This great post was taken from : http://rue309.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/which-bed-which-pillow/
Recently, I have been asked by several patients which bed is right for them, or which bed is the best one to buy. The question also arises from time to time about when it is time to replace a mattress. "Which pillow is the right pillow?" is also a question that comes up quite frequently. Such simple questions rarely have a simple answer. In order to answer these questions, taking a look at what is available in the marketplace would be a good idea.
There are generally four types of beds available today. They are the traditional coil spring mattress, waterbeds, air beds, and foam beds. Each bed has distinct advantages, and some have disadvantages.
The Coil Spring Mattress
The traditional coil spring mattress can be bought in varying degrees of firmness. Soft, moderate firmness, firm, extra firm versions are available, many with or without a pillow top. At any given price point, the quality of the mattress made by any major manufacturer is about the same. One company simply cannot make a bed that is four times better than a competitor at the same price. When it comes to the traditional coil spring mattress, the perceived difference regarding which is better is a matter of personal preference. In other words, what is best for one person may not be at all good for another person.
Even the best coil spring mattresses last only about seven years. The primary determining factor of how long the mattress will last is the weight of the person sleeping on the bed. All other factors being equal, a 5′4" person who weighs 110 pounds will get a much longer life out of a mattress than a person who is 5"10" and weighs 260 pounds. If you can see or feel an indentation in the mattress, it is time to replace it. It does not matter whether the mattress is one year old, or seven, seeing or feeling an indentation is evidence that it is time to replace it. Seeing a depression in a $2000.00 mattress that is six months old is clear evidence of poor quality, regardless of who manufactured it.
Interestingly, the manufacturers of coil spring mattresses have added a memory foam option to several of their models. This appears to be somewhat of an endorsement of the true memory foam mattresses, discussed below.
Waterbeds
Waterbeds have been around for years. The modern waterbed is a soft-sided bed that you can use your classical linens with, and do not require special sheets. In addition, the modern waterbed has a variety of fiber-fill options, which dampen the wave action of the bed. In some beds, additional fiber-fill is available in the lumbar region for additional lumbar support.
Another improvement over the waterbeds of the 1960s and 1970s is the option of separate left and right bladders. With separate left and right bladders, each person can choose how much fiber-fill that is best for them. Another advantage of the separate bladders is the heat can be controlled separately for each side. With separate bladders, the wave action is also broken to some degree, therefore not disturbing the other person as much when one person turns over or gets up at night.
Waterbeds require a special frame rated for water. Elliott’s makes many distinctive frames, many of which are rated for water. These are quite a bit more tasteful than the boxy wooden frames of the 1970s.
Sleeping on a waterbed will generally provide a good nights rest for many people. A person, however, with a history of low back disc issues will not sleep well on a waterbed. In addition, rotator cuff injuries are often aggravated by sleeping on a waterbed, particularly when trying to sleep on the affected side or on the back.
Air Mattresses
Air mattresses are relatively new in the marketplace. With various pillow top options, different configurations are available to customize the bed for an individual’s personal preference. The primary advantage of the air mattress is each person can select the firmness of the mattress that suits them best.
When buying an air mattress, it is important to make sure that you cannot significantly feel the center seam between the left and right mattress. In the Select Comfort mattress, the seam is barely noticeable, and should be the standard that by which other air mattresses should be judged.
When experimenting to find the proper pressure in the mattress, any given selection should be tried for a few nights before making any further adjustments. Adjusting the mattress every night will only lead to frustration. Once the proper number is found, you will enjoy a restful nights sleep. One mistake that is often made is that once the number has been determined, that is the proper number forever. Over time, the body changes, and the bed may require periodic changes to the air pressure in the mattress. Weight loss, weight gain, working out, and a change in daily activities are all factors that can affect the proper setting.
Memory Foam Mattresses
Foam mattresses are becoming more popular these days. These are usually called memory foam mattresses, Tempur-Pedic being the most popular brand. Of all mattresses available, memory foam mattresses are the best choice for most people.
Memory foam mattresses have the advantage that they conform to your body when you lay down regardless of the position in which you sleep. The mattress also does not transmit movement, so a restless sleeper does not easily disturb a light sleeper. Memory foam mattresses are unique in the sense that they afford proper support for many body types. In addition, many people who have spinal issues, such as a disc herniation, scoliosis, or low back pain often find relief when sleeping on a memory foam mattress.
The Tempur-Pedic mattress is available in several models. Variations in the supporting layers and the top layer provide different levels of support. Again, within the Tempur-Pedic line, the mattress that feels the best is the one to purchase. The decision should not be made on price. The most expensive mattress in the product line may not be the best one for you.
Memory foam mattresses generally cost around $2000.00 or more, and is well worth the price when one considers that they spend roughly one-third of their life in bed.
Which Bed?
When a person goes to sleep, when they wake up in the morning they should feel better than when they went to bed. Consistently waking up in the morning with aches and pains is a sure sign the mattress is either worn out, or the wrong mattress for the person sleeping on it. The age of the mattress does not matter. The price of the mattress does not matter. If you consistently feel worse when waking up in the morning than when you went to bed, it is the mattress that is causing the problem.
When laying on a mattress, only one of two things will happen. The mattress will conform to your body, or your body will conform to the mattress. Obviously, we would want the mattress to conform to your body, and this is the primary factor to consider when selecting a mattress. If your body, however, must be forced to conform to the mattress, you will not be able to get comfortable, and wake up with aches and pains. The key then, is to find a mattress which best conforms to your body, therefore providing the best support.
So, when it comes down to it, a bed is a matter of personal preference. Selecting the proper bed is a matter of finding the bed that provides the best support for your body type. When trying out a bed, try all positions in which you would normally sleep. The bed should feel comfortable in all the positions for everyone who will sleep on it. Do not compromise, if the bed does not feel comfortable in the showroom, it will not feel comfortable at home. Keep shopping.
Which Pillow?
Consistently waking up with back pain is a sure sign of the wrong mattress. Likewise, consistently waking up with neck or shoulder pain is a sign of the wrong pillow.
Contoured pillows, with a curve to support the neck, are generally best for people who sleep on their back. Memory foam pillows generally provide the best support. The contoured pillow, however, is not the best choice for people who sleep on their side. Contoured pillows, incidentally, have a thick side and a thin side to them. Many people mistakenly sleep on the thinner side. They are designed to be slept on the thicker side.
For the side sleeper, the most important factor in selecting a pillow is keeping the head level. If the pillow is too large or too small, the neck will be on an angle, tilted to one side. Just as with the contoured pillow for the back sleeper, special pillows are made for side sleepers, and are designed to keep the spine in alignment during sleep.
When trying out a pillow, it is best to try the pillow on your own bed. This is because your mattress may be firmer or softer than the one in the store. Make sure the pillow is returnable if it has not been taken out of the plastic packaging. Since the pillow is not returnable after it is opened, don’t take it out of the plastic container until you are sure it will work.
Certain types of pillows should be avoided. A $6.99 pillow from a discount store is one type. It will last about a week or two. Feather pillows, which are usually upwards of $100.00, are another type, particularly for side sleepers. While feather pillows feel soft and comfortable, they are usually deficient in the quantity of feathers, so the feathers move during the night. This changes the support to the head and neck several times during the night.
Choosing the right bed and pillow can make the difference between a good, restful night of sleep, or a night of tossing and turning, and living in pain. Compromise is not an option for a place you spend eight hours a day.
Memory Mattress, Memory Foam Pillows
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