I can’t sleep well, and I can’t get rid of my fatigue. My body feels heavy when I wake up in the morning. It may be due to the mattress. Like pillows, mattresses are essential bedding. It is an important item that supports the whole body while sleeping. A doctor who is familiar with sleep will explain the effects of the mattress on the body and how to choose the ideal mattress.
The key to choosing the ideal mattress is whether it is easy to turn over
Recently, we often hear the terms “low-resilience pillow” and “low-resilience mattress”.Japan is one of the countries with the shortest sleep time in the world. Many children and office workers suffer from chronic sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep can lead to daytime sleepiness, decreased motivation, and memory deterioration, which can interfere with daily life for some people.
Length and quality of sleep are important. If you don’t get enough sleep, try to improve the quality of your sleep. This time, we will focus on mattresses that support the entire body, among the bedding that supports a good night’s sleep.
When a human being sleeps, he/she may move his/her body by lying on his/her back or on his/her side for a while, then tossing and turning. In order to get a good night’s sleep, it is necessary to have bedding that satisfies two contradictory conditions: a stable sleeping posture and smooth rolling over.
Sleeping posture stability is checked by lying on your back and sideways. Lying on your back puts less strain on your muscles, allowing you to relax and sleep. When lying on your back, the ideal position is similar to when you are standing naturally. Specifically, check to see if you can maintain a gentle S-shaped curve from your neck to your spine and hips. A mattress that lowers your lower back and buttocks not only results in poor sleep quality but also causes back pain.
If you are lying on your side, put your lower shoulder forward a little and try to sleep on the mattress. At that time, it is important that the line passing through the center of the face and the line from the center of the chest to the abdomen are straight and parallel to the floor. If the two lines are crooked or misaligned, the mattress firmness and pillow height are not correct.
A healthy person rolls over 10 to 30 times a night to restore blood circulation to the lower part of the body. Therefore, if you cannot turn over smoothly, the shoulders, lower back, and other places where body pressure is applied will be burdened, leading to physical discomfort such as stiff shoulders and lower back pain. Rolling over also serves as a switch to switch the depth and type of sleep. The reason why you don’t feel like you slept well the next morning after sleeping in a soft bed is because you didn’t roll over well.
To check if you have turned over, first bend your elbows, cross your arms in front of your chest, and place your palms on the opposite collarbones. Then bend both knees at right angles. If this position allows your upper and lower body to become one, and you can roll over without straining your lower back or legs, then you have an ideal mattress.
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What is the difference between “memory foam mattress” and “high resilience mattress”?
Low resilience is a popular material used in mattresses and pillows. Memory foam mattresses are derived from materials developed to reduce the impact on astronauts during space rocket launches. It is characterized by the fact that it sinks naturally according to the weight of your body, giving you a feeling of being wrapped in it. In addition, since the body pressure is distributed, you do not feel pressure only on parts of the body such as the waist and shoulders.
However, a low-resilience mattress that fits easily to the body tends to be difficult to turn over. Another drawback is that the material is susceptible to changes in temperature, soft in the summer and hard in the winter, and does not fit until it is warmed by body temperature. In addition, some of them are not very breathable, and in hot and humid Japan, it is easy for moisture to build up, so diligent maintenance is required.
On the other hand, a “high resilience” mattress distributes the body pressure evenly and pushes the body up after the body pressure sinks into the mattress. This power supports the body during sleep and makes it easier to turn over. There are various types of high resilience materials, but most of them have a three-dimensional mesh structure that does not change with temperature and is extremely breathable. In addition, compared to regular mattresses and low-resilience mattresses, it is less likely to sag even after long-term use, and has multiple powers, making it more durable.
“Breathability” and “durability” are also points of mattress selection
Memory foam and high-resilience mattresses each have their own characteristics. In recent years, high-resilience mattresses have been attracting attention because they are used by athletes, but the relatively high price is a drawback. However, memory foam mattresses from famous brands are quite expensive.
In any case, the important points when choosing a mattress are “not too hard, not too soft”, “easy to turn over”, and “highly breathable”. Furthermore, since many of them are expensive, durability and ease of maintenance are also important.
How to feel hardness and softness varies from person to person. When choosing a mattress, try it out at a store if possible. Instead of just sleeping on your back, try sleeping on your side and see if you can roll over smoothly. Finding the right mattress for you to get a good night’s sleep.