Sleep Good, Feel Good: Beds Buyer's Guide

Do you need a new bed?

Good beds and good mattresses can support you and give you the night of sleep you deserve.

You can’t beat a good night’s sleep – it leaves you feeling fit, thinking sharply and happy! The foundation of good sleep is a comfortable bed and the right mattress. It can be the difference between a restorative night’s sleep and poor quality sleep that results in tiredness and fatigue. Research shows that sleeping on uncomfortable beds could rob you of up to an hour’s sleep – yet the deterioration may be so gradual and invisible that many people fail to make the connection between an uncomfortable bed and poor sleep. You may need a new mattress if…Beds don’t last forever. Even if it looks okay, it may not be giving you the support or comfort you need for a good night’s sleep. A mattress’s life span is affected by several factors such as the quality, care and amount you use it (e.g. reading, watching TV and sleeping each night versus occasional use of a spare bed).  Changes in lifestyle (marriage, new home) and in our bodies (losing or gaining weight, ageing, etc) can also necessitate achange of bed.

Here’s a few things to consider:

• Have you had your mattress more than seven years?• Do you wake up with stiffness and/or aches and pains?• Are you sleeping as well as you did a year ago?• Have you had a better night’s sleep in a bed other than yours?• Does your mattress show signs of visible wear and tear (it sags, is lumpy etc)?There are literally thousands of beds from which to choose and there’s no such thing as the perfect type of bed for a particular condition or situation (e.g. one ideal bed for a back pain sufferer). Although a good retailer – and this booklet – will arm you with lots of information to make the process simpler, only you can make the final, important decision – so take your time and make it wisely.

Read more about the perfect mattress for you and your health here. 

Useful Contacts:

Allergy UKPlanwell House, LEFA Business Park,Edington Way, Sidcup, Kent DA14 5BHAllergy Helpline: 01322 619898www.allergyuk.orgemail: info@allergyuk.orgBackCareThe Charity for Healthier Backs16 Elmtree Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8STHelpline: 0845 130 2704www.backcare.org.ukemail: info@backcare.org.ukChartered Society of Physiotherapy14 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4ED020 7306 6666www.csp.org.ukemail: enquiries@csp.org.ukThe Furniture OmbudsmanMaxwell Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2EW0845 653 2064www.thefurnitureombudsman.orgemail: info@thefurnitureombudsman.orgNational Bed FederationHigh Corn Mill, Chapel Hill,Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 1NL01756 799950www.bedfed.org.ukemail: info@bedfed.org.ukOsteopathic Information ServiceGeneral Osteopathic CouncilOsteopathy House, 176 Tower Bridge Road,London SE1 3LU020 7357 6655www.osteopathy.org.ukemail: info@osteopathy.org.uk