Beds and Mattresses

Do you wonder why sometimes you wake up with a sprain in the back or a stiffer body even after an uninterrupted sleep whole night? While sleeping well is important for a healthy mind, sleeping on a comfortable mattress matters for an altogether recharged body.

Spending on your comfort and luxury is not just about spending on the expensive home equipment or going on far off vacations. It begins with your bed where you spend about one third of your life and grow elder every day!

Now, since it is established that you must buy a good mattress for yourself, how do you decide which mattress is the best for you?

Well, different individuals have different demands. Some find it comfortable to lie down on a soft bed and other like it hard. Though soft mattresses appear cushioned and cosy, they are not really ideal for your body for night long support. You must go for a mattress that offers your body maximum support, from head, neck, back to your hips and whole of your legs. And there spills out another clue – the right size. You may find mattresses in different sizes including king size, queen size, twin or full size. You can choose the one that suits your requirement the best.

It was probably the Arabs who invented the concept of Mattresses. The word mattress means a place where something is thrown. The “something” here would probably mean a mat, pillow and or a cushion. During trade with the Arabs, the concept of mattresses caught on to the French & Italians and then fast spread throughout Europe. Similar was the case with Asia.

Traditional or ancient methods usually had a mattress which was not too thick thrown on the floor with pillows on it. In the homes of the rich, the mattress was always placed on a raised platform. Pillows and cushions were thrown on the mattress in abundance and varied in shapes and sizes.

Mattresses, just like pillows, have been made of various elements which changed through time and growth of science. The concept of beds came much later. The fillers were mostly natural materials like feathers, straw with animal skin used as the cover on the straw mattresses.

The Neolithic Period saw the invention of mattresses made of natural materials. Raised platforms were introduced in the same period to keep away pests and dirt.

Persian society went a step ahead, around 3500 BC – 3700 BC with mattresses made of goat skin filled with water for a cooling effect. While in Egypt heaps of dried palm boughs were used to make mattresses.

With Rome as the most powerful empire, mattresses were now being made of piles of clothes stuffed & tied together. Reed and hay were used as stuffing material by the poor and the rich had their mattresses stuffed with wool and feather.

15th century saw the style change in Renaissance Europe with mattresses covered with expensive fabrics like Silk and Velvet etc stuffed with soft straw and feathers. 16th & 17th century saw beds being made with timber and other hard wood with feather & straw mattresses being made with lattice work of rope and leather.

It was only around the 18th century that mattresses were covered with cotton and linen. As the demand for hard mattresses was seen, coconut shell fiber, cotton, rough wool and horsehair were used for stuffing. Jute at the same time was introduced to stuff mattresses for those who couldn’t afford good cotton or wool.

The box-spring technique was invented in the 19th century and has been the longest running concept still used for making mattresses. Mattresses became less lumpy and more long-lasting with better comfort. Few years down, natural fibers were replaced with artificial fillers with encased coil springs.

Foam rubber mattresses and pillows came around the 1950s which would take shape of the person’s body giving better comfort and not loosing their shape or elasticity.

Next invention was waterbeds and adjustable beds in the 1960s which gained considerable popularity. 1970s and 1980s came with air mattresses and mattresses made of memory foam which now is the most popular concept used to make mattresses.

Various companies now have their own customized concepts to make mattresses which obviously turn into their USP.

A popular concept these few years is using “Upholstery” on a mattress which adds extra comfort and softness. The upholstery layer consists of an insulator, the middle upholstery and finally the quilt.

The insulator is made of fiber or mesh which ensures the middle upholstery keeps in place. The middle upholstery is designed to provide comfort and is made of polyester fiber, foam and fiber pads. The quilt is made of light foam or fiber ensuring to give a soft texture to the mattress.

Do you remember the last time you got a really great night’s sleep? Was it a year or more ago? Perhaps it wasn’t even in your own bed. Where were you? A hotel? Your favorite easy chair?

