People spend a large amount of time in their beds. As we all must sleep each and every night, it adds up. In fact, we spend 1/3 of our entire lives in bed. Sleep is extremely important. It refreshes us, makes us ready for each new day. That’s why getting the perfect mattress is not a matter of luxury, it’s a necessity. However, when it comes to purchasing a bed for a child, it’s a different matter than purchasing a mattress for yourself. Children have different requirements.
When it comes down to it, it’s a matter of weight and comfort, and also how much use a mattress will get. An adult is fully grown; a child is not, so it’s important that he or she gets the right kind of support during their formative years. This means that parents shouldn’t buy the cheapest thing they can get their hands on that will only last five years. A child can keep the same mattress usually for ten years. That doesn’t mean you should buy a mattress that costs a few thousand dollars, but you probably want to stay away from that used mattress for $100 that you found on Craigslist.
A twin mattress is the usual choice for a child. The traditional twin mattress measures 39″ x 75″. Beyond that, there is a lot of variety in the market, which can make the choice somewhat daunting. There are four main types of popular mattresses. The interior sprung mattress consists of interlocking springs which form support; these are then covered by padding and lining. Quality and pricing varies greatly.
Pocket sprung mattresses consist of non-interlocked springs; each spring has its own separate compartment; this gives the bed greater flexibility and it’s usually more comfortable than an interior sprung mattress.
Orthopedic foam mattresses are made out of dense layers of foam; these provide good support.
Memory foam mattresses contour to your body.
Consider the materials. Avoid mattresses that are coated or contain polyurethane foam, eco foam, PVC and chemical retardants. These can be potentially dangerous for your child if he or she is in contact with them for an extended period of time. This is known as outgassing. The chemicals can actually contain toxic carcinogens which leak over time.
It’s better to go with organic and non toxic materials. These include mattresses made out of organic wool, which is naturally mite resistant and fire retardant, pure latex and organic contain are also excellent choices. There are certain certifications or standards such as GreenGuard and Healthy Child Healthy World which grade mattresses.
Generally, pediatricians recommend mattresses on the firmer side to aid in support and bone growth.
When shopping for your child’s mattress, keep in mind that higher prices don’t necessarily mean a better mattress. Do look out for sales and make sure that you can return your mattress if it doesn’t work out. Research your options thoroughly. Ask about guarantees and warranties. Don’t be afraid to bargain the price. Test the mattress before you buy it.

So I am pretty sure the next big thing in beds and sleeping accessories is latex. More of a gradual progression into the limelight than the quickly in and out memory foam fad. For one, memory foam is somewhat a “design to fail” product that breaks down after a few years of use because of the open cell design of the foam. Secondly, it must be made with some pretty nasty chemicals that can take several weeks to dissipate and still end up soaking into your mattress and sheets, ultimately being absorbed by your skin. No bueno. Mother natures cure to mankind’s design? Nature of course. How about foam rubber latex?
Latex is great because… well, let me rephrase, 100% NATURAL latex is great because it is naturally anti-microbial, naturally flame retardant, and… well, natural. It requires no chemical catalysts to foam the latex nor to cure it. Truly natural latex is cured by mechanical and environmental processes that do well to maintain consistency in the foam and leave the foam almost completely odorless and chemical free. Latex comes in all densities and has an almost springy feel. I have just a 3″ pad on my pillow-top mattress and the comfort I experience cannot be put into words, it can only be experienced. One must be careful, however, not to fall into the retail world of misinformation and knowledge blindfold some like to pull over the eyes of potential consumers. Just because a company uses the term “Talalay” latex doesn’t mean it is 100% natural. Talalay is a process, not a type of foam. Please keep that in mind while shopping and don’t be afraid to ask questions regarding this process and what it means.
The only problem is the expensive nature of latex beds. Toppers work quite well but if you are really looking to go the whole nine yards, you’ll end up spending lots of money to do so. A great alternative? How about a DIY latex bed you can buy online? Essentially, you will be able to by a “kit” that allows you to stack several latex toppers (100% natural latex made using the Talalay process) and place them in a zippered cover to make your own mattress. Best part is they are economical and sleep just as good if not better than the synthetic latex mattress you would end up paying thousands for.
Another great thing about this DIY bed is that you don’t have to worry about all the chemicals that go into the new federal fire-retardant standards. Since this new regulation hit this past July, companies have had to spend lots… and I mean LOTS of money getting all their beds tested to pass the new regulation. As consumers, of course, that additional cost is reflected in the price we pay at the store. So, not only are we having to pay more for a bed, we get to have all those nasty chemicals absorbing into our skin every night. With a DIY latex bed, the toppers are naturally flame-retardant, the zipper cover is 100% cotton or bamboo (both chemical free), and you pay a fraction of what you would normally pay for a comparable latex bed. Great deal I think… but it’s just my $.02.

