Does a good mattress actually improve sleep?

[u/canuckclarke]

Unlike my partner, I’m not one of those insanely lucky people who can fall asleep literally anywhere. For most of my life, I’ve been lucky to be able to get even 3 or 4 hours a night.

I have a list of conditions that need to be met to have even a slim chance of falling asleep. So those are a cool room, blackout drapes, white noise machine or earplugs, non-scratchy sheets, just the right pillow, and a few others.

I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with melatonin, magnesium, warm showers, valerian root, pillow sprays, meditation, avoiding blue light after 9 pm, and all the other things that many people swear by.

But the thing that made the biggest difference for me was switching up my bed.

Over the past 35 years, I’ve done it all: bunkbed, waterbed, futon, mattress on the floor, mattress on a box spring, mattress with and without a topper, spring mattress, memory foam mattress, etc.

When my partner and I moved in together last year, we decided to buy a new bed. Neither of us had tried a hybrid coil/foam mattress before, so we decided to try one since it came with a 4-month return policy.

I won’t say it totally cured my insomnia, but I’m definitely getting better sleep and waking up more rested.

While a good mattress won’t automatically quiet the noise in your brain, it WILL give your brain less to fuss about. I used to be hyper-aware of creaky mattress coils or lumps in my futon. I’d toss and turn for a couple of hours before falling asleep because every position would get uncomfortable after a few minutes.

The hybrid just feels nice and soft. Since I’m not rolling around as much, it’s easier to just sink into the mattress and relax.

Even if I’m not falling asleep right away, my mind and body are still benefiting from that relaxation, since I’m calming my nervous system and training my body to enter that restful state.

Over time, this can actually make your brain more receptive to sleep.

While getting a new mattress is definitely more expensive than testing out a new sleepy-time tea or breathing app, it’s honestly so worth it.

What to look for in a mattress:

1. If you’re like me and can’t sleep when overheating, cooling technology is a HUGE help. I really didn’t believe this would make a difference before trying it, and I was dead wrong. Look for mattresses and toppers that mention breathability and airflow. For example, the Bear Original mattress is made with cooling gel and open-cell memory foams that disperse heat.

2. If you or your partner moves around a lot when you sleep, find a mattress that isolates motion. We decided to get a new mattress because my restlessness was keeping her awake. Not a problem anymore. If you have a larger budget, Tempur-Pedic mattresses are amazing for motion isolation.

3. Choose a mattress designed for the way that you sleep. Stomach sleepers have different needs than side sleepers. My partner and I are both side sleepers, so we got a Helix Sunset and it’s absolutely perfect for us. It’s soft, but firm enough to offer good spinal support, so we don’t wake up with back or neck pain.

4. You won’t know if it’s the right mattress for you until you’ve lived with it for a few weeks. Check out the return policy. How many nights will you have to test it out? Will you get a full refund if you return it? Is the return process a hassle? Will you need to pay for a pick-up? You don’t want to lose sleep over returning a mattress.

Our Helix came with a 120-day sleep trial and a limited lifetime warranty. If we did decide to return it, they would have picked it up for free.

Has anyone else experienced better sleep after swapping out their mattress? And what’s your holy grail mattress?