Taking care of your mattress

Here's all you need to know about your mattress

Any doctor will tell you that a good night sleep is extremely important. And one of the basic requirements of sound sleep is the elusive 'perfect' mattress. But how do you distinguish between all the different varieties available? Anand Nichani, an expert of mattress technology gives us some pointers.

Are coir mattresses better than foam ones?

That is a misconception most people have. Foam mattresses are known for its extraordinary capacity for adapting to the pressure exercised by the body and to the body heat. The heat makes materials malleable and all polyurethanes are subjected to this. Memo foam mattress responds mainly to the pressure of the body rather than to the heat; as we know that heat interacts much slower than the weight, we can easily presume that it would take longer to adapt and recuperate the original shape. And this feature makes you 'wake up feeling fresh'.

In the case of a coir mattress, which is basically hard, it does not take the body shape and this creates pressure points, hindering a good night's sleep. Added to this, coir tends to gets compressed when body rests on it. Over a period of time, it does not regain back its original shape leading to sagging of the mattress.

How much does a mattress affect quality sleep and relaxation?

It is necessary for us to get complete rest especially when we spend 1/3rd of our life on it. Accordingly, the mattress on which we sleep needs to be firm, yet gentle. If too hard, it is uncomfortable and hinders the quality of sleep. Only when the body is gets quality sleep, we feel rejuvenated and relaxed.

A mattress, in order to be proportionate to our body and to offer 100 per cent of all its comfort quality must be 20 cms longer than us and at least 160 cm wide if sleeping in two. If sleeping on a single mattress the width must be at least 90 cm in order to allow natural movement during the night.

As the distribution of weight differs on the basis of our body-type, the perception of support and comfort is also different among us. So, it is very important to consider the variables that influence our rest when we sleep with another person. While sleeping on the same mattress, the pressure created by two different bodies is not the same.

Foam mattresses with memory are extremely soft giving comfort to the body and against bed sores. It is highly breathable.

Tips on how to take care of mattresses and how to clean a mattress:

-A mattress must be laid on a plain surface.

-Dimension of the mattress should be selected precisely.

-Mattresses should have exclusive fabrics with zipper, which can be easily removed, dry cleaned and put back for use.