Mattress support

If you're looking for a new mattress, you'll hear a lot about the "support" you need.

Why do you need to be so well supported during sleep? How does the construction of a mattress affect the support you get? How can you tell if your mattress is supporting you properly? These are all good questions. Mattress manufacturers, retailers and sleep experts are constantly talking about the support your mattress gives you. Here, we explain what we mean by "support".

How a mattress works

When you are in bed, gravity is pulling you down. The job of the mattress is to support you, effectively working as an anti-gravity device. It needs to be able to hold you up without putting any strain on your muscles, so that you can sleep deeply and comfortably.

For such a simple concept, the design and research that goes into producing a supportive mattress is incredible. Designers need to take into account a number of factors:

• Weight - heavier people need more support
• Height - larger mattresses must give good support from head to toe
• Sleeping position - we change our sleeping position 70 times a night on average. We need to be supported in every position we take
• Key areas - the mid-section of the mattress is important because it supports the spine
• Responsiveness - the mattress must respond quickly to changes in position
• Recovery - the mattress must be able to recover when not in use
• Longevity - mattresses need to give support to the sleeper for a number of years

All of these factors are taken into account when a mattress system is designed. Mattresses are given various ratings for support, varying from soft to firm. A soft sprung mattress will have coils made from thinner wire than a firm mattress, and may use different fillings and ticking to achieve the desired result. The variations in mattress design and construction, and the different ways that manufacturers rate their mattresses is one of the main reasons you should always try out several mattresses in the showroom before shopping online for great deals.

Mattress Next Day is probably the largest mattress superstore on the internet. Selling a wide range of mattresses from leading manufacturers, we can offer quality mattresses at fantastic prices. Our next day delivery service is free or, if you prefer, you can select your own delivery date. We can even guarantee delivery before 9.30am on request. Take a look at our range of mattresses now at www.mattressnextday.co.uk, or call us on 0844 3911 222 for more information.