The experts at John Doe in Diss share their advice for getting the best night’s sleep.
The foundation of a good night’s sleep is a really comfortable bed. The right mattress can make a huge difference to your overall wellbeing, saving you from fatigue and irritability for the rest of the day.
Conversely, an unsupportive mattress will encourage a poor sleeping posture.
If you regularly wake up with aches and pains, it’s probably time to change your mattress.
Bed specialists of more than 30 years, John Doe in Diss has its own ‘sleep team’ who pride themselves on helping customers achieve the best night’s sleep of their lives.
And they believe the answer lies with the Somnus brand of beds and mattresses.
Produced with the highest quality materials, and incorporating the latest in mattress-making technology, Somnus has received not one, but two awards from the Queen for integrity and design – the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation, and the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development.
Here, the team at John Doe answer some of the most important questions we should be asking when it comes to changing our mattresses.
Q: How often should I replace my mattress?
A: The Sleep Council’s research recommends you replace your mattress at least every seven years. After that period of time the mattress has been subjected to more than 20,000 hours of wear and tear. Did you also know we lose half a pint of fluid every night, and shed a pound of dead skin cells each year?
Q: How do I choose the best mattress?
1. Always put quality above price. There are bargain beds but you should spend as much as you can afford.
2. The right support is crucial. If your bed is too hard or soft it will be uncomfortable and unsupportive. A mattress should be firm enough to support your spine in the correct alignment while conforming to your body’s contours.
3. Try before you buy. Lay on each bed you’re seriously considering, spending about 10 to 15 minutes testing it for comfort and support. Try several different positions (we all move about 40 to 60 times per night), and remember, if two people are going to be sleeping on the mattress, you need to test it out together.
4. Don’t wait until your mattress has worn out completely before replacing. Research shows an uncomfortable mattress can rob you of up to one hour’s sleep per night, which adds up to a full night’s sleep over the course of a week.
Q: What’s the best sleeping position?
According to research only 8% of people sleep on their backs, but this is actually the healthiest option for most people. It allows your head, neck and spine to rest in a neutral position, as well as warding off acid reflux, providing your head is supported and elevated sufficiently by your pillow.
Q: What is the best type of mattress for my sleeping position?
A: John Doe recommends Somnus mattresses because they are designed to adapt to all sleeping positions – whether you’re a back, front or side sleeper. The idea is to lay ‘with’ your bed rather than ‘on’ it, preventing pressure points and providing support to the whole body. Each Somnus mattress comes with a choice of regular, firm or even ‘ortho’ on selected models. The huge choice of mattresses in store, combined with the expertise of the ‘sleep team’ at John Doe, means you’ll be able to find the perfect mattress for you and the way you sleep.
Q: What’s the best mattress for a bad back?
A: One of the many joys of being human is we’re all unique. This means the comfiest bed for you is not always the comfiest for the next person. That’s why John Doe has the largest display of Somnus beds in the world – so you can try each mattress and decide which provides you with the most comfort, best suited to your own sleeping position. The higher the spring count of the mattress, the more support your body will receive.
Q: How do I get the best posture in bed?
A: Chronic problems with back pain, headaches, sleep apnoea, heartburn and fatigue may be strongly related to your sleeping posture.
To alleviate problems keep your spine in alignment, try a different position as an experiment, and try to make your everyday posture better – your sleeping posture will naturally improve.
Find out how to get the best night’s sleep ever by popping in to speak to the experts at John Doe, 48-50 Sawmills Rd, Diss, Norfolk IP22 4DA.
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