Description of hard mattresses and their selection

In order to improve blood circulation and to reduce the stress on the bone skeleton during sleep, various options for orthopedic mattresses are used, the most common of which are rigid models.

A firm mattress creates an even and solid frame of the sleeping place, which is useful for the back of both an adult and a baby, in whom the bone skeleton is in the stage of formation. The advantages of sleeping on a hard mattress are obvious: such a base is only slightly perforated under the weight of the human body, allowing the spine to preserve all its anatomical bends, as well as facilitating the process of blood supply to the tissues.

Sleeping on a flat and hard surface is healing, but doctors believe that it is better to use a mattress of medium hardness, which will create more comfortable conditions for rest and will not harm your health. In order for an orthopedic mattress to be useful, it must be chosen taking into account your individual characteristics, taking into account weight, height and health.

If we talk about the advantages that a person gets from using a hard mattress, then they are based on the recommendations of orthopedic doctors:

• rigid models ideal for those people who have a habit of rolling over on their stomach during sleep;
• if you are already 25 years old and your weight is above average, then it is better to choose a hard surface for sleeping;
• people suffering from diseases of the spine, joints or undergoing rehabilitation after an injury, you should choose a mattress with a certain degree of firmness, while following the doctor's recommendations;
• children and adolescents during the formation of their musculoskeletal system, it is useful to sleep on an even and solid foundation, which will exclude the possibility of developing scoliosis.

A hard mattress, in addition to its positive properties, has certain disadvantages. Such a sleeping place should not be used:

• people over 50 years old: in an elderly person, the back and muscles are no longer so hardy and need to be carefully wrapped during sleep, as a result of which the very feeling of comfort is created;
• To old people, suffering from arthritis or arthrosis in combination with the presence of excess weight, a mattress that is too hard will cause a lot of inconvenience: the neck, back will become numb, and the arms or legs will feel numb.

The use of stiffness when organizing a sleeping place does not imply that a person should feel discomfort during sleep, as if he were resting on the floor or board. Such emergency measures take place, but only a doctor prescribes them and for a certain amount of time.

For the spine during sleep, it is important to create the most comfortable conditions, only in this case the rest will be complete. It is useful for a healthy and young person to sleep on a hard or semi-rigid basis, while resting on soft mattresses is considered harmful. When choosing hard bedding options, it is important to clearly understand which category of people they are suitable for:

• a person who is professionally involved in sports or leads an active lifestyle;
• adolescents suffering from poor posture or severe scoliosis;
• babies up to 3 years old with the aim of the correct formation of the bone skeleton and the S-shaped curvature of the spine;
• people suffering from diseases of the thoracic spine, to relax the shoulder girdle and reduce pain;
• everyone who has a body weight exceeding 90 kg;
• for those who have herniated intervertebral discs, protrusion, osteochondrosis, it is important to sleep on a flat and dense surface that does not crumple under the weight of the body and has a dense frame.

It is worth noting that using a rigid sleeping base is not recommended if you have:

• the habit of sleeping on its side, resulting in insufficient mattress rigidity the lumbar spine sags;
• osteoporosis, which manifests itself after 50 years and is characterized by fragility of bones due to the leaching of calcium ions from their composition;
• anemia, as well as circulatory disorders - when resting on a hard surface, they can be aggravated due to impaired blood flow;
• pregnancy in the later stages, as well as diseases of the lumbar spine - both of these conditions require the support of the spinal column and the exclusion of additional deflections;
• underweight (below 55 kg), which does not give the latter the opportunity to miss a berth, as a result of which the load falls on the muscular frame of the back, which subsequently leads to pain syndrome.

In order to determine whether the firmness of the mattress is right for you or if it is too high, you should focus on the following criteria:

• in the morning after waking up, you experience unpleasant or painful sensations in the lumbar spine;
• in the supine position, you could easily stick your hand under your lower back, and sometimes this space is much larger;
• before falling asleep, you cannot find the optimal body position for yourself for a long time;
• your sleep is interrupted at night because you feel tingling or numbness in your arms or legs.

The listed problems directly depend on your sleeping place. The fact is that the human spinal column has an S-shaped curve, and in order to feel comfortable lying down, our body needs support. This is what we are talking about when we talk about the effect of orthopedic mattresses.

An orthopedic mattress has a specific design, depending on which there are three types of models.

• Springless - they contain a special elastic material, which is located inside the product in several layers. Often, several types of packing are combined in one copy. As a rule, in such mattresses, a rigid base is used, and a softening layer 20-30 mm thick is placed on top of it.
• With dependent spring block - inside the product, high springs connected to each other are used, which make up the frame of the mattress.
• With independent spring block - inside the frame, all springs are isolated from each other by special covers. Thus, the spring block consists of springs independent of each other.

In addition to design features, springless orthopedic sleeping products differ from each other also in the composition of the packing. It can be artificial or natural latex, coconut coir, high-density polyurethane foam, or a modern polymer with viscous elasticity, called memory, which has the ability to maintain the shape of a sleeping person's body and then restore its original state.

