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August 10, 2012 | Comments (1)

Sex. There, I said it.

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Editor’s note: This guest post is written by Mark Quinn, VP at Leggett & Platt, the leading producer of coil springs for mattresses. You can read more from Mark on his blog.

I think it’s time we had a little talk about sex — and believe it or not, I am betting that nobody has ever told you what I am going to tell you…

It’s 3:12 a.m. You are up for the third time because you are tossing and turning and can’t get comfortable. As you come out of your sleep-induced haze, the pain in your back becomes apparent and you realize you need a new mattress.

The next day you go to the local sleep shop ready to find a solution to that which is ailing you. As you are perusing the sea of white rectangles you think to yourself, “I need to find something more comfortable,” but do you ever stop to consider how good the sex is going to be on top of it?

Consider the recent article written by Barron’s that highlights the complaints of many Americans as it relates to poor performance in the bedroom. I don’t mean the performance of your partner — I am talking about the performance of your mattress. With the growing popularity of memory foam beds, people are coming to realize that it might have felt good in the store but they never gave any consideration to how it would perform during the more intimate moments. One person said, “Its like trying to do it in quicksand.” It got so bad for another couple they ended up on the floor because their mattress just wasn’t getting it done.

Are spring beds better for sex? Dr. Caleb Browning, a Physicist with Leggett & Platt says that “innerspring beds return energy versus a foam surface that absorbs energy. So what that means is that you can get more motion on an innerspring bed with less effort.” Pause on that thought for a moment. Dr. Browning is saying that innerspring beds have a more playful bounce, returning energy when you want it so that you don’t have to work as hard to get the same results? That is the biggest no-brainer of the century — SIGN ME UP!

Whether that makes sense to you or not, think about sex when you buy that new mattress because it is an important issue. Dr. Rubin Naiman — a clinical psychologist based in Tucson, Arizona, and leader in the emerging field of integrative sleep and dream medicine — knows all about the subject of sleep and sex. “We know that lovemaking carries us into a relaxed state that can help with sleep onset. I often remind people that evening sex is a great, natural sedative. So, there’s an important circular connection between sex and sleep: Sleeping together can make for better sleep and, of course, better sleep can make for better sleeping together.” Did you get that? Sex and sleep go hand in hand.

So, don’t simply settle for a mattress that feels good when you are lying on it in the showroom. Make sure you consider what is going to happen when things start to heat up. Your mattress should be great for your SLEEP and SEX, so maybe a hybrid makes sense for you. Watch this funny music video we made with Second City Communications out of Chicago, all about how the combination of springs and memory foam create the best of both worlds — providing just the right amount of comfort and “bounce per ounce” in the bedroom (if you know what I mean). Enjoy the video, and most of all, enjoy your new bed in every way you can.

Posted in: Shopping Tips Tags: , ,   
December 12, 2011 | Comments (0)

Better Sleep: How a Good Mattress Can Improve Your Health

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Research now shows that getting deep, restorative sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress may be one of the most beneficial things people can do for their overall health, wealth and well being. It helps us wake up each day physically, intellectually and emotionally renewed. In this improved state we are more efficient, productive and better equipped to relate and interact with our family and others.

A Cumulative Effect

Every month, the average person spends 10 days sleeping on a mattress. We all understand that daily vitamins, exercise, and healthy meal choices all have a cumulative beneficial effect over time. The positive effects of sleep over time may have even more dramatic effects on our health and appearance.

It’s especially important for children to sleep on quality mattresses as they grow and develop.

So why are people wary of buying a new mattress?

It’s just human nature. We buy things we want for how we imagine they will make us feel. The items we want offer us an emotional payback and the hope for happiness. But, we tend to take products that we need and depend upon every day for granted. We buy those items for the function they perform using our intellect and logic to discern value.

Because mattresses seem similar, it’s not always easy to establish their value.

Real Value

The real value of a mattress is how it can make us feel. A quality mattress offers a direct path to a deep down foundation of happiness and a sense of well being. If you haven’t tried a new mattress recently, you will be amazed with the plush comfort and the luxurious covers. Go see for yourself.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you shop.

