The Ultimate Mattress & Pillow Buying Guide

25 March 2022 James Brooke

TEMPUR® sleep specialist, Thomas Høegh Reisenhus, shares his ultimate guide to choosing a mattress and pillows to support a good night’s sleep.

Thomas Høegh Reisenhus, TEMPUR® sleep specialist and sleep counsellor, shares his definitive guide to buying a new mattress and pillows to help you get great quality sleep, night after night.

Thomas says, “The average person spends around 26 years – or a third of their life – sleeping, yet many aren’t aware of the need to invest sufficient time and money into finding the right quality sleep products for their specific needs.

“Investing in the right sleep products isn’t just the difference between a good night’s sleep and feeling a little groggy the next day, it’s the difference between enjoying good overall mental and physical health and potentially struggling with health and performance challenges in the longer term. In fact, the UK loses some 200,000 working days a year due to poor sleep, with tired employees being less productive and more likely to be absent from work(1).

“When choosing a new mattress or pillow, one of the most crucial things to consider is sleep ergonomics – your posture and position during sleep – and the key to finding the right product? Trying in-store before you buy.

“It’s important to invest in the best quality mattress and pillows you can afford, as, far from being a luxury, they really do play such a huge part in fostering wellbeing in all areas of life.”

Read on for Thomas’ ultimate guide to buying a new mattress and pillow…

Try before you buy…

First thing’s first; it’s always best to visit a store and try out different mattresses before you buy.

The abundance of different mattress types and firmness levels can be overwhelming, so it’s vital to dedicate time to trying out lots of different mattresses. Everyone’s body is different, meaning different levels of comfort and support suit different people.

If an in-store visit isn’t possible, however, most stores offer virtual appointments, where trained experts can advise you on the best mattress for your needs.

Invest in quality products…

With the average person spending around eight hours a night sleeping on these products, it’s vital to invest in the best quality products you can afford.

Keeping your mattress clean will help prolong its lifespan. A mattress should be cleaned every six months – simply strip the bed, vacuum the surface of the mattress to remove dust and dead skin before spot-cleaning any spills or stains with a stain remover or a damp (not wet) cloth or sponge, in line with care label instructions. Many mattresses now come with a removable cover that can be cleaned separately.

Consider sleep ergonomics…

Your mattress should adapt to you, distribute your weight evenly, keep your spine straight, and absorb pressure to aid comfort and relieve pain. A mattress that is too soft will cause your back or hips to slouch and your spine to fall out of alignment, whist a mattress that is too firm will put too much pressure on your joints, potentially causing discomfort or pain.

Size matters…

When it comes to your mattress, size really does matter as there’s nothing worse than realising upon delivery that your chosen mattress doesn’t fit on your bedframe. Always make sure to double check the size of your bedframe – it’s worth taking a note of the exact measurements just in case it’s a European size.

And where possible, invest in the largest mattress and bedframe you can afford to allow plenty of space to move around and find the sleep position that’s most comfortable for you. Even more important if you often find yourself sharing your bed with kids or pets.

Consider switching up your sleep position…

To ensure adequate support it’s important that there is minimal ‘gapping’ between you and your mattress which is why sleeping on your side is recommended. Side sleeping allows for neutral spinal alignment and ensures optimal flow of spinal fluid during the night, which helps optimise recovery and ‘brain wash’ – essentially the brain ridding itself of metabolic waste.

If you’re a lifelong back or stomach sleeper it can be hard to switch positions, however sleep position preference is often due to sleeping on the wrong mattress. Investing in a quality mattress can help you to enjoy side sleeping whilst providing adequate support and relieving pressure.

Don’t forget about your pillow…

Many people don’t realise that the pillow you sleep on is just as important as your mattress to ensure correct spinal alignment.

Ideally, when sleeping, you want a neutral spine-neck alignment, as opposed to perfectly straight. An ergonomic pillow that actively moulds and adapts to your head, neck and shoulders and that minimises gapping is ideal.

Trial and error…

Whilst it’s important to test out any sleep products in-store, there’s never any guarantee that you’ve selected the best item for you, so make sure to purchase a mattress from a brand that offers a decent trial period.

TEMPUR® for example, offers a 100-night mattress trial which allows customers plenty of time to adapt to sleeping on their new mattress and consider whether it really is right for them, or if they need to exchange it for something softer or firmer.

Sleep products have a shelf life…

As mattresses and pillows age, everyday wear and tear can cause the material to break down, meaning that it will no longer offer you the same support, so if it’s been eight to ten years since you bought your mattress or if you’ve had your pillow longer than three years, it’s time to invest in new products.

And remember that not all products are created equal…

TEMPUR® Material is the original pressure relieving mattress product and the precursor to all memory foams. Made up of viscoelastic – billions of ultra-sensitive open cells that exist between a solid and a liquid state – TEMPUR® products provide the ultimate comfort and support, helping you to get a great night’s sleep night after night.

Taking the time to select the right mattress and pillows for you, will allow you to enjoy restful sleep and wake feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.

For more information on TEMPUR®, visit www.tempur.co.uk

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

(1) https://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/the-value-of-the-sleep-economy.html
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About TEMPUR®
TEMPUR® researches, develops, manufactures and distributes mattresses, pillows and other sleep products to improve the sleep experience worldwide.

TEMPUR® Material is the original pressure relieving mattress product made up of viscoelastic – billions of ultra-sensitive open cells that exist between a solid and a liquid state – TEMPUR® products provide the ultimate comfort and support, helping you to get a great night’s sleep night after night.

Born from NASA technology, TEMPUR® Material was originally developed in the early 1960’s, to cushion pilots against the rigors of test flight. TEMPUR® scientists realised the enormous potential of this material and began experiments in the early 1980’s to perfect it for sleep. After millions of pounds in research, the technology was perfected into the TEMPUR® Material we know today. As a result, TEMPUR® was the only mattress and pillow brand recognised by NASA and certified by the Space Foundation in May 1988.

Each TEMPUR® product undergoes sixty-seven different quality checks, ensuring superior quality and durability.

TEMPUR® products can be purchased direct via the TEMPUR® UK website, Dreams, John Lewis, Bensons for Beds, and Furniture Village or from leading independent retailers or from any of 10 TEMPUR® brand and outlets stores.

TEMPUR® is a subsidiary of TEMPUR® Sealy International Inc.

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