Wholesale Mattress News

Mattresses can differ in many ways like support, material, firmness and other factors that can affect your quality of sleep. How firm you prefer your mattress to be is a completely individual opinion, making it difficult to know what is best for your specific needs.

At Wholesale Mattress Center, we want to ensure your mattress is best suited to your exact preferences for optimal sleep. We offer a wide array of mattresses to choose from so that you sleep comfortably and properly.

Before you choose a mattress, it is important to know what you should be looking for. Here are some key aspects of a mattress’s firmness to keep in mind when deciding on a new mattress:

Mattress Firmness and Why it Matters

Mattress firmness is simply how hard or soft the mattress is. There are many levels of firmness that range from soft to firm with medium measurements in between. To help better understand the firmness scale, here is a break down of a basic scale:

• Soft (1-2): This rating indicates that there is the least amount of support, and a true 1 is incredibly rare. This type of mattress provides the most amount of sinkage and conforms to your body the most.
• Medium-Soft (3-4): This type of mattress is still soft, but you do not sink into the mattress as much as the soft rating. This mattress usually contains memory foam and contours to your body.
• Medium-Firm (5-7): Medium-firm is the most commonly desired firmness. According to Sleep Advisor, about 80% of sleepers would prefer to sleep between a 5-7 on the firmness scale.
• Firm (8-10): The firm mattress rating provides the most support with limited plushness. There is no sinking into your mattress with a firm mattress.

The amount of firmness or softness is crucial to determining how much support your body needs. Contrary to popular belief, firmness and support do not mean the same thing. Firmness indicates the feeling you get when you are lying on your mattress, but support is the amount of support your spine needs.

Not everyone requires the same amount of support because there are many aspects of sleep that determine what kind of firmness is perfect for your body type and how you sleep.

Factors to Consider

If you’re unsure what type of firmness is best for you, the first place to start is determining what your primary sleeping position is. If you are mostly a side sleeper, having a softer mattress on the firmness scale is best for you. Side sleepers have most of the pressure from the mattress on their shoulders and hips, which requires more cushion to sink into.

People who sleep on their back have the ability to evenly distribute their weight easier while sleeping, so they are the most versatile when it comes to the type of firmness needed. Back sleepers typically do well with medium-soft, medium-firm or firm depending on their preferences.

Stomach sleepers require the most amount of support due to the natural curve of their stomach sinking into the bed. This can cause the spine to be out of alignment, which can have damaging long term effects, so stomach sleepers require a higher level on the firmness scale than others.

Body Type

Your weight and body type have more of an affect on your sleep than you might think. Medium to firm mattresses are best for heavier individuals because of the natural sinkage with more weight. A thicker mattress would also be beneficial to avoid putting unwanted pressure on your back or neck.

Back, neck and hip pain are the most common types of pain that can be irritated if you are sleeping on the wrong level of firmness. Softer mattresses are ideal for people with hip pain as long as you have optimal lower back support.

People that suffer from back, neck and shoulder pain are best suited for medium-firm to firm mattresses for optimal support. The lack of support from softer mattresses on the firmness scale can cause worsening conditions if you are not careful. Adjusting your positioning while sleeping can help alleviate body pains while sleeping.

If you are someone that gets hotter as you sleep, memory foam and softer firmness levels can trap in the heat as the plushness forms to your body. Try sleeping on a more firm mattress to stay cool as you sleep.

Finding the perfect mattress can be tricky, but with Wholesale Mattress Center, we want to make sure you find your perfect mattress. No matter what level of firmness you need, our team of mattress experts are here to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have. Contact us to find your dream mattress today!