    • Don’t scrimp. Like anything else, you get what you pay for. The better the mattress the more likely you will get extra minutes of deep uninterrupted sleep per night. They are one of the most important investments you can make.
    • Buy from a reputable store. Reputable stores know how to match you with the right product. Caring associates begin by asking you questions that will help them understand and meet your personal sleep needs and have the genuine motive of helping improve your quality of life.
    • Test drive. Just as you would test drive a car, take plenty of time to really get the feel of the mattresses by using a comfortable pillow, lie in the position you normally wake up in and let your imagination kick in. Get a glimpse of what life could be if you could escape from life’s daily stress to a cloud in the bedroom every night.
    • Consider your experience and expectation. As you try different models, find one most similar to your current model and then see if you like other comfort choices better. If you slept well on your current style for a number of years then consider staying with a similar feel. If you like the thicker, softer models, keep in mind that you sleep in, rather than on them, as you would with a more traditional, firmer model. Do expect the thicker, softer ones to show indentations because they are designed to conform to you.
    • Allow at least 30 days to adjust to a new mattress. Even longer if you are changing comfort levels from your previous mattress. It takes our bodies a while to adjust to a new sleeping surface.
    •  Protect Your Investment. 
      • Mattress Protector: The new generation of “pads” are breathable and moisture proof and will keep your mattress dry, fresh, odor free and sanitary for years.
      • Heavy Duty Frame: Inadequate frames can actually cause damage to your mattress set and possibly void the warranty
    • Maximize your enjoyment by including these important accessories and services with your purchase.
      • New Pillows: Pillows should be replaced every couple of years.
      • Sheets and Comforters: New high thread-count sheets have the feel of silk and are more durable than ever.  Also look for new breathable temperature-regulating fibers.

 

A top quality, comfortable and supportive mattress may be one of the best consumer products you can buy for your health and happiness.

Posted in: Health, Shopping Tips, Sleep Tags: , ,   
September 29, 2010 | Comments (0)

Are Top Quality Mattresses Really Worth the Money?

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Actually, yes they are!

Top quality mattresses, while expensive, may be one of the best values of any consumer product on the market. They have a direct impact on one’s quality of sleep every night and one’s quality of life over time. Each month, most people will spend ten full days on their mattress. That adds up to over twenty years in an average lifetime.

You Get What You Pay For

A mattress is like a pizza, well kinda. Adding more and better quality ingredients to a pizza increases not only the price, but also the taste and the level of enjoyment. Adding more and better quality “ingredients” to a mattress increases not only the price, but also the comfort and the quality of sleep. When shopping for a new mattress, don’t scrimp!

As the saying goes, “The sweet taste of low price wears off
long before the bitter taste of poor quality.”

Determining Value

When people shop for mattresses, they seek value and typically focus upon price and comfort to make buying decisions. But comfort can be misleading. Compared to worn out mattresses, most all models feel comfortable initially. Even inexpensive mattresses can be made superficially comfortable by using average or inferior quality upholstery layers. But those layers can break down relatively quickly. Quality mattresses use high tech fibers and resilient foams that provide long lasting, deep down, conforming comfort.

But comfort alone is not enough. There are two other properties of a mattress that are less perceptible but are, none-the-less, central to the overall quality: support and durability. While comfort is perceived as one lies down, support is perceived when one gets up in the morning. Support, like buoyancy, is the antidote to sagging. It’s what holds the body up, like having good posture when lying down. Durability is a measurement of how long a mattress provides comfort and support. It is directly related to the quality of materials.

Simply stated, top quality mattresses use more and better quality materials
to provide superior comfort, support and durability.

The Real Value

When evaluating mattresses, the real value is found in the benefits.

Most everyone understands the long term benefits of daily walks, nutritious meals, extra glasses of water and vitamins. Over time the cumulative effect of those positive choices manifest in positive results on one’s fitness and health. But the cumulative effect of a few extra minutes of REM sleep per night may have an even greater impact.

Studies by The National Sleep Foundation verify that deep restorative sleep can have dramatically  positive effects upon most every aspect of one’s life. All else being equal, people that get more quality sleep over time will likely be happier, look younger, weigh less, be more productive and have better relationships. WOW!

