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Nearly half of all residential moves (48 percent) take place during the four months of June through September, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If you are among the millions of people planning a move to a new home this summer, now is the perfect time to purge all of your old, outdated things: throw away broken, dusty knickknacks, give the clothes you haven't worn in a year to charity, and put your tattered issues of People magazine in the recycling bin.
As you prepare for a move, you may also want to reevaluate a bigger, more important possession: your bed. Signs that you need a new mattress include:
* You wake up with stiffness, tingling or numbness, aches and pains.
* You get a better night's sleep away from home (such as a hotel).
* Your mattress shows visible signs of wear (sagging, lumps, exposed interior, etc.).
*Your mattress is five to seven years old (as suggested by the Better Sleep Council).
If your mattress is approaching the end of its life span, its hard, metal coils may be causing restless nights of disrupted sleep. Is hauling a heavy, sagging mattress to a new home worth the effort? Using these four easy steps will help you and your sleep partner discover the key to a perfect night’s sleep.
Determine your needs.
If you have a sleep partner, or will have one in the future, realize that you will likely have differing preferences for comfort depending on factors such as height, weight and sleep position. Keep both sleepers’ preferences in mind when considering whether to buy a pillowtop-style or traditional-style bed, and the amount of cushioning foam and fill each model offers.
Do your homework.
Mattress types and technology may have changed dramatically since the last time you purchased a mattress. It’s good to get an idea of the different bed types available -- traditional innerspring, water, foam and air chamber technology are among some of the options -- and the benefits of each to ensure that you choose a bed that perfectly fits your needs. The Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort, for example, uses air chambers to provide a gentle cushion of support which can be easily adjusted from soft to firm for comfort and firmness. In studies conducted at Stanford University, participants fell asleep faster and experienced deeper and more restorative sleep on the Sleep Number Bed than on a traditional innerspring mattress.
Finding the mattress and bed accessories that are right for you need not be a difficult task. Other things to look for when shopping are a warranty, risk-free trial period and dependable home delivery.
Determine what size bed you will purchase.
As a general guideline, choose a bed that is at least four inches longer than the height of the tallest sleeper and wide enough so that each sleeper can comfortably rest without overlapping his/her sleeping partner. It’s generally recommended to have the largest bed your space will allow.
Try a “test rest.”
To properly try out a bed, take off your shoes and lay on it for several minutes in the position you would normally sleep. If you like to sit on the side or foot of your bed in the morning when getting dressed, try simulating it on each mattress.
By: Ned Gonzalez
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