Is Your Bed Hurting Your Health, Education Or Career?

Are you having a hard time focusing today? If so, a lack of sleep might be to blame. “Sleep deficiency can alter activity in the brain so people may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, be more easily distracted and less likely to catch mistakes,” observes Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine and a spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Although individual sleep needs vary, AASM recommends that adults get seven or more hours of nightly sleep for optimal health, productivity and daytime alertness,” he adds.  

Teens and children need even more hours, and all age groups can be impacted by sleep deprivation. Dasgupta notes, “Cognitive and motor performance impairments from sleep deprivation are comparable to those induced by alcohol consumption at or above the legal limit.” While texting and distracted driving are commonly-cited causes of car accidents involving teens, sleeplessness can play a role, too. It can also play a role in school performance. In fact, California just passed a law requiring public middle and high schools to start later, citing research that shows academic performance and attendance improve when older students get more sleep.

Bad beds to blame

If you or your kids don’t have insomnia or other health issues that could be impacting sleep, one big factor in not getting enough of it could be your beds. If your mattresses and pillows are not supportive and comfortable, they can keep you from enjoying the restful night you need, points out Coronado, California-based chiropractor Dr. Chris Coulsby.

“If you think of what a mattress does on its most basic level – support the body while we sleep – it makes sense that a worn-out mattress will not be able to do that job.” The most common problem as a mattress ages and loses its firmness, he shares, is “the proverbial ‘hole’ that we fall into all night. The body reacts to the sunken position by engaging your core and hip flexor trying to keep you more level and can give rise to back pain in the morning or a restless night.” The same can be true of a newer but overly soft mattress that doesn’t properly support your body.

Pillows can be an issue, too, Coulsby says. “Having a bad pillow will increase neck soreness, headaches and shoulder pain. It all comes down to support of the neck; too much or too little will ultimately lead to dysfunction.” There isn’t one right type of pillow for everyone, Coulsby and Dasgupta agree. “Your body and sleeping position will determine what’s best for you, the chiropractor adds. “Basically your body needs neutral support of the head and neck, the rest is personal preference,” he says. There isn’t an optimal number of pillows either, he reports. See what gives you support without strain.

Choosing the right mattress and pillows

“Firmness or softness mean different things to different people,” notes Detroit-based interior designer Armina Kasprowicz. Take advantage of in-home trials, she advises; many mattress companies offer them now. “Sleep on the mattress for a month and see how you feel.” She also recommends educating yourself; mattress shopping is not necessarily a simple process. “Ask yourself what the highlighted features will do for you,” she advises.

You want to know what’s inside a mattress, as well, she adds. Is it a foam, spring or hybrid model? “If it is foam or hybrid, ask about density. It should be three pounds per cubic foot,” she recommends. “If the mattress has springs, ask about the kind of gauge,” she suggests, adding, “Pocket coils are best for motion isolation, and if they are between 12 and 15 gauge, it is a good sign of durability.”

Quality doesn’t come without costs, but considering how many hours you’ll spend on your mattress, the $2,000 to $3,000 you’ll invest for a highly-rated queen or king set can improve both your health and career. “You should purchase a good quality mattress with natural fibers like cotton and wool covers, and high coil counts that will stand up to more wear and tear,” Kasprowicz suggests. Pillows are important, too, she notes. “The right pillow will have just as much of an impact on your quality of sleep as the mattress.”

For children

Susan Wintersteen, a San Diego-based interior designer, started a nonprofit five years ago that remakes spaces for children facing cancer and other medical crises.  “Each mattress we specify, we consult with a vendor and explain the size and age of the child. We tend to do firmer mattresses for younger children and more medium firmness for older kids,” she shares.

Wintersteen also looks for lower profile mattresses for small kids. “As they are climbing in and out of bed, I don’t want an extra-high profile where their distance to the floor is too great. I also look for something that can be encased in a waterproof cover.” When it comes to pillows, she prefers hypoallergenic versions for her clients.

Children spend more than a third of their young lives in bed, and Wintersteen would like to see its components be easier to shop for, she says. “I find the industry somewhat cryptic. As a designer, I want to understand the products I am putting in a space. There is a perception that children don’t need a good safe mattress; they can fall asleep on the floor. The reality is that bones are setting and forming, and for our medically fragile children, sleep is incredibly restorative. We want to play a big part in that healing.” 

Parting thoughts

Sleep is restorative and healing for humans of all ages. Even if you’re not spending thousands on your mattress and pillow sets, spend the time to find mattresses and pillows that work for your body. As Dasgupta and AASM will tell you, “Sufficient sleep is one of the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle.” The other two are good nutrition and regular exercise, but you probably knew that already.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.