Despite common misconceptions to the contrary it isnt necessary to have a
hard mattress for it to be good for you, as long as there is a good quality
support structure within it then the amount of padding on the top of the
mattress is purely down to personal taste.
There are many different types of mattress available such as the continuous
coil, open coil, memory foam, pure foam and the pocket sprung mattress which
after being developed by English bed maker Vi-Spring Beds in 1901 has quickly become
one of the most popular and commonly used types of mattress.
Unlike the
continuous coil mattress which uses one continuous length of wire a
pocket sprung mattress is made of individual springs placed in separate fabric
nested pockets. This means that each spring can move independently of the next
in order to respond to the sleepers body weight more effectively, this is
particularly useful if you require extra support from your mattress. A good sign
of craftsmanship and the quality of your mattress is if the stitched sides of
your mattress are hand stitched.
Pocket sprung mattresses provide support to each part of your body in a way that
a continuous coil cannot. They are particularly effective if you sleep on your
side as the separately working springs are able to provide support for the
different pressure points on your spine.
The pocket spring mattress is also preferable for couples sharing a double bed
as it ensures that each is much less affected by the movement of their partner.
The individuality of the springs also helps in cases where there is a size
variation between the partners.
Caring for your mattress
When you have bought a new mattress it is important to leave it to air for
around 2-4 hours in order for it to freshen and remove the storage smell. This
should be repeated on a weekly basis by turning back the linen.
Depending on which type of sprung mattress you have it can be important to turn
your mattress regularly. When sleeping your weight compresses the mattress and
its springs which can lead to dips in the surface, this reduces the support of
the mattress and can lead to a poor quality sleep and back pain. It is however
possible to buy a one-sided no turn mattress which prevents these problems if
you are worried about turning a heavy mattress.
