Quality of mattresses matters to health and comfort

Quality of mattresses matters to health and comfort

Rikza Abdullah, Contributor, Jakarta

As we spend about one third of our lives in bed, on which we
sleep to restore our health after hours of work, choosing
mattresses that are most suitable for us individually and do not
drive us to toss and turn frequently is very important.

Unsuitable mattresses -- mostly those that are too hard, too
soft or lumpy and uneven -- may deprive us of adequate sleep.
Psychologists, as quoted by the U.S.-based National Sleep
Foundation, say that inadequate sleep increases risks of a number
of health conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.

Furthermore, sleep deprivation also affects cognition,
performance and mood. Lack of sleep, for example, may cause
people to score badly on performance tests and alertness scales,
and there is growing evidence linking inadequate sleep with
anger, anxiety and sadness.

Sleep deprivation may stem from our mistakes in choosing
mattresses. And guidance on how to choose a mattress before
buying, therefore, is very important.

Lim Heng Cheng, general manager of PT Slumberland Indonesia,
gave advice on Thursday about the main factors that a consumer
should take into account before buying a good mattress were not
its physical appearance or its price tag.

Slumberland Indonesia is a mattress producer jointly owned by
PT Bumi Raya Utama of Indonesia and Li & Fung Distribution of
Hong Kong. The company produces beds under the brand name of the
United Kingdom-based bed producer Slumberland.

"Don't be swayed by the physical appearance and color of a
mattress although it gives a good first impression. Remember, you
will soon put a bed-sheet and spread over it anyway," Lim said.

"Beware of shops that offer additional discounts. You could be
lured to buy something that offers a good dealer's incentive to
him and not value for the money to you," he said. "Avoid a cheap
price and look for the best value."

Bob Nijkrake, marketing manager of PT King Koil International
Indonesia, told The Jakarta Post that a consumer should consider
four factors -- support, comfort, size as well as quality and
durability -- when searching for the right mattress.

He explained that a good mattress should support the spine and
help it maintain its proper shape. A very hard mattress could be
uncomfortable because it could force the spine to arch or bow
instead of relax as a body normally should. It could also create
painful pressure at the shoulders and hips where body weight is
concentrated during sleep. A very soft mattress, however, lacks
support, allowing the spine to sag and placing stress on the
muscles and ligaments. This might cause misalignment of the spine
over time.

On comfort, "only you can decide what will be the most
comfortable bedding combination for you. Put on comfortable
clothes and lie down on a mattress for five to 10 minutes before
buying," he said.

He said a user should make sure that the mattress was big
enough for him to turn completely and, at least, six inches
longer than his/her body.

The quality of construction, he said, would determine how long
a mattress would last.

Lim commented that a good quality mattress would provide the
essential element of resilience or the ability to "come back" so
that the good feel of a new mattress continued to feel good for
years. When one tossed and turned, shifted one's weight, sat on
the edges or did whatever, the surface comfort experienced should
be backed by firm, uniform support inside.

Meanwhile, at market places, producers and agents offer
various kinds of mattresses, ranging from spring mattresses to
latex, air and water beds.

According to Lim, a spring mattress with adequate padding and
insulator is able to provide firm support, comfort cushioning and
long lasting resilience. The support comes from the quality steel
coil springs inside the mattress which resist the load at a
uniform rate, while the surface comfort comes from a cushioning
layer of cotton, polyurethane, polyester fiber and even natural
latex sheets that vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

He said an air mattress would provide for a superior sleeping
experience as the sleeper could adjust the volume of the air
needed to match his/her desire, comfort level and posture.

"But since it relies solely on the air pressure to provide the
support and comfort needed, getting it just right for the
intended support and desired comfort with a single filling is
rarely an easy task," he said.

A water bed offers even distribution and support of the body
weight and is particularly beneficial for disabled people and
those with particular back problems. In addition to the standard
safety liner, there were options of a water heater to warm up the
bed on cold nights and this could be positively beneficial in
easing rheumatic and arthritis arches and pains.

"But its high cost, initial installation and the regular
maintenance keeps consumers away," he said.

Nijkrake said a standard latex mattress had advantages in
confirming to the sleeper's body and reducing the pressure points
that caused tossing and turning. But its bad ventilating
capacity, due to the standard latex's closed cell structure, was
a disadvantage because it did not facilitate good air
circulation.

For comparison, a mattress made of Talalay latex, which was
developed by a U.S. expert, guarantees better air circulation and
moisture control, thereby reducing the chance of fungal and
bacterial growth, he said.

Making sure that our mattresses have adequate ventilation is
important for our health because beds with poor ventilation will
become a prime habitat for dust mites that exacerbate asthma and
allergies. As an example, a typical used mattress may have
anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites inside of it.

Many people blame pollen or animal dander for their asthma and
allergy problems when, in reality, dust mites are recognized to
be the main cause for asthma, chronic rhinitis and other
allergies. When dust mites grow, they shed their skin. The
shedded skin and feces are small enough to be easily breathed in
by humans, and are what cause the allergic reactions.

Besides asthma, rhinitis and other respiratory ailments, dust
mites can be the cause of other serious health problems such as
eczema, rashes, itchy skin or eyes, bronchitis and chronic
dermatitis.