Why a firm mattress isn’t always better for your back.

Mattress on a white background with title

  

 In the old days, they said if you had back pain you needed to stick a board under your back. Has this held up? The answer might surprise you.

Over time, mattress technology has advanced greatly. So great, in fact, that you don’t need to sacrifice comfort for good support. Most mattresses are built from the bottom up. Take Rogers mattresses, for example. We start with the Powercore spring unit. On top of that are different combinations of what we call comfort layers, which are called that because they are indeed there for your personal comfort. The Powercore spring unit is doing all the heavy lifting supporting your back, while the comfort layers cushion you where you need cushioning.

Because of this modern form of mattress construction, different plushness levels will be better for different types of sleepers. Here are some rules of thumb you can follow, if you’re wondering if soft or firm is best for you.

Woman laying on her back on a mattress

 

If you’re a back sleeper, stick to firm. Back sleepers need the even weight distribution to keep their spines aligned.

 

Woman laying on her side on a matress with illustrations to show that her spine is aligned

 

Side sleepers are different due to the curves in your body-your hips and your shoulders need somewhere to go. A little cushion allows them to sink in, which in turn allows your spine to straighten.

 

Woman laying on her stomach on a mattress with a circle around her arm underneath her

 

Stomach sleepers tend to enjoy the softest mattress. When you sleep on your stomach, it’s likely you put your arms underneath you to snuggle up. You need plenty of cushion to make sure those muscles aren’t getting pinched.

It’s important when you’re shopping to focus on comfort and support, rather than firm or plush. As long as a mattress has a good support system- like our Powercore pocketed coils – any amount of plush top will be plenty supportive for your back.

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5 Signs You Need a New Mattress

Finding the right time to purchase a new mattress can be tricky. Many don’t actively think about it, and find themselves getting poor sleep without being able to pinpoint the cause. Here are 5 signs that might mean it’s time to replace your mattress.

Woman looking at her mattress for body impressions

You can see impressions where you sleep

There is a certain amount of normal wear that is to be expected with a mattress. Much like a nice pair of shoes, a mattress will break in to conform to your individual body. But if your mattress has a depression greater than an inch and a half, or there is a hump in the middle of your mattress, it may be time to replace it.

A woman sitting on her bed stretching her neck

You wake up sore

If you wake up sore or stiff, and loosen up within the first few hours of the day, your mattress might be the culprit. Pain from a bad mattress usually recurs every morning, and dissipates throughout the day.

Woman sleeping comfortably in bed

Sleeping in a hotel-or anywhere else-is more comfortable

Many people don’t get good sleep when they’re in an unfamiliar environment. But if you find your deepest snooze anywhere but your bed, it’s a telltale sign the bed needs replacement.

 

Woman waking up looking tired

You feel tired even after getting a full night sleep

Just because you get a lot of sleep, it doesn’t mean it’s good sleep. An old or bad mattress can create pinch point when you sleep, keeping you from settling in and getting comfortable enough for a deep rest.

Woman sitting in bed sneezing

Your mattress is giving you allergy symptoms

Over time, mattresses gather dust, dust mites, skin and hair cells from our bodies (yuck). The average queen mattress actually doubles in weight in ten year, mainly due to this. If you find yourself with a scratchy throat, or sneezing every time you wake up, it might be your mattress.

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Is a latex mattress healthier?

Latex dripping out of the rubber tree it was harvested from

When you spend a third of your life on your mattress, what’s inside is of utmost importance. There are any number of things that can be in a mattress, from poly-foam to even horsehair. Latex is one of the healthiest materials used inside any mattress. Here’s why.

Latex comes from the rubber tree

You can sleep well knowing latex is a plant based material. Most foams used in mattresses are petroleum based. Latex is harvested from the rubber tree, and put through cleaning processes to become the comfort foam in your mattress.

Latex has an open cell structure

Time to get a little scientific. Latex has an open cell structure, while memory foams have a closed cell structure. This means latex operates more like a spring-where it can easily and quickly return to its original shape. Because of its structure, latex is naturally cool, resilient, and soft.

A closeup of latex foam showing the holes

It’s naturally anti-microbial and hypoallergenic

The cellular structure of foam is inhospitable to pesky things like bacteria and dust mites. Latex also does not hold moisture or get hot, making it a very clean environment.

