You don’t need us to tell you – we spend a third of our lives in bed; it’s probably the one, single place we spend the most time – so it’s well worth investing in a decent mattress. A good night’s sleep, or a poor one, can have such an effect on the rest of your day.

Do you sleep primarily on your back, front or side?
If you sleep on your back or side, a mattress that contains latex or memory foam is best for you as it moulds to your shape keeping the your spine and the pressure points of your head, shoulder, and hip in a natural alignment. If you sleep on your front (sometimes referred to as a skydiver!), you’ll need a medium to firm mattress to ensure that your back doesn’t bow and cause stress on your spine in your lower back.

Are you super-size or super-skinny?
As a general rule, the more you weigh, the firmer your mattress needs to be.

Are you & your partner chalk & cheese?
– Different weight & size?
A pocket-sprung mattress will work best for you. Individual springs that work independently of each other means that the lighter person doesn’t roll towards the heavier.
– Different mattress hardness preference?
Two single mattresses zipped together (zip and link) on an super-king-sized bed base will solve that dilemma.

– Do you feel hot when they feel cold or vice-versa?
Many 21st century mattresses are so advanced they contain their own internal air temperature control system. Special gels, foams and fibres within draw moisture away from the body and prevents you from overheating.

Do you suffer from asthma or allergies?
There are some horrendous statistics to do with mattresses and dust mites that we won’t go into here. There are mattress on the market that contain anti-microbial, anti-bacterial materials that can neutralise dust mite allergens and prevent the warm, damp micro-environment in which they thrive from occurring.

Do you suffer with back pain?
Ortho-support or orthopaedic mattresses are firmer than average and are believed to relieve lower back pain. This isn’t always the case however, so it’s always best to try before you buy to make sure you find it comfortable.

What’s your budget?
Remember the old adage, you get what you pay for. If you’re looking for a mattress for the bed in your spare room that only gets occasional use, a budget option will suffice. Nowadays, luxury mattresses have gone all high tech. Hypo-allergenic, breathable, temperature controlled, gel-filled… the mind boggles! If you’re going to invest thousands on a new mattress, it’s a good idea to do some research online or ask a professional.

What kind of bed base do you have?
If you have a divan base, the most popular type in the UK, a sprung mattress is for you. If your bad base consists of rigid wooden slats, a thick memory foam or latex mattress is your best bet. This type of base doesn’t offer any kind of cushioning so the mattress has to do all the hard work.

Give a few models a test drive in a showroom if you can, and not just a quick, 10 second lie down; take your time over it – even bring your own pillows! You should consider buying a mattress to be as important as buying a sofa or a car.

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