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Bed Tips and Trivia(Goofiest Topic W/O)May 14 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line There's more to buying a mattress than just sleeping on it!
When the Pilgrims arrived in the Western hemisphere, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes when you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. That's where the phrase, "goodnight, sleep tight" came from. This was also the origin of the "daybed" which didn't have ropes that needed tightening. Rather than having to retighten a bed after a nap, people slept on "daybeds" if they needed to doze. That's not about using a mattress, but I thought it was interesting and worth sharing. Here are some ideas for how to use a mattress (so that I don't get NH'd for being off-topic.) 1) You want to be able to sleep on whatever mattress you purchase. Therefore, the first thing to do when making this purchase is to go to the mattress store in comfy clothes in which you can lay down. Bring your pillow if you use one. Bring your sleep partner if you use one of those, too. Find the bed you're considering and lay down in your usual positions for at least 20 minutes. If it's not comfy for 20 minutes, are you really going to want to sleep on it for the next 10 + years? 2) Mattresses are great for taking your aggressions out on. It is acceptable to beat your mattress. Mattresses and rugs are two of the few things in life it is acceptable to beat. This is great for relieving tensions. Okay, more trivia...I love this one... The Great Bed of Ware is on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It originally measured 18 feet six inches wide by 12 feet long and was elaborately carved and canopied. And could accommodate 68 people. Consider this the next time your children have a sleepover! 3) It might be time to consider a new bed if you're starting to wake up with pains, soreness, or stiffness on a regular basis. It is definitely time to think about a new bed if you're not sleeping as well now as a year ago; or if the best night's sleep you had recently was in a bed other than your own. If you can see visible signs of wear and tear, it's time to consider replacing your mattress. More trivia: Louis XIV was fond of remaining in bed (gotta appreciate what he was feeling!) He often held court in the royal bedroom. He owned 413 beds and displayed a special liking for the ultra spacious and ostentatious variety. In other words, when they say it's a Louis XIV bed, they might be telling the truth. 4) When you get a new mattress, ask the dealer about instructions on how to best install the it. (Hint, unless it is a bed for a sleeper sofa, or a futon mattress, you probably don't want to fold it so it fits in your car's backseat.) Some new mattresses (not all) should be turned to help smooth out contours and equalize the wear and tear that normally happens. Talk to the person who sold the bed for advice. 5) Don't pick up a mattress by the handles to transport it. The handles are to help you move or rotate the mattress on a foundation. 6) Vacuum a mattress to clean it. If you're going to try anything else, use the minimum liquid possible. If at all possible, let it air dry a couple of days (maybe you can plan a romantic weekend trip) to make sure that the mattress doesn't mold. Much easier to use a good mattress pad that you can throw into the wash. 7) If you're replacing a mattress, consider replacing the foundation (box spring) too. There is actually a difference in sleep technology. Certain mattresses are made to go with certain foundations. Having them paired will give you better sleep and will help the mattress last longer. More trivia: Many people think a firm mattress keeps the back straight. Nope! It forces the sleeper to turn over more often in bed thus preventing stiffness that comes from staying too long in one position. 8) Medical experts recommend sleeping on your right side to improve digestion...at least that's what the man at the sleep store said. I have nothing to validate this, but it definitely belongs in the how to use mattress category! 9) Mattresses come in four standard sizes; king, queen, full and twin. Since most of us move about fifty times a night (assuming we don't sleep with a cat,dog, or small child that pins us into one position), it is worth buying the biggest bed your budget and your bedroom can fit. A twin is 38"x74.5". A full is 53"x74.5". A queen is 60"x79.5". A king is 76"x79.5". A California king is 72"x83". Note that a king is twice as wide as a twin. If push comes to shove, two twins pushed together with something to cover the split can replace a king. An idea on guest beds: When the time comes to purchase a guest bed, consider who your guests are going to be and how long will they be staying. Do you like your in-laws? If you hesitate before answering this question, maybe you should consider skimping on the quality of your guestbed. Is your spouse's best friend from college an annoying slob? Maybe you should consider a twin bed. It's shorter than he's probably used to. Is your normal guest someone you really love having around? Then maybe you want to spend a little more and get them to hang out longer. This is something you'll have to decide. Hopefully, you've laughed and found this useful, too. The best advice on bedding is to budget for a mattress as if you're going to have it for 10 years. You probably will.  |
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