The Good Old Days

Twenty five years ago did anyone really spend a whole lot of time thinking about their mattress?  Seriously, twenty five years ago all that was on the average adult’s mind was how to get their hands on that great big window to the world that was the personal computer.  It promised to open their eyes to EVERYTHING the universe had to offer, all at the touch of a few keys…and the sharp upswing in  instances of eye strain, headache and back spasms. Remember people, this was before laptops and tablets.  You SAT and you stared, and you SAT and stared some more. Transfixed in your pursuit of information that didn’t require a trip to the local library.  Everything you needed was all RIGHT HERE!
Eventually though, it occurred to you that all that sitting, and staring was having an effect on your sleeping habits.  But it was hard to get to sleep knowing that there was so much more you wanted to research on your new hardwired implement of instant knowledge.  So you tossed and you turned, and you laid there trying to stretch out that back cramp….and the next morning you typed the word “MATTRESS” in the search engine, and it opened your eyes to about two dozen different mattresses you had never heard of, made out of stuff that would make your mama’s eyes roll up in her head!  Thus, the struggle AND the opportunity, had become real to find the right sleep surface to make your life better.
Before the advent of the aforementioned electronic salesman, the average consumer’s choices were typically limited to what was on the showroom floor of the local furniture store.  You dragged, bleary eyed, into the store, and there they all were!  Those great big white rectangles of solitude!  The store lights shining brightly down on them in all their glory, and a dark suited salesman with too many teeth, beckoning you to climb aboard and take one for a spin.  You had maybe three brands and of those three brands, perhaps three models to choose from.  That would be firm, super firm and morgue slab. The fancier stores also offered the “PILLOWTOP” mattress, which automatically made you better than your neighbors just by having them watch from their windows as it was being delivered to your front door.  So after flopping down, big dirty shoes and all, on your first target, bouncing around a couple of times, inviting your spouse to do the same thing, then moving on to the next, you huddled together for about 3 minutes and made your decision.  Paid for it, had it delivered to your home…and three months later wondered what kind of spell the salesman used on you to compel you pick out this torture device.
I know this because I was about 30 years old at the time, and before I knew it, my then husband and I purchased a KING sized innerspring mattress that the toothy salesman promised would give us the best sleep we ever had.  He was so good in his pitch that it never occurred to us until it was delivered, that the bed was about the same size of the bedroom we were going to put it in.   We now had a wall-to-wall slab of mattress ticking and springs that would follow us around for the next 15 years. Yes, 15 long years.
I tell this sad tale of woe if only to remind you that you have many, many more choices than we had at the time…and because we had no access to instant information, we relied solely upon a commissioned salesperson who’s likely goal was not our comfort, but making his car payment that month.
 It’s up to you, restless sleepers!  You have so many factors to consider in making a proper selection of where you spend one third of your life.  Health conditions, sleep patterns, body temperature,  and lifestyle all play a huge role in what mattress works best for you.  So my advice, take your time, research ALL of the options, visit a BIG showroom and tell the salesperson you are “just looking” so they will leave you alone, and most important, don’t just sit on the edge of the bed and bounce a couple of times.  Unless you plan to sleep sitting up, this is not a good indicator for how the mattress will feel when you lay flat on it for 6-8 hours. Spend at least 10 minutes lying on the surface, find your normal sleep position and stay there.  Will people look at you?  Probably, but they aren’t spending a month’s pay on a mattress, so it’s really not their call.
Most important…do NOT buy a mattress that day.  Pick a couple that you like, then go home and read about them.  Read the reviews, read about the features, read EVERYTHING you can find about your selections.  Then go back a few days later and try them again.  You will be much more informed and a lot less likely to make a bad decision.