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Why thread counts
A good night’s sleep is essential to your health and wellbeing.
Experts agree adults should have seven to nine hours of quality rest every night to allow the body to rejuvenate.
Anything less and you are likely to feel tired and ill-tempered in the short term and could become more susceptible to serious health issues in the long term.
Warm milk may be an old remedy to help you nod off but there are several other steps you can take to get some sleep.
Avoid exercising or eating a heavy or spicy meal shortly before retiring for the night, ensure the bedroom is quiet and at a comfortable temperature, and do not have a television in the room.
However, by far the most important element of a good night’s sleep is a comfortable mattress specifically suited to your needs.
“The human health is affected greatly by the restful sleeping experience, not to mention that a good night’s sleep really creates a good attitude during the day,” says Kay Meyers, interior designer at Woods Furniture and Design. “The body needs support for a comfortable position and every individual has a different comfort level, thus the variety of mattresses.”
Anna Rose Washburn, of Marksons Furniture, agrees comfort is central to helping you to fall asleep, and stay asleep.
“A suitable mattress attributes to your state of mind when you rise in the morning. A rested body is much more productive in the work place,” she says.
When deciding which mattress is right for you, the experts at both Woods Furniture and Design and Marksons Furniture recommend simply lying on their show mattresses to get a feel for what you like before you buy.
Sizes are commonly referred to as twin (39” x 75), full (54” x 75”), queen (60” x 80”) and king (80” x 80”). Tall people may opt for a California king (72” x 84”) or an extra long twin (39” x 80”).
If you have a partner, shop together to make sure you find a mattress that is comfortable and suits your respective needs.
Mattress construction varies from traditional inner springs and coils to water mattresses and air futons. For extra comfort, many mattresses come with a pillow-top option. Some mattresses are now made from latex and memory foam.
“Latex foam mattresses are produced from natural gum from trees and offer a very long lifespan,” Anna Rose explains.
“Memory foam mattresses are available with many different combinations of other foams and, in my opinion, the most important feature is the way the mattress is assembled with durable frames around the memory foam to protect the edges of the foams and to allow it to maintain its original shape.”
Kay believes foam mattresses are a great choice as they are dust and odour-free and resistant to mildew and bacteria.
“A foam mattress offers a quiet sleep and little to no movement as the sleeper moves about in the bed,” Kay says. “The durability makes it excellent value for the consumer’s money. These benefits are more challenging to achieve with the conventional spring-method construction.”
When it comes to combining budget and comfort, Kay recommends the Sealy Posturepedic Traditional Innerspring Mattress and Scandinavian Foam Mattress. Both these styles are stocked at Woods Furniture and Design.
“The Sealy Posturepedic patented spring configuration is durable and comfortable with a range of firm to soft-pillowed styling for the individual preference,” she says.
“The Scandinavian Foam Mattress structure is high quality foam layers supporting the body well and is recommended locally by several doctors in Cayman.”
Marksons Furniture, which stocks five styles in five sizes, has a bed with a 312-coil count and six gauge springs as the starting point for their mattresses, with the firmest having 487 coils.
“We find that many people with back problems have to use firm beds,” says Anna Rose.
“We offer the same mattress with plush layers added on both sides of the mattress, which still provides the strong support while offering some plushness.”
Marksons Furniture even has an airbed with a Comfortaire mattress that has dual air control, allowing its occupants personalised settings.
It is also essential to make sure the foundation support is in good condition, Kay recommends.
Finally, it is worth buying a fitted cover to help prolong the life of the mattress.
Marksons Furniture has a range that acts as a stain protector, waterproof cover and offers dust mite and allergy protection.
So, for a good night’s rest, choose the mattress that will help you sleep like a baby.
