When you think of March, do you automatically think of your bed?
Gradually improving weather and the promise of a bit too much chocolate at Easter may not have you daydreaming about snuggling down under your duvet as a cold frosty winter might, but there's one very good reason to turn your thoughts to your bed this month: March is The Sleep Council's National Bed Month.
This campaign aims to remind everyone just how important getting a good night's sleep is, and to raise awareness of the role a good bed plays in this endeavour. We'd like to play our part in this worthy pursuit, so we bring you a guide to the whys and hows of buying your perfect new bed.
Why buy a new bed?
A beautiful new bed can give your bedroom a whole new look; it can change the style of your décor, it can make the most of a small space or it can become the central feature in a huge room, but the perfect bed is not all about looks. A carefully-chosen new bed can deliver an array of health benefits:
- A new bed has been proven to improve sleep quality, sleep comfort and sleep efficiency. It has also been shown to significantly reduce back pain and stiffness.
- Getting rid of an old mattress can remove years' worth of accumulated dirt, dust, dust mites and mould from your bedroom, providing you with a fresh start and possibly a marked reduction in allergy symptoms.
- A well-built bed with a sturdy structure that is not being compromised by age will support your body as you sleep, helping to ensure that you get the best sleep possible; this is important for both your mental and physical health as sleep is associated with maintaining such things as a healthy body weight, mental alertness and memory.
- Channel 4 offers this great way to check whether a mattress is too soft or too hard: lie on your back then slide the flat of your hand into the hollow of your back. If there is a gap then the bed is too firm. If you find it difficult to slide your hand in at all, it means the bed is probably too soft.
- Generally, the heavier you are, the firmer you need your mattress to be.