Guide to Wellness – July 2019

ith all the

hype, how

can anyone

possibly know

which of the

countless

sleep pro-

moting products on the market work?

We’ve interpreted the results from our

exhaustive, scientific mattress testing,

interviewed experts on the best ways

to reach deep, regenerative sleep, and—

for the first time in almost a decade—

tested and rated cotton sheets.

We’ll also tell you how to get more

life out of the mattress you already have

and how to know when it’s time for

a new one. So stop tossing and turn to

some sound advice on sleeping soundly.

Adjustable Bed

Frames

Is it time to try something new in the

bedroom? When it comes to launching

products and making fresh promises,

the bedding industry never sleeps. In

2018 alone, at least three new mattress

brands have been introduced (Allswell,

AmazonBasics, and Molecule), Tuft &

Needle and Purple have started selling

pillows, and Casper has launched its

products into the sky, as the bedding

on certain American Airlines sleeper

seats. While many of the new mat-

tresses and other sleep products we’ve

tested in our labs performed as prom-

ised, many others did not.

One of the latest developments?

The rise in popularity of adjustable

bed frames. Long marketed to seniors,

adjustable bed frames are equipped

with motors that allow you to elevate

your legs or upper body with the click

of a button. Now manufacturers are

promoting them to consumers of all

ages who like to watch TV in bed

or lounge with a laptop or tablet.

According to the International Sleep

Products Association, about 9 percent

of U.S. consumers use an adjustable bed

frame, but sales increased 200 percent

from 2011 to 2015. The retail prices

of the frames are between several hun-

dred and several thousand dollars.

Certain manufacturers claim that

an adjustable bed frame can help

alleviate back pain, but doctors say

that’s debatable. “Adjustable beds

may have some benefit for some

patients with back, neck, and other

spine problems but are certainly not

necessary,” says Jay Khanna, M.D.,

professor of orthopedic surgery and

biomedical engineering at Johns

Hopkins University. Ultimately, he

says, the majority of people with

problems related to the spine benefit

most from a firm and flat mattress.

CR doesn’t test bed frames, but we

do note in our mattress ratings which

models are compatible with these

motorized beds. Most of the top foam

and innerspring mattresses we’ve tested

can be used on an adjustable frame.

Pillow-Top

Mattresses

“There are more mattresses with

pillow-tops than ever before,” says CR

senior market analyst Claudette

Ennis. “And there are also new con-

structions to choose from.” Designed

to add extra cushion to a mattress,

pillow-top models do not come cheap:

They often cost hundreds more than the

standard version of the same mattress.

While the increased softness of

pillow-top mattresses might appeal to

our fantasy of sleeping on a cloud,

what you gain in cush you may lose in

support. Firmness varies with the

pillowtop models we’ve tested—some

score as high as a 6 on our 10-point firm-

ness scale (with 10 being the firmest).

But if a soft upper layer is what you’re

looking for, you could certainly find

happiness with a pillow-top. We suggest

5 Signs

Your Mattress

Is Shot

It’s not always obvious

when a mattress has

outlived its usefulness.

Here are telltale clues

that it’s time to say good-

bye—and advice on

getting the most life from

your mattress.

It’s a little lumpy. Lumps

or deep indentations can

happen over time, no

matter which materials a

mattress is made of. It

may also sag, causing you

to roll to the center.

The foam is failing. Spilling

water on certain types of

foam may cause damage

to the adhesive between

the layers, causing them to

shift. The foam may

also just degrade over time.

You’re waking up sore.

A worn-out mattress

might no longer support

your spine’s natural

curve, causing stress to

other parts of your body

as you sleep. If you’re

suddenly waking up with

unexplained soreness,

your mattress might no

longer be giving you

the support you need.

You can feel the

foundation. Sleeping in the

same spot every night

can compress the layers so

much over time that you

can begin to feel the bed

slats or whatever else

the mattress is placed on.

The springs are poking

you. Ouch! If you’ve moved

your mattress often or

sat in the same spot for ex-

tended periods of time

(such as when watching TV

in bed), you’ve probably

pushed its innards out of

alignment and a spring

might have been pushed

out of place.

Sleep Better

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60 GUIDE TO WELLNESS CR.ORG