Seniors Matter(s): To sleep - perchance to dream!

AAAAHHH to sleep - perhaps to dream!

It’s amazing that we spend over one-third of our life in bed yet many of us, me included, think so little about the actual piece of furniture, the coverings, pillows, room temperatures, etc., that can strongly affect our completion of a good night’s rest.

Restless Leg Syndrome( RLS), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Sleep Apnea and other diagnosed physical challenges, severely impact the ability of a person’s rest. Otherwise, personal choice and sleeping styles (side, back stomach) can affect what works best. Then we have the love nest of two in one bed. What is the ability of the bed to meet both their sleeping styles?

So, let’s jump into it!

The first rule of thumb I found out, is that if you can’t remember how old your mattress is, than it’s probably time to change it.
In my case, I have no idea.

I do realize that my body has changed in the past decade so I did some research on what are popular recommendations for beds. I was blown away by the options available. It makes buying a new car look easy. There are so many different bed styles, sizes, options, and firmness that I was overwhelmed.

For example, mattresses, alone, have many different firmness levels. One brand’s extra firm may be equivalent to another brand’s medium firm.

I tried reading consumers’ reports but they seemed very opinionated on what is best.

Coil beds are standard with the number of coils ranging from 650 to more than 1,000 innersprings, then on to air beds, waterbeds, memory foam, latex, and so forth.

I have had a memory foam mattress and it tended to feel hot, and while it fit all my support points (head, shoulder, thighs, feet), it was prone to touch the entire length of my body making it feel too supportive. I understand that natural latex foam is better.

I also have had a waterbed and have no desire to go back there. I am focusing on a hybrid bed to get the benefits of the different types of mattresses, such as a latex and memory foam combination, or an innerspring with memory foam top layer.

I also learned that you get what you pay for, and while it seems mattresses are on sale every day, the higher the price, the better the quality.

I want just enough firmness to properly support my spine and other parts of my body.

The most important thing for me is comfort and I have yet to find one that I want to cuddle up in for a long winter’s nap.

I’m intrigued by the adjustable air bed. My memory of blow-up mattresses has been that they always leak during the night. However, they have apparently come a long way in technology to being much more than a quick guest saver on the floor. The head, body and feet areas can now be different to suit personal tastes.

Next, I tackled pillows and again was overwhelmed with the plethora of options, such as memory foam, down filled, latex, neck support for side sleepers, washable, and microfibre Gel pillow which is a bit of a misnomer since there's no liquid or cooling gel in these pillows like there is in some other cooling pillows. These pillows are filled with polyester gel fibre, which is similar to a down alternative in both feel and performance.

I learned that the goal of a good pillow is to bring your neck in alignment with the rest of your spine. For side sleepers, this means bridging the gap between your ear and where your shoulder meets the mattress. But shoulder size and height can vary a lot from person to person, meaning one side sleeper might need a really lofty pillow while another needs just a little bit of lift. 

Apparently, stomach sleepers generally require the least amount of pillow support since their head and spine are already pretty close to alignment when lying on their stomach. Most stomach sleepers would benefit from a soft pillow with just a bit of loft.

I intend not to rush, and I am willing to take my time to find the right solution.

I was thinking of looking into sheets, comforters and so on, but became too tired and needed a rest on my aged bed. Maybe it will be a later article.

After 70 years, I am looking forward to really looking at what I buy. I have the time, and the need to make a wise choice.

Thought! All you need to grow fine, vigorous grass is a crack in your driveway.

‘Till next time!