What to consider when selecting mattress firmness
If you’re searching for a new mattress, one of your top considerations is probably how firm it should be. While there is no one correct answer about the right level of mattress firmness for everyone, there are certainly types of sleepers and sleep preferences that may make a slightly softer mattress a better fit.
The team at Dreamwool Beds are here with some expert advice about mattress firmness to help you know if you might benefit from a bit more pushness.
Types of Firmness
Some sleepers might lean towards a firmer mattress because they think it will provide additional support or maintain its shape better, but going too firm typically means less comfort now and less comfort later. The question to ask yourself is: what will feel like the right fit for the longest time?
Even a firm bed needs to provide comfort, which is where premium materials can make a big difference. Cheaper mattresses made with memory foams and synthetic fillings typically have a flat-firm feeling: static and unyielding. This is because their firmness is often increased by reducing the volume of materials and comfort layers or changing the quilting pattern, all of which can negatively impact your quality of sleep.
By comparison, a luxurious Dreamwool mattress – made with New Zealand Merino wool, all-natural latex, and finely crafted European pocketsprings – gives plenty of support with a contouring feel that flexes with your body as you move. Dreamwool’s firmness is customised by changing the gauge of the springs or the density of the latex, or both, without compromising comfort.
Who should not sleep on a firm mattress?
As a general rule, we would always recommend a slightly softer feel over a slightly firmer feel. Our customers very rarely come back saying their bed is too plush, but some do find that a bed that felt comfortable for ten minutes on the shop floor now, after eight hours of rest, feels too firm.
There are also some specific sleepers and body types for whom we would recommend a softer, plusher fit.
Those who are Side Sleepers or with prominent Hips & Shoulders
Side sleepers with prominent hips or shoulders can benefit from a softer mattress that better conforms to their body. For this body type, a mattress that is overly firm can mean placing too much pressure on those prominent joints, leading to poor support elsewhere, in the likes of your midsection causing lower back pain..
Light or Slight Sleepers
Sleepers with a very light or slight body type are best suited to a softer fit. This is because smaller bodies need less support in order for a mattress to contour around them; a too-firm fit can result in a feeling of sleeping on the bed rather than in it.
Older People
As we age, our sleep needs change. For many of us, a softer fit can be a better choice as we get older and become more susceptible to the impacts of pressure on our bodies.
Sleepers with Fibromyalgia or Arthritis
While each medical condition or injury should be treated as a unique case, there are certain conditions that may benefit from a plusher sleeping environment, particularly those that include joint pain such as arthritis or fibromyalgia, as a firmer fit can sometimes make that pain worse.
Making the Right Firmness Choice
Every sleeper is different, and the only way to know for sure how firm your next mattress should be is to talk about your unique sleep needs with your retailer, test out a few options, and see for yourself.
Book a chat with Dreamwool Beds today so we can help you find your perfect fit.