Firm or soft?

31.01.2020

Firm or soft?
Proper support for the spine is the most important function that any good mattress should fulfill. The most important thing is that it should be selected in terms of our weight and height.

Many believe that a firm mattress is a decent mattress. This was considered because of the used, outdated solutions in the production of mattresses. However, the truth is different. A good mattress must properly support the entire figure, so if we choose a model with a too hard surface, we will feel quite a lot of discomfort.

A properly selected mattress should not be too hard or too soft. Its task is to perfectly adapt to the anatomical shape of the body. It should also be remembered that the mattress should be at least 20 cm longer than the person using it.

How to choose the hardness of the mattress?
Mattresses are available on a five-point hardness scale. They were marked with symbols H1, H2, H3, H4 and H5.

• H1 - soft mattress (for a person up to 40 kg)

• H2 - medium-soft (for a person from 50 to 80 kg)

• H3 - medium-hard (for a person from 70 to 110 kg)

• H4 - hard (for a person over 100 kg)

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  H5 - very hard (for a person over 120 kg)

   

   

In practice, however, this is not always a clear line. Many people prefer to sleep on a softer or harder mattress. Mattresses for the elderly are usually softer than their body weight suggests. This is associated with a stronger feeling of pressure and the associated discomfort than in younger people.

Most people choose mattresses with either H2 or H3 hardness. This is a direct result of the ratio of body weight to the suggested degree of hardness. A very soft mattress may not provide sufficient support, causing the body to collapse. A mattress that is too hard can compress the blood vessels, making the limbs numb. When buying a double mattress (160 or 180 cm wide) for a couple, its firmness should be selected accordingly. Partners must agree on the firmness of the mattress. Weight differences can be a problem in making the right choice. Personal hardness preferences can vary greatly. The golden mean may be the purchase of two smaller mattresses, which are selected according to individual comfort.

When choosing a mattress, the position that we usually take while sleeping or resting is no less important.
If we sleep on the side, we must remember that the spine is in a straight line. We need a mattress that fits harmoniously to the body and allows the shoulders and hips to sink in. When lying on your stomach or on your back, your body weight is distributed more evenly. Here we should pay attention if the spine does not curl too much in the area of the loins, and it does not stick too much to the mattress.

For people who frequently change their position during sleep, mattresses that actively adjust to changes in the position of the figure are the best.

If we have chronic back pain or spine diseases, we recommend consulting the purchase with an orthopedist, who will determine the appropriate type and degree of hardness of the mattress. A well-chosen mattress will alleviate the symptoms and, most importantly, will not aggravate posture defects.

People prone to allergies should also take into account whether the components used in a given model will not cause adverse skin reactions or negatively affect the respiratory tract. The most important thing is to choose a mattress according to individual preferences. You need to keep the right balance between the habits you adopt and the proper positioning of the spine.