Do you ever wake up with back pain? How about tight joints? Ever feel like your sleep wasn’t deep and restful? A good night’s rest is crucial to maintaining mental and physical health, whether its body aches, lack of focus or more serious conditions. However, with busy schedules and life’s stresses, constantly getting good sleep can be difficult. So how do you give yourself the best chance of a good sleep? Start with the mattress.

Whether you’re shopping for a child, a couple or you have specific comfort needs, there’s a number of mattresses on the market to choose from. Let’s check out some of the options available to see what’s right for you.

Pick the Size

The first step to buying a mattress is deciding on what size suits you best. This can change depending on your body size, style of sleeping and the number of people sharing the bed.

Children

A twin or single size mattress is usually suitable for a child, giving them plenty of room to spread out a bit and move around. As they get older and start growing faster, you may consider investing in a full or queen mattress to cater for their height.

A couple

The most popular choice of mattress for a couple is a queen-size mattress, providing roughly 30 inches of horizontal space per person. Before deciding, consider whether you and your partner prefer to sleep close or far apart, or whether you both are shorter or taller than usual, as a smaller full-size mattress or larger, king-size mattress may be more suitable.

An individual

If you’re buying for yourself, you have the freedom to look at the specifics of your sleeping style and size. Generally, a full-size mattress is large enough for an adult, however if you prefer to spread out, move a lot or are larger in size, purchasing a queen or king mattress may be more appropriate.

Pick the Type of Mattress

With so many options available, deciding on the right mattress type is essential to a good sleep. Consider your sleeping style, comfort needs and injuries when researching these different options.

Innerspring Mattress

As one of the more popular choices, innerspring mattresses typically offer a bouncy feel but have a variety of different levels of firmness. Built with metal coils, the more coils your mattress has the more support it provides so consider your needs before deciding what is right for you. With a wide range of firmness and quality, try and be careful not to get a poorly made innerspring mattress, as this typically many not be long lasting.

Memory Foam Mattress

If you’re in the market for an extra-firm base with little spring-back, then the memory foam mattress may be for you. Perfect for people with chronic pain or growing teenagers, the memory foam moulds to the shape of your body as you move in the night, providing extra support and relieving pressure points. Be careful though, as memory foam mattresses are known to be quite temperature sensitive so they can get quite hot during the night.

Hybrid Mattress

Built with both the coil support system and foam, the hybrid mattress is known for providing the best of both worlds. Whilst still firm, it offers a little more bounciness and less hug than the memory foam, as well as ensures more cooling. If you’re not yet familiar with your specific sleeping style, the hybrid is usually the safe choice for majority of sleepers.

Airbed Mattress

Ideal for a couple, airbed mattresses with dual chambers allow you to adjust the firmness, and provides the option to control each side of the bed separately. This minimizes the need to compromise with your partner and ensures both of you are sufficiently supported and comfortable.

Other

While these are the more popular mattress types, you also have a few other options. Latex mattresses serve well for those who prefer less contouring while pillow-top mattresses are great for those who like extra cushioning. You may also consider gel mattresses, waterbeds or even futon mattresses. With so many options, be sure to shop around first and do your research. Try exploring a mattress store website before going in store and testing out a variety of styles.

Purchasing a mattress involves a lot of thought and research, but is crucial to a good night’s sleep. Consider all these options available to you so you can enjoy a comfortable bed and notice the many benefits of a restful sleep.