Chances are, you spend more time in your bed than anywhere else in the world. A good night of sleep is essential to keeping you productive in every facet of your life, from work to play. That’s why it’s so important to choose the mattress that will give you the most comfortable rest. The following is some information that will aid you in your selection.
The first thing to consider when you’re in the market to purchase a mattress is price. If your budget is high, obviously you’ll have a wider range of options to choose from. The top mattress companies generally use higher quality materials that will be more comfortable. These mattresses will also probably last longer than their generic counterparts. You may also want to consider purchasing a gently used mattress. Often, purchasers will experience buyer’s remorse, and will quickly look to pawn off their “too firm” or “too soft” mattress.
Next, think about the size you’re looking for. Standard sizes are twin, double, queen, and king. If you have a partner, you’ll almost certainly want to opt for a double mattress or larger. When deciding on the size of your mattress, take into account the dimensions of the room in which it will be placed. All the space of a king size mattress might be appealing in a huge showroom. When you bring it back to your apartment, however, you may find that it completely dominates your bedroom, leaving little room for your other furniture. As with any other furniture purchase, it’s wise to measure the room first, and then bring this information to the store.
Also consider the foundation that you’ll be using. Do you have a bed frame picked out? The dimensions of this frame will determine which mattresses you can purchase. Perhaps you’ll put the mattress right on top of a box spring on the floor. If this is the route you choose to take, it will certainly leave you with a wide variety of mattresses to choose from.
The next decision is the most crucial you’ll have to make. Every person has a different preference for firmness. If you’re buying a bed for both you and your partner, you may want to consider a model that allows for two separate chambers, capable of different firmness on each side. It’s also commonly believed that firmer beds are better for your back, so take that into consideration, especially if you’re a bit older.
The goal in any mattress purchase is to get it right the first time. Delivery and tax are both fees that you wouldn’t think of, but they add a substantial amount of money to the final price tag. If you do find after a few months that your mattress isn’t suitable, there are some options. Many “aftermarket” items are available to drastically change the feel of a mattress. These include eggshell pads, memory foam, and mattress protectors.
The most important thing in the whole process is patience. Take an extra few minutes to lay down on the mattress you like most, and try to determine whether you could spend the next ten years comfortably sleeping away the hours. When you’ve found the mattress that definitively answers yes to that question, it’s time to pull out your wallet.

It’s sometimes tough to get that oh so needed good nights sleep we all enjoy, often times it can be our bed or mattress keeping us from enjoying a good nights sleep, how ever you can’t afford a new mattress. Coming up with the several hundred to thousand dollars it costs today to get a quality mattress is down right impossible for most of us, so is there an alternative solution to this problem?
You can make your old bed feel like new to you, even if you have a conventional spring mattress. Consider a memory foam mattress topper, also known as a pillow top. With this you can enjoy the comfort and good nights sleep of a new mattress but at a fraction the price.
The material used in these foam mattress toppers, known as memory foam is designed to contour around the curves of your body providing superb support that’s needed in the back and hip area. Watch as you get up off of your bed in the morning, and the memory foam springs right back to it’s original shape, truly a wonder material.
While there aren’t an immense amount of features to a foam mattress topper there is one that’s most important. The thickness of the pad is what will make the difference between, feeling better or the same as your old mattress. The thicker the pad, the more support you’re going to have in the needed areas around your back and hips. Also the density of the foam can play a role in how much it sinks to contour around your body. A 4 lb density is wonderful but might be tough to find. Many memory foam mattresses come with a 4 density rating, how ever a topper is meant to give your bed a new feel not replace a new bed all together.
Foam memory pillows are also being offered by manufactures to give the added support to the head and neck area. These types of pillows usually don’t wear as quickly as the topper or the mattress.
A great addition if you’re purchasing a memory foam mattress topper are memory foam or latex pillows. They provide your neck and head the added support it needs through the night to help keep your spine aligned for a great nights sleep.
Disadvantages of Foam Mattress Toppers
The topper itself from a comfort stand point doesn’t really have any downfalls, how ever they don’t breath really well. Meaning on warmer evenings you’ll tend to sweat more, and you might find yourself needing to sleep more to feel refreshed. Also depending on the thickness of the topper you purchase you might potentially require new sheets to fit over your mattress and the topper.

