What's new in mattresses
By Joan Tupponce CONTRIBUTING WRITER

If you wake up feeling more tired than when you went to sleep, it might be time to invest in a new mattress. There are now three basic kinds of mattresses: innerspring, foam and air-sleep. File photo

If you wake up feeling like someone sucker punched you in the back, you may be at odds with your bed.

According to the Better Sleep Council, nearly a quarter of Americans report that they sleep on the same mattress longer than experts recommend. And, when it comes to buying a new mattress - where most people spend a third of their lives - consumers spend more time researching less-used products with little or no health benefits. They often make a decision without knowing what to look for in a mattress.

If you find those facts hard to believe, you haven't talked to someone who has purchased a mattress recently. Buying the proper mattress these days can be as intimidating an experience as selecting a cell phone provider or looking for a mate. There are dozens of mattresses to choose from - different manufacturers, different construction and different names.

Ron Trzcinski, president of The Original Mattress Factory, says consumers should look for four things when buying a mattress - support, comfort, durability and price. The order in which you rank those is your preference.

"Each person has to prioritize them," Trzcinski said. "It's important that both partners test the bed, lay on it. Pick the one that is most comfortable but also make sure you understand about construction, price and the bed's support system."

Most mattresses are supportive, noted Marty Parece, owner of The Rest Shoppe.

"But if you are not comfortable when you're laying on it in the store, don't buy it," he said.

There are three basic kinds of mattresses: innerspring, foam (including memory foam) and air-sleep systems.

"Innerspring mattresses have three parts - the springs, upholstery and the comfort level," Trzcinski said. "You have many different kinds of innersprings, different numbers of coils, the gauge of the steel, etc."

If you were to ask the typical consumer, what's new in the world of mattresses, he might say memory foam. But that answer would be wrong, according to Parece.

File photo Consumers should consider support, comfort, durability and price when buying a new mattress.

"Some kinds of foam have been around for 50 years," he explained. "Memory foam has been around for 30 years but it wasn't widely marketed until the last 10 years. Latex foam is one of the higher-quality bedding products. It's anti-microbial - dust mites, mold, mildew and bacteria cannot live in it."

Some foam products today even help with wellness. For example, one manufacturer offers a cool-therapy mattress designed for people who get hot when they sleep. The aloe-therapy foam mattress has aloe vera molecules that are released into the air and absorbed by the body through the skin, helping with chronic dry skin.

The third basic type of mattress is the air-sleep system. These systems have the advantage of letting each person set the firmness they desire.

For more information on all mattress options, visit the Better Sleep Council's Web site at www.bettersleep.org.

All mattresses have one common element - they aren't made to last a lifetime.

"Overall durability is about eight to 10 years," said Parece. "They lose support and comfort over time. They are the number one collector of dust mites and bacteria and the number two collector of mold and mildew. After five years, a mattress has more bacteria than your toilet seat."

Those who haven't purchased a mattress in the last 10 years may be in for sticker shock. Like other products, mattresses have increased in price.

"In general you can't buy a quality product from most of the recognized brand names for under $1,000 [for a] queen size," Parece said. "You can buy something cheaper but they are not the best products to be sleeping on. If you are looking at specialty healthrelated products, you should reasonably expect to spend between $1,500 and $3,000 for a queen size mattress. It's not uncommon to walk into any mattress store and see a queen size set for $5,000. In cities like New York and Los Angeles, finding mattresses over $10,000 is not unusual."