All too often, the answer is somewhere other than your own bed. But, you should be getting your best night’s sleep on your own mattress.
If you find you’re not sleeping as well as you should in your own bed, you may want to consider that your mattress and foundation could be robbing you of sleep. It may be time for a new mattress if:

• You wake up with pain, stiffness, or soreness
• You are not sleeping as well as you were a year ago
• You had your best night’s sleep somewhere other than your own bed
• Your mattress shows visible signs of wear and tear

Too often, people are unaware that their mattress is no longer meeting their needs. You can avoid sleepless nights by carefully evaluating the comfort and support of your sleep set twice a year to make sure your personal comfort preferences are still being met.

If you’re still not sure whether your mattress is stealing your sleep, visit our store and compare the different mattress choices we have available.

Mattress Life Span

Your mattress won’t last forever. A combination of factors works together to determine how long your mattress will provide optimum comfort and support.

It’s All About You

• Lifestyle. Changes in lifestyle, such as moving into a new home or getting married, may call for a change in your mattress.
• Your Body. As we age, our bodies change. What was comfortable and supportive when you were 25 may not meet your needs when you’re 35 or 45. Likewise, the amount of space that’s right for a six-year-old may not be enough for a 16-year-old. Make sure that every mattress in your home meets the sleeper’s current needs for comfort, support, and space.

It’s Also About Your Mattress

• Age. Don’t look to the age of your mattress or the warranty to determine whether it’s time for a new mattress. Neither are indicators of how long your mattress will maintain optimum comfort and support.
• Quality. A poor-quality mattress set can deteriorate quickly, while top-quality sets can provide comfort and support for a number of years.
• Use. A mattress set that is used nightly or that gets more of a workout (e.g., you watch television or read in bed) will lose its comfort and support more quickly than a set that is used less often, such as a guest room bed.

Mattress Protectors are an often overlooked, yet essential element on your bed. When you purchase a new bed it’s important to protect it, as you’ll have the bed for a number of years. They serve many purposes, from protecting your mattress to keeping the sheets on the bed.
It is definitely a necessity, not a luxury item.

The most effective type of mattress protector is 100% cotton and fits the mattress like a fitted sheet. A fitted mattress protector covers both the top and sides of the mattress and resembles a fitted sheet with elastic around the sides of the protector. It will be quilted only on the top of the pad and will provide a good fit for most standard-sized mattresses.

Cotton mattress protectors are the most desirable as being made of a natural fibre. Also available are waterproof and miteguard mattress protectors. Miteguard mattress protectors fit over the entire mattress with a zip enclosure at one end. They are especially designed for those with extreme allergies or asthma and will protect your mattress from dustmites. They are also machine washable.

All mattress protectors are machine washable and can be washed less frequently than your sheets.

Below are some commonly asked questions, which may help choosing your mattress protector.

• If my mattress is extra deep, which mattress protector should I buy?

The majority of mattress protectors especially those like fitted sheets have a generous sidewall which will fit all mattresses.

• My mattress isn’t comfortable. Will a mattress protector help?

A mattress protector won’t fix an uncomfortable mattress. You may consider purchasing a mattress topper which may help a little however if the mattress is no longer giving you support it may be best to purchase a new mattress.

• Can I wash my mattress protector?

Yes, you can wash your mattress protector. Check the washing instructions on the packaging or on the protector before you wash.

You can purchase our mattress protectors online or visit us instore. At bed we have a great range of mattress protectors.

There are essentially two main mattress constructions – those with springs and those without springs.

Mattresses with springs – Innerspring Mattresses
Innerspring mattresses are the most popular and familiar type of mattress today. The coils and wires called the innerspring unit provide support while, the upholstery or comfort layers made up of foam, padding and fibres provide cushioning. There are two types of innerspring mattresses:

Open Spring
This is the most common type of spring system used in mattresses, particularly in the lower to middle price ranges. The unit is made up of traditional coil springs. The spring coils are all wired together so that they all move when pressure is applied.

