Why Your Sleep Matters

Did you know choosing your mattress is linked to the position you lie in when you sleep? According to the Sleep foundation, experts agree that getting good sleep is one of the single best ways to maintain and improve our health. A mattress is a huge factor in our ability to sleep well, yet many people overlook its importance and keep using a mattress that fails to provide enough support and comfort or often do not factor in the sleeping position when choosing one!

At Newport Beds that ‘Your Sleep Matters’ we understand that a new mattress can be a sizable investment & taking this step can really unlock your ability to sleep better. As with any major purchase, you want to make sure that you choose wisely.

To help you get a handle on how to choose a mattress we can break down some key information piece-by-piece for you as outlined by the Sleep Foundation. 

In our Newport Beds bed showroom, we are here to guide you & give you an insight on how to find the best mattress with the right firmness and features to suit your needs and deliver great sleep night after night.

Firmness and Tension

Comfort is subjective, which means that it’s critical to find a mattress that feels right to you. Firmness describes how hard or soft a bed feels. We also refer to it as ‘Tension’ & some ways to choose options is understanding different tensions. It isn’t perfectly scientific but it does help convey how a mattress will feel according to your sleeping position & body type

Tension & Firmness Guide

Extra Soft/Soft/Medium Soft -Sleepers & Side Sleepers under 60kg

Medium – Back & Side Sleepers between 

Medium Firm – Sleepers between 60-110kgs & Side Sleepers over 110kgs

Firm – Side Sleepers over 110kgs, Back & Stomach Sleepers over 60kgs

Extra Firm – Back & Stomach Sleepers over 110kgs

Sleeping Positions

So how do you decide what type of sleeper you are? It’s generally judged on what position you are in when you normally tuck in to fall asleep? And in what position do you find yourself when you wake up?

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers put the greatest pressure on their lower back. If a mattress is too soft, the torso can sink in more deeply than the upper back and lower body & this creates a U-shape which over time can create strain. If a mattress is too firm there won’t be any accommodation of the slight curve in the lower back. As a result, back sleepers do best with a Medium Firm to Firm mattress with light to moderate contouring.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers have sharp pressure points where the body is the widest most notably at the shoulders and hips. On a too-soft mattress, those points will dip out of line with the rest of the spine. On a too-firm mattress they will feel the impact at those points and be prone to misalignment. Consequently, side sleepers do best with Medium Soft to Medium Firm mattresses.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers are like back sleepers and put the most pressure on the lumbar spine. They usually do best with a Firm mattress that can keep them out of a U-shape and that won’t feel suffocating when lying face-down on the mattress.

Combination Sleepers

Combination sleepers find themselves in more than one position through the night. They typically should choose a mattress based on the position they spend the most time in. If there’s no primary position, Medium Firm offers the best bet across the sleeping positions. These sleepers should also look for a responsive mattress that facilitates easy movement on the bed

Body Types

Like sleeping position, body shape and weight influence the choice of the best mattress to provide spinal support, comfort, and other important features.

With a lighter profile typically people who weigh under 60kgs don’t sink as far into a mattress. To get sufficient contouring they often benefit from a softer mattress especially if they sleep on their side and/or have pronounced pressure points. 

People between 60-110kgs can generally follow our guidance for mattress firmness. Foam, hybrid & latex mattresses are all solid options & can be selected based on their specific features & designs.

People over 110kgs will sink further into a mattress, especially near heavier parts of the body, which can risk throwing off spinal alignment. These sleepers usually have better results with mattresses that are a bit firmer to help avoid that risk.

A responsive mattress is easier to move on top of, and this can be valuable to people over 110kgs because it reduces the chances of feeling stuck in the bed. Latex & hybrid options tend to be the most responsive.

Durability is important to sleepers of any weight, but people over 110kgs can cause more wear in the top layers of a mattress. For this reason, sleepers with a higher body weight often opt for a mattress with a thicker comfort system that uses high-density materials.

It’s not just weight that affects how to choose the right mattress. People with broader shoulders or hips may need a softer mattress with more contouring, especially if they are side sleepers. People over six feet tall should look closely at mattress dimensions to ensure that they can stretch out comfortably.

Next Month we will be sharing our extensive pillow range as we have different pillows for different sleeping positions.

Rest assured when you come into our showroom, we will put together the very best sleeping combination for you because to us ‘Your Sleep Matters’