MARCH IS NATIONAL BED MONTH!
| Published: 3rd March 2008 21:22 |
According to research, more than 50% of people cite the reason for replacing their old bed is that it's broken! And Sleep Council research suggests another third replace their beds because their old one is uncomfortable.
With March being National Bed Month, there's no time like the present to buy into a better night's sleep, with a wealth of new designs and technologies to choose from.
So what sort of things should you be looking for?
"It partly depends what sort of budget you've got," explains Jessica Alexander from The Sleep Council. You can buy a new (double) bed for under £100 - or spend several thousands. But you do tend to get what you pay for so it's worth investing as much as you can afford."
Proving very popular at the budget end of the market are what the trade affectionately calls "Roll Ups". These can be found everywhere - in shops and all over the internet. "But be sure to buy from a reputable source," says Jessica Alexander. "Sadly ‘bargain' sometimes means ‘bad' - mattresses that won't last five minutes; or, worse still, don't meet the UK's strict flammability safety regulations and could go up in dense, deadly smoke in seconds if they caught fire."
Once you're into the more luxurious end of the market, the choice begins to open up enormously. Memory foam - also known as visco-elastic foam - remains as popular as ever for mattresses - there's barely a manufacturer out there that doesn't use in some shape or form.
Many companies are coming up with innovative ways of combating overheating problems which some people have encountered with memory foam, so if you tend to get hot in bed, do look out for the new climate control options coming on to the market. "Some even allow couples to adjust their half of the bed individually," says Jessica Alexander.
Manufacturers are also beginning to target their products towards specific needs. So there are healthy beds for active, sporty sorts; beds to help you relax and de-stress; and beds which address specific health problems, from allergies to back pain. Some are a combination of all three! There are even beds which will satisfy the greenest of consumers, featuring all natural and/or organic materials.
Want to know more? Follow the Sleep Council's Top 10 Tips for buying a new bed