Latex is a fast responding foam

Remember the old memory foam commercials where someone would press their hand in, and the imprint of their hand would stay on the foam? Latex is the opposite of that. It cradles you, rather than letting you sink in and get stuck.

While all latex is a healthy option, not all is made equal. Make sure the latex in your mattress is certified environmentally friendly.

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Your Sleep Tracker Might Be Ruining Your Sleep

Man in bed looking at phone


Let’s face it-good sleep is now a fad.  We’ve listened to the wise wisdom telling us to incorporate sleep into our lives as one of the most imperative forms of self-care. Merchandisers have listened too, and given us everything from an ever-growing mattress market, to wearable sleep tracking devices. Fitness trackers have become ubiquitous forms of wearable tech, and most have the ability to track sleep stages, length, and deepness to help you on your infinite quest for good rest. But are these helpful tools actually…helpful?


apple watch with hand

Most sleep trackers measure sleep by monitoring your movement. The problem is, this data isn’t always accurate. And while some more advanced trackers even take heartbeat into account, the two most definitive measures of you sleep are a sleep study, and yourself. That’s right-self reporting tends to give you a more accurate picture of your sleep than sleep trackers. 


What does this mean for your sleep? First off, if you’re obsessively relying on your sleep tracker data stream with an exclusive goal of sleeping sounder, you may be exacerbating your anxiety needlessly. A recent study coined the term “Orthosomnia” for this phenomenon of being so preoccupied with improving your sleep data, you’re ruining your sleep in the process. This particular study analyzed people who sought treatment based on problems they thought they had, according to their sleep trackers. 

 

The key to wearable sleep trackers is finding a healthy balance. Use them to track quantity, rather than quality. See for yourself if you feel better with 7 hours, or 8 hours of sleep. If you think you may have a problem with your sleep, see your doctor for an official diagnosis. Of course, we still think the best way to join the sleep fad is with a supportive new mattress, but we might be biased.

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10 Tips for Better Summer Sleep

We might be one day past the summer solstice, but we still have plenty long and sunny summer days ahead of us. While summer is the time many of us feel most relaxed, this season can still wreak havoc on your sleep. Between early sunrise, hot nights, and activities that might get you off your schedule, it might just be one of the most difficult seasons for sleep. Here we have ten tips to get the most out of your summer nights.

Try to keep bedtime consistent.

Summer is often the time for vacations and staying out later. But this doesn’t mean you can’t keep a consistent schedule. Think about shifting your bedtime later to accommodate, while still keeping it relatively the same every night.

2. Give yourself time to wind down.

The late sunsets can interfere with your natural body rhythms, meaning you won’t be as tired at night. Consider closing your curtains and dimming the light in your home at least 2 hours before bed.

3. Eat a light dinner.

This goes for any time of the year, but is especially important in the summer. Many of us are guilty of just wanting to spend one more hour in the evening daylight, and might put off dinner until later than we would in the winter. After all, dinner is the sign of the end of the night for many. If you eat later, be sure to make it a light meal to avoid stomach discomfort.

4. Pay attention to bed linen.

It’s time to put the flannel away, and opt for more cooling fabrics like cotton and linen. Not only will it get you in the summer mood, but it will keep you as cool as possible.

5. Dress right

The same goes for pajamas as it does bed linens. Opt for t-shirts and shorts, rather than heavier loungewear. Make sure you can move freely at night. Consider being adventurous, and sleeping in your underwear-or even the nude!

6. Sleep with wet hair

If you’re a hot sleeper, summer can be a nightmare for you. One of the quickest ways to cool down is to dampen your hair. Having a cool head can make your entire body feel cooler.

7. Use a makeshift air conditioner

Put ice in a larger, shallow dish, and place it in front of a fan. The cool air will rise and be circulated by the fan, giving you a cheap and easy way of cooling your room.

8. Invest in a dehumidifier

The old saying goes, it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. It might get annoying hearing literally everyone say this, but it is true. Take some moisture out of the air in your bedroom for deeper, cooler sleep.

9. Put up room darkening curtains

Not only does it get dark later at night during the summer, but sunrise starts as early as 5:30 in the morning. If you, like many of us would rather sleep later than that shut the sun out with room darkening curtains.

10. Listen to the sound of rain
If all else fails, and the summer heat has got you anxious, try calming methods like listening to the sound of rain. If you can use that to get to sleep, chances are you’ll stay asleep.

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