To Your Health May, 2009 (Vol. 03, Issue 05)

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The Right Mattress There are many opinions on mattresses, and there is no easy answer as to which type is best. The reason it is so hard to find a good mattress is because each of our bodies is different.

With all of the marketing from the mattress companies out there, it is enough to make your head spin. One says "firm," another says "pillow top." What do you do? Here are some general guidelines to follow:

• Try to have as firm and supportive of a mattress as you can for your body. You will have to lie on the mattress longer than just a few minutes in the store. Most people won't even be able to tell until they take the mattress home and sleep on it for awhile.
  


•  Find out about the warranty. Good mattress companies provide a warranty that pretty much guarantees your satisfaction. It may include a trial period (to see if the bed works) and a money-back guarantee if you don't like it.
  


• Pillow tops are not necessarily a good thing. Much of the time, pillow tops soften up the surface of your bed too much, which means it will not support your body well. You need to see how it feels when you sleep on it.
  


• Memory foam mattresses and tops are very supportive, and they do mold to your body. The only drawback is that they can trap heat. If you run hot at night, this may not be the mattress for you.

The Right Pillow Pillows come in all shapes, sizes and prices. There are so many choices that selecting the right pillow can seem daunting. Here is my advice: In general, your pillow must support you in the sleep positions you are in at night. If you only sleep on your back, your pillow must support your neck accordingly. If you only sleep on your side, the pillow must be thick enough to support the entire part of the body from the neck to the shoulder at a 90 degree angle. If you sleep on both your back and your side, the pillow needs to support both positions.

Custom-made pillows are available that can provide you with the proper support for your body and sleep patterns. Your doctor can actually take measurements of your body so a pillow can be created to fit you perfectly. I highly suggest you invest the time in finding the pillow that best supports you.