How To Find The Right Firmness Level For You
Choosing a brand-new mattress can be an exciting but overwhelming experience. Not only are there several brands to choose from, but shapes, sizes and firmnesses too! Instead of ‘winging it’ we recommend looking at the right firmness level for you based on not only what you find most comfortable, but your health and overall lifestyle to help ensure that your latest investment is one that’s worthwhile. Check out our top tips to find the best firm mattress below!
Sleeping Position
It may not be at the top of your mind when choosing a new mattress, but your favourite sleeping positions can heavily impact the mattress selection you have to choose from. For example, if you sleep on your side, memory foam mattresses are recommended to keep you comfortable throughout the night, cradling you as you sleep and helping to relieve pressure on your body. However, if you sleep on your back, a medium-firm mattress is the best choice. A medium-firm mattress helps to prevent your body sinking too deep into the mattress, providing greater support to your spine, lower back, shoulders and hips. The same applies to front sleepers, encouraging a natural body alignment.
Weight
Once you’ve determined your favourite sleeping position, the next factor to consider when finding the right firmness level for you is your weight. Generally, firm mattresses are recommended for heavier people as they provide greater support and stop you from sinking too deep into the mattress, helping to avoid discomfort. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t trial a soft or medium mattress. It really is down to your own preferences! A really good rule of thumb is that the higher you appear on the BMI scale, the firmer you will want your mattress to be.
General Health
Another factor that may help you select the right mattress is by considering your current and future health conditions. If you are experiencing discomfort in bed, now may be the perfect time to try out a new mattress to relieve pressure, improve blood flow, better support the natural curve of your spine or all three. By pinpointing where you are experiencing the most aches and pains or tenderness, you can better determine the type of mattress firmness you need.
Go By Personal Preference
If it’s time to upgrade your mattress and you really aren’t sure what the right one for you is, go by your own personal preference. The likelihood is that, when it comes to buying a new mattress, you’ll test those you *think* you will find the most comfortable. It may actually surprise you that, having tested a couple, you feel as though you will benefit from a mattress firmness different to what you initially thought. Our best advice would be to test them all before making a final decision.
Choosing the right firmness level for you can be difficult, particularly if you’re unsure what’s best for your body. But, by having a better understanding of what mattress are said to be most beneficial for different body weights and sleeping positions, you can ensure your decision is the right one. Good luck!