While there are a number of things people can do to enhance their quality of sleep, there is no doubt that sleeping on a comfortable, supportive mattress is the most important.

Are top quality mattresses worth the money? Maybe the best answer comes from words NEVER spoken: “I wish I’d bought a cheaper, less comfortable mattress.”

Posted in: Shopping Tips Tags: , , ,   
September 22, 2009 | Comments (8)

How to Choose the Best Mattress Store

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Searching for a mattress store is much like searching for anything else — the quality of your selection will be directly proportional to the quality of your alternatives.  In other words, the more alternatives you consider, the better your ultimate choice will be; on the flip side, if you do not consider any alternatives, you will likely be overlooking stores with a better selection or better service, or stores that are more convenient or less expensive, thereby leaving your fate to chance.

When it comes time to buy a mattress, many people can think of 1 or 2 mattress stores off-hand, but are surprised to find that they are only considering a tiny portion of the mattress stores in their area.  Before you buy your mattress, be sure to use our Mattress Store Locator to find a comprehensive map of all the mattress stores in your area.  Alternatively, you can search by city using our easy Mattress Retailer Directory.  From there, you can click on any store to read more about their stores, where they are located and what products they carry.

Once you’ve chosen the store(s) you plan to visit, you may also want to check out some of our helpful shopping guides, such as our five-step guide to buying a mattress, our general mattress buying tips, or our suggestions for how to get the best deal on a mattress.

Finally, when you get to the store, please be sure to tell them you found them on GoodBed.  This way, they’ll know to keep us updated on any changes to the information we have about them on the site — and you’ll be playing a small part in helping to make Best Bed Guide an even better information resource for future mattress shoppers!

Posted in: Company, Consumer Features, Shopping Tips Tags: ,   
October 8, 2008 | Comments (12)

How to Choose the Best Mattress

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Relative to most products, mattresses last a long time. So when it comes time to purchase a new mattress these days, most people find themselves a bit rusty on the features that distinguish one mattress from another (what is an acceptable coil count? how much firmness do I want? why does quilting matter?…).

Making matters more complicated, many people find that the overall selection of mattresses has changed dramatically since their last purchase. New types of “specialty” mattresses — such as air beds, memory foam, latex, and adjustable beds — have come to occupy a significant portion of the market. And even classic innerspring mattresses now boast dozens of new features such no-flip, motion separation and edge support… Suddenly, an industry once known for producing seemingly identical boxes of fuzz and foam is alive with variety and buzzwords!

At Best Bed Guide, we recognize the challenges inherent in buying a mattress today, and our mission is to provide useful information to make this process easier. To help you sort through all of your options, we provide a road map to guide you through the entire mattress purchase process:

1) What to Buy — To get you started, our series of expert guides begins with a general framework for evaluating all beds, then addresses each of the various types of beds on the market today. These resources will help you determine what type of bed to buy, and then help you learn what features to look for in a given type of bed. Soon, we will be adding a product reviews section, offering unbiased information on specific mattress brands and models.

2) Where to Buy — Once you’ve decided what you’re looking for, our store locator will provide a full map of all the mattress stores in your area. We also provide advice on what to look for in a mattress store, including an overview of the many ways that mattress stores distinguish themselves from one another, so that when you walk into a mattress store, you know what to ask for. Soon, we will be adding mattress store reviews in order to provide you with objective information about specific retailers and store locations.

3) How to Buy — Once you know where you’re going and what you’ll be looking for, be sure to check out our helpful shopping guides and mattress resources before you find yourself face to face with a mattress salesperson. These guides provide advice on everything from negotiating for a mattress to evaluating a mattress warranty to choosing a mattress size. We also provide perhaps the most comprehensive mattress glossary on the web, and will soon be adding a forum to answer your specific questions.

As you can see, we’ve been busy thinking about all the ways we can help improve your mattress shopping experience. We look forward to your feedback as we add new features, and hope you find our site to be a useful resource for your mattress purchase.

Posted in: Company, Consumer Features, Shopping Tips Tags: , ,