Each sleeping product has a gradation of rigidity, that is, the degree of distribution of the load exerted by the sleeping person's body on the surface. It is customary to distinguish between the following degrees of hardness of mattresses:

• low - such samples are made from materials with a memory effect, as well as from spring blocks or dense foam rubber;
• below average - these include spring block mattresses or products with a top layer of hard fillers such as coconut coir, banana or horsehair;
• average - these are combined models, in which one side is hard and the other is soft, which is considered a universal option;
• above average - made with a reinforced block of springs, and also supplemented with a layer of solid type of fillers, models are suitable for people with overweight and spinal diseases;
• high - are made of monolithic slabs of coconut coir with additional springs reinforcement, as well as a special stitch that gives elasticity to this orthopedic product.

If it is required to make a mattress with an increased degree of rigidity, then manufacturers achieve this criterion by increasing the number of independent springs, which accommodate more than 500 pieces. for each sq. m. surface.

Sleeping mattresses sold in the domestic market are produced both in Russia and abroad. Here is a rating of such products (according to statistics for 2020):

• Buyers gave 1 place to an Italian company Magniflex... The products are delivered to Russia and have European quality certificates. In Europe, this brand is also the leading one and occupies the first top places in the ratings. The cost of mattresses is from 30 to 85 thousand rubles. Popular models: Pensiero, Naturalmente, Rest, Merinos, Stile.

• 2nd place is taken by the company "Ascona" part of the Swedish concern Hilding Anders. In the production of mattresses, the company uses modern European technologies. The average cost of products is 30–35 thousand rubles. Hard models: Basic, Legenda, Renee, Emotion, Majesty.

• 3rd place belongs to a Russian company "Consul", which manufactures orthopedic mattresses with a high level of quality, using European standards and developments. Cost - from 30 thousand rubles. Mattress models: "Multi Class", "Orion", "Loila", "Damis", "Dorid".

• 4th place was given to a Russian company "BeautySon", which makes bedding according to American technology with a high level of quality. Prices for products are in the range of 6-25 thousand rubles. Known variants: Promo 6 BS, Elite Prestige, Comfort T, Cocos S1200, Prima Mix.

• 5th place is taken by a Russian company Ormatek, which borrowed production technology in Europe and America. For its products, the company uses only hypoallergenic materials from environmentally friendly raw materials. The cost of products is 10-30 thousand rubles, popular models: Home Soft, Florifa, Feel Firm, Home Care.

Depending on the quality and price segment, rigid mattress models can be divided into 2 types.

• Premium class - segment of products from 30 thousand rubles, models contain high-quality components, and the frame can be reinforced with a block of springs isolated from each other. Popular models in this segment are made of latex and coconut coir, and can also be filled with struttofiber or periotec.
• Budget - the price range of mattresses is in the range from 6 to 25-28 thousand rubles.In springless versions, the base is high density polyurethane foam, and the top layer is coconut fiber. If the structure has spring blocks, then dense polyurethane foam, felt or coir is most often used as the top layer.

The correct organization of the bed is not only about choosing good furniture - you need to purchase such a mattress for the bed so that it is comfortable and safe to sleep on it. There are several points to consider when choosing a mattress.

• In springless versions, the base of the frame is rigid, and a softening layer 2-3 cm thick is located on top of it. Spring models are never of a high degree of rigidity and have a pronounced orthopedic effect.
• Mattresses are considered the most comfortable, in which blocks are at least 15 cm high made of coconut coir impregnated with latex.
• Mattress dimensions must completely match the dimensions of the sleeping surface.
• Hardness depends on the alternation of fillers in the form of soft and hard layers, which makes it possible to choose the optimal option for each specific case.
• There are mattresses with transverse zoning, and depending on the needs of the person or the disease of his spine, the region of the anatomical support zone can be purposefully selected. In addition, there are two-bedroom mattresses with longitudinal zoning, where the degree of firmness is different - such models can be an excellent solution for a married couple.

Before buying a mattress, consult with an orthopedic specialist, to determine the need for such a purchase and choose the right model. It is better to give preference to a well-known brand so as not to buy a fake. Especially carefully you need to approach the problem of choice for people whose weight exceeds 90 kg. Most mattresses provide for a load of up to 120 kg for 1 berth, but there are also reinforced versions that can withstand up to 150 kg.

Before buying, it should be remembered that mattresses using coconut fiber, even after being impregnated with a latex composition, "sag" during operation. To prolong the life of the product, the mattress must be constantly turned over. If this is not done, the product will quickly fail and will have no orthopedic effect.

After purchasing a new mattress for the first few days, your body should get used to the degree of firmness of the sleeping area. It is possible that when you wake up in the morning, you will experience discomfort in your back and muscles. After 10-14 days, these sensations will disappear, but if the discomfort grows, it means that the mattress hardness is chosen too high for you. Will help soften the hard surface special topper, which looks like an additional top pad (and in fact - an additional thin mattress), placed on top of the main product. Toppers are used in the following cases:

• softening the surface of a hard mattress;
• improvement or restoration of the properties of the mattress, which decrease over time;
• increasing comfort when arranging a bed.

The degree of softness of toppers, as well as of the main mattresses, is also different, they are made from felt, polyurethane foam, wool, down, eco-foam, holofiber, polyester fibers, latex.