Gone are the days when you would lie down on your bed and actually get a good night’s sleep. For many of us, sleep has become a luxury. This lack of sleep doesn’t let you concentrate properly; it interferes with your memorizing abilities and causes extreme mood swings. Furthermore, such poor sleeping patterns can lead you towards depression, type-2 diabetes, heart diseases, obesity and high blood pressure. It becomes essential for us to look out for factors which are posing obstacles to getting the sleep we so desperately need.
The way your bed and pillows are made will affect your sleeping patterns a lot more than you’d probably expect. What are some aspects that can impact your sleeping patterns? How exactly do you decide what to get for your bed? Here is a guide to help you out!
Pillow fiber
There are plenty of pillow inserts available for you to choose from. There are pros and cons associated with everything. It solely depends on your liking and comfort.
The most common ones are:
- Down pillows. These are soft and light; they’re best for people who wish to sleep as if they were on clouds. Generally, these are filled with duck or goose down (Go here to choose between feather pillows or goose down pillows). The down from ducks tends to be harder than the goose’s. Find out first if you are allergic to these before you go through with buying a set.
- Polyester fill-ins or synthetic downs are cheaper than the natural types. But synthetic down will need to be replaced frequently. Its softness is moderate, but it tends to become flat quickly.
- Wool is hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites and mold. These pillows keep moisture away and are great temperature regulators for your head and neck. Also, they are naturally firm and long-lasting.
- Cotton is also hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites and mold. Though firm and flat, cotton pillows are a great option for individuals who are prone to chemical sensitivities and allergies.
- Latex is increasingly firm when compared to downs, though it still offers a much better level of comfort. It is known to hold onto its original shape and won’t squish easily. Latex is naturally resistant to mold and mites.
- Memory foam has gained huge amounts of popularity for its ability to hold its shape is Incredible. Memory foam responds to body heat and weight, and softens in places where there is a need. But, it retains heat and causes sweating, and there may be a little discomfort.
Fill power
A fill power number ensures better quality and durability. It is preferred that natural and synthetic down pillows be high-quality; they should have a fill-power number of 600 or greater.
All about beds
1. Lifetime of the mattress matters – Discomfort that impedes your sleeping can be largely due to the wrong mattress. If you’ve been using the same mattress for over eight years, then it is probably time for you to think of getting a replacement. Some mattresses are too firm, while some feel more like jelly. Both these kinds of mattress have the possibility of not being able to offer you the support and comfort you need.
2. Consider changing the mattress type – The chance that a particular mattress type may not suit your body is actually a real thing. Fortunately, there are different kinds of mattresses available to you:
- Hybrids – as the name suggests, these mattresses are a combination of coils, latex, polyurethane foams, memory and other materials. These have a great bounce and cooling effect on the body. They are suitable for people who’re looking for support, comfort, bounciness and cooling.
- Latex – These are cool, bouncy, and nicely responsive towards the body. Latex mattresses are great for people who want a certain level of cooling and responsiveness, but don’t want a pronounced contour (which is a property of memory foam mattress).
- Coil – It has spring coils put together in layers to deliver comfort and support. It is best for people who want firm support along with some cooling effects.
- Pillow-top – These mattresses are a combination of coil, memory, latex, and hybrid, along with a soft layer of a material sewn specially for the sleeper. These mattresses are great for people who love the soft cushion feel and great comfort.
- Adjustable – These beds can alter the position of the sleeping mattresses by elevations and inclinations. These are best for people with certain medical conditions, people with chronic lower back pain, etc.
Have you searched for any of these types yet?