New year, new sleep routine? We’ve certainly heard of worse New Year’s resolutions, that’s for sure. And as we now enter the final month of 2024, don’t you think it’s time you should start making some that will actually count?
But just how do you achieve a better night of rest efficiently and economically? It all starts, unsurprisingly, with your bed.
Your bed is the centrepiece of your bedroom, and determines the quality of your work, rest and play, both directly and indirectly. It makes sense, then, to adorn it with a quality mattress.
As well as enhancing the look and feel of your bedroom, having a quality mattress will improve your sleep and help you rest more comfortably.
When shopping for a new mattress, you’ll want to consider your body type, preferred sleep position, and bedroom size at the forefront of thinking when buying a new mattress, whilst also considering the suitability of the material, whether it’s made from memory foam, latex, or an organic material.
Your budget is another crucial factor to consider. The price of a mattress varies hugely; you can find a decent quality mattress for as little as £250 or a luxurious one for upwards of £5000. Alternatively, you can design a customised mattress the suit your own unique needs. Decisions, decisions, indeed. You might want to sleep on it…
Anyway, let’s explore further on how to choose the right mattress for your bedroom.
The Lifetime Of A Mattress
The best age-proof mattress could last up to 25 years, and that longevity represents a worthwhile investment, both in your home and your sleep.
The average mattress lifetime today is around eight years. If you’ve used yours for longer than that, it’s time to upgrade, as it has likely absorbed a fair amount of sweat and may have begun to degrade in quality, sagging and no longer offering the support needed for a good night’s sleep.
According to scientific studies, a new mattress can even help you breathe better, lessen the risk of allergic reactions, alleviate back pain, promote better air circulation, be easier to clean, and, of course, help you sleep more soundly.
Read: How to sleep if you’re a stomach sleeper
The Geometry Of A Mattress
Whether you’re in the UK, the US or Canada, mattresses have standard sizes. It’ll be relatively easy to buy a mattress that fits your bed frame as long as you follow these standard sizes, though you may need to measure your bed to fit your bedroom’s design. An oversized mattress may drive you to distraction and look incongruous, whilst a small one could cause discomfort.
The standard mattress sizes and dimensions for your consideration are:
- Small single: 75cm x 190cm
- Single: 90cm x 190cm
- Small double: 120cm x 190cm
- Double: 135cm x 190cm
- Kingsize: 150cm x 200cm
- Super kingsize: 180cm x 200cm
- Emperor: 200cm x 200cm
These standardised dimensions ensure you can find the perfect fit for any space or sleeping arrangement. Compact options like singles and doubles are ideal for smaller rooms or guest spaces, while the increasingly popular king and super king sizes offer generous space for couples. Emperor beds and other larger sizes are available for those seeking maximum sleeping area, but the most important factor is finding the right balance between your room’s dimensions, your lifestyle needs, and your comfort preferences.
Many people find that mid-range sizes offer the sweet spot between spaciousness and practicality, while still leaving enough room for bedside furniture and easy movement around the bedroom.
Mattress Firmness
Firmness can be measured, too. As a rule of thumb, heavier people prefer firmer mattresses because they provide better support, whereas lighter people opt for softer or medium mattresses. But that is a very general rule. You should also consider personal preference and your natural sleeping position, of course.
Mattress firmness is graded on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being extra soft, 10 being extra firm and 6 (medium firm) generally considered the norm.
Of course, there are more esoteric concerns when considering the size, shape and placement of your mattress. The ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui can help inform these decisions.
Read: 8 ways to feng shui your bedroom
Avoid The Laundry Headache
So far, so simple. But let’s be honest here; cleaning your mattress is another story entirely. If you have a washable one, it may take you an entire day to clean it. Instead, save your time by using a mattress topper and other accessories. That way, you can clean the outer layers and protect the mattress itself.
They also prevent the ruinous effect of spills, stains, sweat and the rest. Instead, you could peel the outer layers and throw them in the washing machine to save time. Let’s face it; nobody has time to clean a mattress and hang it out to dry, and washing it may actually do more damage than good.
No matter how you slice it, cleaning a mattress isn’t as easy as it sounds. So, choose easy-to-clean mattress accessories to save yourself from a housekeeping nightmare.
Sleep Better & Save The Earth
The last factor in choosing a mattress for your bedroom is mattress recycling. Yep, we’ve all seen mattresses chucked somewhere by the side of the road, often soiled and always unsightly.
Instead, it’s a conscious decision to choose a recycle-friendly mattress because sooner or later, you’ll need to replace it. Think ahead because discarded mattresses are a growing environmental concern, and check out our guide on eco-friendly mattresses here.
We hope you sleep soundly tonight!