Pocket Spring
These are used in higher quality mattresses. Each spring is ‘cocooned” in its own pocket of material and packed closely together a bit like a honeycomb. The springs work independently of each other to reduce the ‘roll together’ effect and give maximum support to your body shape. The higher the number of springs the greater support.

Mattresses without springs
Full latex, foam and visco elastic memory foam mattresses have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their comfort and overall body support. Latex is a natural body-conforming material often used to increase softness and relieve pressure points while visco elastic memory foam is a synthetic material that responds to body temperature and weight which has evolved out of recent space technology.

Latex Mattresses
Latex is a natural, biodegradable foam derived from rubber trees. Latex foam contours to the body’s curves, and moves with the sleeper as they move, providing continuous orthopedic support. Body weight is spread over the entire sleeping surface, minimizing “pressure points” and creating a more comfortable sleep.
Latex foam has an “open cell” structure that enables the mattress to “breath”. This allows the release of body heat and moisture keeping the sleeping surface comfortable.

A latex mattress may be a good option for allergy sufferers because they’re less likely to harbour mould and dust mites.

Visco Elastic Memory Foam Mattresses
Visco Elastic or Memory Foam was developed by NASA about 30 years ago. It is made from polyurethane, but has a different cell structure to other foams, which makes it less ‘springy’ and slower to recover — it ‘remembers’ your shape even after you’ve moved.

Memory foam reacts to body temperature and weight, conforming and moulding the mattress to the shape of the body. Body weight is spread over the entire sleeping surface, minimizing “pressure points at the shoulders, hips and feet.

Like latex foam, memory foam is highly resistant to bacteria, mould, mildew and mites and may be a good option for allergy sufferers.

Choosing a new bed can sometimes be a little confusing if your not familiar with mattress terminology. At bedsonsale we’ve composed a list of common mattress terminology to make purchasing your bed a lot easier.

• BASE: A base is designed to support a mattress and acts as a shock absorber prolonging mattress life. A mattress and base together comprise a sleep set or ensemble providing prolonged support and durability.

• BONNELL COIL: An innerspring mattress coil with an hourglass shape.

• COMFORT LEVEL: Comfort level is the degree of softness of the mattress surface and is delivered to the body by the upholstery layers on top of the mattress.

• DURABILITY: The lifespan of a mattress with normal nightly use. A good base which properly supports the mattress will significantly impact on durability and extend the overall life of the sleep set.

• ENSEMBLE: The term used for a mattress and base combined.

• FOAM: Polyurethane foam is used as padding material in innerspring mattresses and forms the edges of hybrid waterbeds. It can also be used as the major supportive material.

• INNERSPRING MATTRESS: Most popular type of mattress with a spring construction.

• INNERSPRING UNIT: The coil / spring unit which forms the heart of an innerspring mattress.

• INSULATOR: A tough fiber padding, wire or netting that separates innerspring mattress coils form the cushioning and protects against the coils damaging the top layers of the mattress.

• LATEX MATTRESS: Quality mattress made from natural latex which increases softness and relieves pressure points.

• MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS: New technology foam mattress made form a synthetic material which reacts to body temperature and weight, conforming and molding the mattress to the shape of the body.

• PILLOW TOP MATTRESS: A top quilt treatment where a large pillow of soft materials is sewn over the entire surface of the mattress.

• POCKET COILS: Cylindrical innerspring mattress coils, enclosed in separate flexible fabric pockets. The pockets are attached to adjacent pockets.

• SUPPORT: Support is the type of reinforcement underneath the body provided by the innerspring system and is delivered to the back through the innerspring’s ability to resist downward pressure, which is applied to it from body weight.

• TICKING: The outer fabric covering on a mattress. These fabrics are prints or woven damasks, cotton and fabric combinations.