Rest of the Sleep Disorders Forum Posting

Posted by Honest Expert on January 16, 2001 at 21:19:12:

In Reply to: Re: Honest Info About Mattresses posted by Phil on January 16, 2001 at 21:18:11:

Dear Phil,

To the best of my knowledge, a sagging mattress will not cause or aggravate Sleep Apnea. But I have just begun a dialogue with "Sore Feet" about this, and the idea may have some merit. Certainly my lack of knowledge is no evidence that it isn't true. All of us working together may lead to a new discovery -- with "Sore Feet" deserving the credit!

But your sagging mattress is a concern all on its own, for the way it may be affecting your sleep.

Humans are a two-legged creature. The best posture position for our bodies is what you see when you are standing: Head and neck pitched slightly forward from the angle of the back; an inward curve at the lumbar region and the back of the knees; an outward curve at the shoulder blades and rump. What you see when you stand is the proper positioning for our bodies.

But when we lay down on a mattress -- on our backs -- we have gravity pulling those curves flat to conform to the flat surface of the mattress. When a mattress sags, it allows the back to bow into an unnatural curve: The deeper the sag, the greater the curve. The reason that this is bad is because the muscles that should be relaxed while you sleep, are being stretched. More tossing and turning will result.

When you lay on your side on a sagging mattress, it is like doing a side stretch exercise; pulling those muscles that are on the down-side. Again, the body will command you to move more at night to relieve this pulling. Ergo, poorer sleep.

Now, as to what type of mattress to get, I tend to follow the recommendation of the University of California at Berkeley: Comfort is the most important factor!

My recommendation is: Shop around until you find a couple of mattresses you LOVE ... absolutely LOVE. Ignore the prices while you are shopping. Take several weeks making the decision and say "Bullhooey" to anyone who tells you that a sale price is ending right away. If they want the sale, they will honor the sale price later!

Don't shop at more than two stores on a given weekend or evening, because it gets too confusing. Take good notes on what you saw and where. Don't bother with notes on mattresses that you don't LOVE. That too only confuses the issue. Once you have found a couple of mattresses that you LOVE (but have been to at least 3 stores!), make a second trip to try them again. All other things being equal, buy the cheapest of the ones you love.

Take some time with the decision. It is a long-term purchase; longer than most people keep either their car or their house! And it is an item that you will use FAR MORE than any other possession you own, short of a refridgerator or, maybe, a CPAP. And it is a part of your sleep-health regimen. It is not a decision to take lightly.

And, as much as I hate to say it, ignore the price as much as possible. Pay attention to the price only once you've selected the ones you LOVE. Where price looms as a critical concern, find the one you MUST HAVE, then find different locations that sell it and play them against each other for the best deal. And, as much as I hate to say this too, make them SHOW YOU specs for a bed that you are comparing that someone is claiming is "the same with a different name" (which is very true, often): Don't just trust the salesperson's word; I've known too many who take advantage of the fact that you cannot look-under-the-hood to lie to make the sale. (I quit a company once because they INSISTED I do this to save a sale! Not a small chain of stores, either.)

Regarding Tempurpedic: I must confess to bias because I sleep on another brand of mattress using the same technology. Consequently, I will refrain from being too glowing.

I like the way the technology has a very gentle touch on the body -- being a temperature sensitive foam that softens at body temp. -- and conforms to the NATURAL contours -- discussed above -- better than many mattress types. But it is certainly not the right choice for everyone.

Would I recommend you have it (or something similar) on your list to try? Yes. But only your own body telling you what you LOVE can tell you if it is a right choice for you!

Best of luck! Feel free to ask me any questions you have about anything you see! If I can answer, I will.

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