just naturally fold into place. They tend to suit a soft-medium mattress.
So, choosing a mattress….. a pocket sprung mattress is a great choice to start. This is where the springs are held in individual pockets and move independently with you as you sleep. It’s great as there isn’t a global distortion (when one whole part is depressed) which is super important if you’re sharing the bed with someone (so you don’t end up – unintentionally! – rolling together). Typically, the more of these springs the mattress has… the better. We’d say look at 750+ for a double. A mattress with just springs (not secured into separate pockets) is not likely to offer the same level of support. Check out the various mattress sizes, to fully fit and be supported by the bed base. Do try out the firmness of a mattress before you buy as they can range from super soft to super firm!
Consider a mattress topper too. These don’t need to be attached to the mattress, and they’re probably better by being separate. If the topper is attached, you can’t flip the mattress to refresh, you can only rotate it. Instead of 4 refresh positions, you only have 2, meaning it will wear out twice as fast. Not ideal if you’ve just spent a fortune on a mattress. We’d say look out for a synthetic foam, for example, memory foam. Natural fibres settle over time, or deform, and can mean you end up laying poorly supported or even at strange angles.
Finally, if you are sharing a bed, it might be worth considering two single mattresses side by side. It’s very rare that two people find the same mattress super comfortable. It’s not worth sacrificing sleep, when you could just get two mattresses – possibly in different support grades – to suit both of you perfectly!
Heal > Adapt > Evolve
