It can’t be that hard to find a mattress that works, can it?
That’s what I said. A month ago when we decided that the current mattress we have really isn’t working for me. We own a popular Ikea mattress. It was recommended by loads of people, and to be fair, it is a pretty good one, for the price we paid.
However, I am an anomaly and it doesn’t work for me at all. The husband is perfectly content with it, he pretty much can sleep anywhere and on anything. Sadly I don’t have this ability and I am waking up sore and tired every day now and not due to being woken up by children, for once. Sleep and I are not friends.
So the quest for a new mattress has begun.
One thing I do know. I don’t want a memory foam mattress. We have had one, and physically they don’t work for me. My physiotherapist dislikes them and doesn’t recommend them. I find they seem to the most popular option and possibly they do work for some people but for me, it’s a big no.
My frustration is that you cannot try a mattress out properly by having a bounce on it and faking a nap in the twenty minutes the salesperson in the bed store chats to you trying to sell you what you are lying on. I would actually pay to take a long nap on a bed to try it out to see if it works. It’s too late once you have it at home, really.
You can get a rough idea of comfort and support but the reality is you need to sleep on a mattress for a good few nights to see if it works for you. This is ok if you buy a mattress that can be returned if it doesn’t work for you but not all retailers do this and even if you do try to return it, it can be more complicated and costly than the small print when you bought it said. Our current mattress can’t be returned because we missed the cut off date for that, and I was too embarrassed to admit to the husband that I couldn’t sleep well on it when everyone else thinks it’s the best mattress ever…
We have been to four bed shops, spent a lot of time online, I have chatted to many people on Twitter about matresses and we know what we want. Can we find close enough that I am willing to risk spending money on it, though? That is the question…
I need a bed that’s soft with give. I don’t do firm. Firm and me are not good sleep partners. I have got quite stroppy with salespeople in stores who are determined to sell me the most expensive orthopedic or firm beds, mainly because they are the more expensive ones and earn them more commission, I am sure when all I want is a soft mattress to help my poor tired body sleep better. I don’t want fancy. I just want to sleep.
I am befuddled by what’s on offer, with mattress toppers and the number of springs and gel versus foam lining. I feel old. They cost a fortune too. I guess you do want to spend money on a mattress, because you want to be able to sleep well but I was slightly bemused at price differences for exactly the same mattress in one shop compared to another. I also get annoyed when we spend more time telling a salesperson what we don’t want yet they still try and sell us that, or expensive accessories, that double the price of the bed.
What I really want is a Hypnos Bed from The Premier Inn because I have slept on them and felt like they were the most comfortable I have found. However, they take a month to deliver, and I can’t go on much longer waking up sore and aching from another night of uncomfortable sleep.
We spend a lot of time in bed, as a human race. Surely there must be an easier way to find a matress that works?
The quest continues. Meanwhile, I will be moving into the local Premier Inn for a few nights…