If you are a restless sleeper or someone who wakes up in pain after a long rest, we believe it could be because of the mattress. It’s time to consider investing in a quality mattress over a quick fix. While this means you may spend a little more money, the higher quality mattress should last longer and provide a higher quality of comfort. Since sleep is a part of staying healthy, we take our sleeping seriously around here! 😁 These are our opinions and recommendations based on our own experiences with these mattress styles and brands.
Mattress shopping can be AWFUL! We have never been able to pick the right mattress by laying on it for 30 seconds in a store. However we did a lot of EXPENSIVE trial and error, then a bunch of research; asked our families and friends… and finally found mattresses we absolutely LOVE. Now we’re sharing that information with you in the hope you will find one you love too!
MATTRESS TYPES
There are so many mattresses to choose from, but we stay stick with the three types below to assure you are getting a quality mattress. Before you start shopping, be sure to know how you (and your partner) like sleeping. Assess your sleep habits:
- Do you like sleeping on super soft surfaces?
- Do you find yourself over heating?
- Do you snore?
- Do you have neck or back pain in your awake life?
- Do you have neck or back pain in your sleep life?
- Do you prop yourself up with a lot of pillows?
- Do you like laying as flat as a board?
- Do you have restless legs?
- Do your sleep habit answers differ from your partner’s?
Pillow Top: A thick billowy pad on top of the mattress makes it like sleeping on a cloud for some people, while others say this softness is the cause of waking up in pain. Make sure you are not the latter before you buy.
Who it’s best for:
- People who sleep easily anywhere
- If you find hammocks comfortable to sleep in for long periods of time
- If you do not like sleeping on firm mattresses
Memory Foam: The original LUXURY mattress. They call it memory foam because it contours to your body, and then springs back to it’s regular mattress form, like it “remembers.”
Who it’s best for:
- People with neck or back issues
- People who don’t like traditional or pillow top mattresses
- Restless sleepers
Gel: Similar to a memory foam in that it contours to your body, gel is the modern twist; it’s all the contour, with more support, and less stuffiness.
Who it’s best for:
- People who get hot when they sleep
- People who don’t like memory foam, pillow tops, or traditional mattresses
- People with back or neck issues
- Restless sleepers
Memory Foam with Gel (We’ve seen it advertised as “Aerated Latex” and “Polymer”): It combines both a gel and a memory foam for the best of both worlds!
Who it’s best for:
- People who get hot when they sleep
- People with neck or back issues
- People who don’t like traditional or pillow top mattresses
- Restless sleepers
THE MATTRESSES WE BOUGHT
(AND LOVE!)
Ghost Bed
Why we love it:
“This mattress is a combination of gel and modern memory foam. It keeps me cooler than our Temperpedic bed did, without sacrificing the comfort of memory foam. This mattress is an absolute dream and I love it!”
AWESOME PILLOW ALERT: We also got the Ghost Bed pillows and they are like sleeping on a perfectly contoured pile of our wishes and dreams. (Meaning, WE LOVE THEM!)
Tempur-Pedic
Why we love it:
“When my husband developed a pinched nerve in his shoulder/neck, this was the only mattress we could find that offered him comfort and the ability to finally sleep and get rest.”
“We bought a Tempur-Pedic mattress for our guest bedroom, and everyone always asks what kind of mattress it is because of how comfortably they slept. We love it!”
AWESOME PILLOW ALERT: We also bought a Tempur-Pedic pillow. It is much smaller in size than we expected but it is still a great pillow. It’s less dense than our gel pillow, and much thinner than a bamboo pillow, but it is still a very comforting accessory. It is especially helpful for neck issues, and is a lot lighter than a gel pillow, which makes it great for travel too.
Purple Bed
Why we love it:
“This GelFlex grid bed is like a slightly firmer version of our memory foam bed, without being too firm. It’s firmer in that the gel does not sink down as much as a memory foam does. It contours around the body instead of sinking into it. It still contours to my body, and reacts like memory foam, but it a firmer way. It also keeps me cooler, since I tend to sleep on the warm side.”
AWESOME PILLOW ALERT: We also got the Purple Pillow, and it is so good for my husband’s neck issues. Note: This pillow is so dense it’s HEAVY. Not one you will easily throw around, but that is exactly why he loves it, it never moves in the night. It stays put!
ADJUSTABLE BEDS take comfort to the next level!
We cannot emphasize enough, how much we and our house guests LOVE our adjustable beds! A “split King” makes adjusting the bed for an individual’s comfort possible. Adjustable beds enable you to raise and lower the head and foot independently. They often come with extra features like a soothing vibration massage, USB ports, night lights, etc. The combination of our own mattress choice with our individual adjustable beds make our sleep so restful, we hate having to sleep in any other bed while on vacation.
- “Zero Gravity” positioning for what is widely credited as the most comfortable sleep position.
- Ideal for couples when purchased as a “Split King” because you can adjust to your individual comfort; mattresses are purchased as two separate “twin XL” beds and adjustable bed frames. The beds still fit right next to each other as if it were a whole mattress but allows for individuals to sleep in the position that is unique to them.
- Great for snorers; you can adjust the head of the mattress to be slightly inclined to alleviate snoring.
- Awesome for reading in bed, watching tv, or resting in a more upright position.
- No need for box springs anymore!
- Does not require a special mattress to use an adjustable bed frame.
- Available with bells and whistles like a massage feature, USB ports, and/or led lighting.
- Many come with a remote AND an app you can download to your phone so you can adjust it whether you lost the remote or ran out of batteries.
DeAnna & company 