Last Updated on March 1, 2024
A good night’s sleep is something that we all want. In this sense, your choice in mattresses play a key role in determining the quality of sleep you get.
Two things are critical when it comes to mattress design: spinal alignment and pressure intensity at strain points. These factors are mostly interrelated. In this article, let us dig a bit deeper into some of the crucial areas of mattress science.
Major Mattress Specifications Explained
Density
It’s basically the measure of weight of a given material by cubic foot. It’s a benchmark for durability, quality, as well as the longevity of foam. However, remember that density isn’t directly correlated with just the feel of the material. It’s even possible that a soft substance may have relatively higher density, or even vice versa.
Coil Count
It refers to the number of springs in any mattress. While citing a higher number of coil count is a common sales strategy, you should know that it can be deceptive. After reaching a specific number of springs, it just becomes irrelevant. It’s ultimately the quality and type of spring that matters.
Mattress Performance Characteristics
Point Elasticity
It’s an important yet overlooked characteristic that many mattress shoppers may not always be aware of. It basically measures the ability of the mattress’ material to compress without leaving an impact on rest of its body.
Support
Support is one of the most crucial points to consider when it comes to choosing the right mattress. It determines how evenly your body will sink in the mattress. The goal here is to find appropriate support level for keeping the natural curvature of the back when sleeping at night.
A mattress with too light support will allow the body to sink too far in. However, too strong support may not be desirable as the natural curve of the spine will fail to be accommodated. So aim for a moderate support for a comfortable position.
Temperature Regulation
The temperature of your body can be regulated by airflow level through various layers in the mattress. Choose materials like wicking fabrics to draw out moisture, improving airflow and helping to dispel heat.
Spinal Alignment
The goal of a well-constructed mattress is to keep the spine aligned when sleeping, while keeping the body cool and at ease. These features all contribute to optimizing comfort and sleep quality.
Moreover, our sleeping position plays a major role in determining our spinal alignment. Some researchers have found out that ‘stomach sleepers’ need higher support, while ‘back sleepers’ need a bit less. Studies have also shown that there are also differences in the preferences of male and female mattress shoppers.
Men for example, need a higher point elasticity to achieve proper spine alignment because they have more pronounced shoulders. Women on the other hand, generally need a higher point elasticity to get the same result because of their hips.
A custom-made bed or mattress can be effective in achieving optimal spinal alignment while sleeping, especially for people with more pronounced body contours.
A mattress must make you feel relaxed and supported while you sleep. So consider all the above points before buying one!