What is Off-Gassing?

There are many different types of foams and batting materials used in mattresses these days; furthermore, there are many types of mattresses. If you go shopping you will undoubtedly encounter latex mattresses, memory foam mattresses, air mattresses (think Select Comfort calling itself the Sleep Number bed), innerspring coil mattresses, and futon mattresses.

Chemicals used in synthetic foams (mostly petroleum based) and some fire retarding agents emit fumes. Mattresses made using these chemicals can potentially cause reactions in people with chemical sensitivities. Some of these chemicals have not been tested on young children or in the proximity that is present in a mattress slept on for 8 hours a day. People with concerns about off-gassing would be well served knowing what is in the mattress they have or wish to purchase.

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You must have heard about the benefits of sleeping on a memory foam mattress over a traditional coil mattress pad.  Your mattress is one of the most important pieces of furniture that you have in your house, yet it is also the one that is the most neglected.  Many people use their mattresses until they are no longer able to be used.  The coils by that time are digging in to their backs.  The memory foam mattress pads have foam instead of coils.  The foam is very dense and will conform to the pressure you put on it when you go to sleep.  This means that all the parts of your body that need support will get it.  When you think about it, it makes more sense to sleep on a mattress made of foam than one made of covered coils.  Sooner or later, the coils will give away to being painful.  While they are strong, the mattress does not have any flexibility and you may end up sleeping on a bed that is too hard and can be uncomfortable.  Tempur-Pedic started using memory foam for consumers about 10 years ago.  The products received very good feedback from consumers as well as in medical settings so they began marking the product as their own brand.  The first memory foam mattress was the Tempur and was a huge seller.  Soon, other companies began to jump on the bandwagon and market memory foam mattresses.  Memory foam was first developed by NASA but was not used in mattresses until the 1990s.  Today, many people opt for a memory foam mattress instead of a traditional coil mattress because they have more give in certain areas as well as more support. The way that a memory foam mattress works is that it conforms to your body.  When you sleep in a certain position, you need support in certain pivotal points on your body.  If you are not getting that support on your body where you need it the most.  A memory support mattress gives you support where you need it and comfort in all other areas.  When you purchase a memory foam mattress, consider how dense the foam is.  The thicker the foam on the mattress top, the more comfortable you will be when you sleep.  A good memory foam mattress not only has a solid foam mattress but also a topper which his about two or three inches thick.  You can also buy memory foam for your own mattress as a topper which can be effective, although the popularity of these mattresses have made competition stiff and they are now affordable.  In addition to a memory foam mattress or a memory foam mattress topper, you may also choose to get a memory foam pillow.  This way, you can give your entire body support and comfort as you sleep throughout the night.

Why you should choose and Organic Mattress?

“Green” your bedroom with an organic mattress! Sleeping well is vital to good health. We spend one-third of our lives sleeping, and an organic bed is an excellent way to ensure that, for at least 8 hours a day, we are free from exposure to the toxic chemicals so prevalent in consumer products today.

What is the difference between an organic mattress and mainstream mattresses?Organic mattresses are derived from natural materials. Conventional mattresses are made primarily of man-made materials derived from nonrenewable resources such as natural gas and petrochemicals. Plus, in conventional mattresses, fire retardants and other chemicals are used on cover fabrics and in paddings. (OMI’s mattresses are made with naturally flame-resistant organic Eco-Wool, which keeps you safe without the use of chemical fire retardants).

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