What kind of mattress is best for you? These sleep experts have the answer

Everybody needs sleep. Just how much we need varies depending on who we are and what phase of life we’re in. However, according to the 2020 Swiss National Health Report (in German), seven to eight hours a night seems to be the right amount for the «majority of the adult population». It’s enough for the body and mind to recover sufficiently and prevent sleep problems and muscle tension. Nevertheless, simply getting enough hours of sleep won’t necessarily guarantee the best rest. External factors such as background noise, room temperature and level of darkness also come into the mix when determining your sleep quality.

Besides pillows and blankets, one of the main things people like to optimise is their mattress. Ever had one of those heavenly nights sleeping in a top-notch hotel bed? When you ask about it at reception, the staff will often matter-of-factly tell you you’ve slept on a box-spring mattress. But are box-springs really the mother of all mattresses? And what should you look out for when mattress shopping? Sleep experts Alexander Malzl and Dr. Dominik Heib from the Salzburg Sleep Institute («Salzburger Schlafinstitut») SchlafTEQ (website in German) have the answers.

Let’s say I’m a stomach sleeper. How important are my personal sleeping preferences when choosing a new mattress? And should I stick to sleeping on my belly, or is it better to consider a new position?

Alexander Malzl: It’s comparable to working at a desk. You shouldn’t sit with your back hunched over or with your body at an angle to your screen, as this puts strain on your spine and, consequently, your posture. Since you spend about a third of your life sleeping, the same applies to your mattress – or sleep itself. So, getting the right sleeping position is a serious business. While it might not be a big deal for young people, you become more sensitised to it the older you get. In any case, lying on your stomach isn’t good for your spine, as it overstretches it.

Dr. Dominik Heib: General sleeping preferences are very easily changed. Take sleep apnoea, a condition that makes you stop breathing in your sleep, for example. It really does necessitate a change in sleeping habits because it primarily affects back sleepers. In the condition’s initial stages, i.e. before the person gets a breathing mask, attempts are made to train them to sleep in a different position. This is usually done by placing foam or a tennis ball under their back. After a few weeks, even the most committed back sleeper will become a side sleeper.

When is it worth getting checked over by a sleep specialist before buying a mattress?

Dr. Heib: The first question that’ll always come up is: what specific sleep problems do you have, and what are the causes? Are they orthopaedic problems, such waking up in pain due to pressure points? Or is it a different kind of issue entirely: something psychological or a medical condition like we were just taking about, such as sleep apnoea?

Malzl: When mattresses are posed as a solution to sleep issues, it tends to be orthopaedic problems taking centre stage. That’s especially true if the pressure points on a mattress haven’t been adjusted correctly. When this happens, it can be analysed and adjusted precisely, resulting in crucial improvements. By the way, a sleep analysis – in other words, the first step in buying a new mattress – is often free of charge.

When’s the right time to buy a new mattress? And what’s important to consider when picking one out?

Malzl: As a matter of principle, you should think about whether you have sleep problems caused by lying down. Does the mattress cause problems you didn’t have before going to bed? Do you wake up in the morning or during the night with back pain even though you didn’t have any before? If your mattress is too firm in the shoulder area, maybe your arms falls asleep regularly (an issue that often affects side sleepers). The second aspect is the lifespan of the mattress, which can easily be eight years if it’s a good model. Decent mattresses can sag over time too, though. And don’t forget the slatted bed frame...

**So, should the mattress and slatted frame be considered as one?

Malzl: Yes, most of the time. It doesn’t make much sense to put a high-tech mattress on a rubbish slatted frame. That’s not to say that the frame has to have any special features. It’s more that it should provide enough stability and ventilation for the full potential of the mattress to be realised.

What’s a high-tech mattress? Are those the box-spring beds you get in hotels? Or do you mean memory foam mattresses?

Malzl: «Memory» just means that there’s a delay in the mattress material rising. In other words, you lie down, your body sinks into the foam, moulds a shape and if you want to move out of that shape, it’s a little more difficult. However, it has to be said that memory foam mattresses aren’t for everyone. In fact, they bother some people.

Dr. Heib: A high-tech mattress is a multi-zone mattress. «Multi», incidentally, is more than just four or seven levels of firmness. Our research data from sleep simulators shows that mattresses with three, five or seven zones of varying rigidity don’t do the job for everyone. That’s partly down to the fact that men and women have different physical characteristics, especially when you look at the shoulder-hip ratio.

How personalised can a mattress actually be?

Malzl: First of all, you could differentiate between mattresses for men and mattresses for women. You could also determine the different degrees of firmness. Or you could look at fully flexible or fully customised mattresses. These are the ones we consider high-tech; the foam’s individually adapted to each zone of the body over the mattress’s entire two-metre length.

And is the material in degrees of hardness always foam? Or are other materials used too?

Malzl: A great many different materials are an option, including air or even water. Mind you, it’s difficult to get water into a specific shape. However, latex or innersprings can be used too. Cold-cure foam tends to be used at the moment because it’s the most efficient to process and easiest to customise. In terms of sustainability, it’s also ahead of latex or spring mattresses because it requires less energy to produce and is easier to recycle.

What about mattress hygiene? What are the benefits of a mattress protector and are there any «don’ts» to consider when using them?

Malzl: If your mattress is on the softer side, having an overly thick mattress protector that doesn’t stretch much will be counterproductive. Basically, you should think of the whole system from the top down, using what we call the «recumbent orthopaedic principle». According to this principle, the surface of the mattress should be as soft as possible to relieve strain on the muscles.

Today’s high-end mattresses boast good materials that absorb moisture, fluids and heat well, then release them again quickly. Whether or not a mattress protector is still desirable or necessary depends on individual preferences and hygiene needs.

How worthwhile an investment is a good mattress? How much should a mattress cost?

Malzl: The more complex a mattress is, the more expensive it is. Cutting techniques and materials play a key role in this. Low-cost mattresses, especially ones sold online, often come onto the market with cheaper foams and don’t last very long. From a sustainability point of view, people should think twice about whether buying a mattress like that is sensible.

Dr. Heibl: Another point that might be worth mentioning is that in mass-produced mattresses, the foam layers used are usually permanently glued together. That means the mattress is delivered to your home and you have to live with it for the next few years until you replace it. Meanwhile, it’s almost impossible to fully automate the manufacturing process for highly customisable mattresses. In these products, the layers are inserted by hand, not glued together. The main advantage of that is that you can swap layers out. For example, you could replace the worn-out top layer if the hard core is still good. Mattresses like these are considerably more expensive. However, in my view, the longevity and sustainability benefits outweigh the cost.