National Bed Month is Here!
March is National Bed Month as organised by The Sleep Charity. Sue at Bedrock Furniture from Bridgwater gives us the low down on National Bed Month and its benefits to us.
National Bed Month gets underway on March 1st. The annual awareness campaign has taken place every March since 1990 and the month is dedicated to improving a good night’s sleep with a comfortable, supportive bed. It reminds us of why a good bed is so important and how to confidently choose a new one. When you consider we spend around a third of our lives sleeping, it’s a very big part of our lives.
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing, as important as good nutrition and exercise. Everybody’s sleep needs are slightly different and an average adult needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep with a reported 35% of us regularly not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is harmful and can be dangerous too. It is essential to prioritise a good nights sleep. So what makes a good bed and why?
If you have allergies for instance, you might need a bed that has hypo allergenic fillings. Many fillings are available and lots of them are natural fibres such as silk, horse hair, wool or cotton. Do your research and pick out what is best for you. If you suffer from shoulder or hip pain you might be better to choose pressure relieving materials such as latex foam or memory foam. Medical conditions need to be taken into consideration too. Some beds are adjustable which will allow you to raise the foot and head sections.
Size Matters! Many co sleepers have different sleep patterns and needs. Here size really matters, look for the biggest bed you can accommodate into your room to allow each of you space to move and sleep comfortably without impacting the other. Partner disturbance is one of the biggest causes of interrupted sleep. Your bed is the largest item of furniture usually in your room, do you need it to serve another function too? Do you need extra storage such as can be found in an Ottoman bed, or do you just need a place to keep your shoe collection? Storage in the bed base is a very useful thing and many modern beds are very cleverly designed with this in mind.
If you go shopping instore for your bed or mattress, make sure you’re not over-tired as every bed will feel comfortable. Discuss your requirements with the trained bed expert and then remove your coat or other heavy clothing items and lie down for at least 5 minutes on a shortlist of products, ensuring you move into different sleeping positions (don’t just lie on your back). Make sure the pillow you’re lying on is similar to yours at home so you can replicate the position of your head and neck. In fact, don’t be embarrassed to take your own pillow with you!
One way you can be sure that the product is what it claims to be is to buy one made by an Approved National Bed Federation Member. All NBF members are independently audited to ensure their products are not only safe but that they adhere to trade descriptions. If in doubt, look for the NBF label with the ‘BIG tick’ on it.
Come and see the staff at Bedrock Furniture, we are all trained bed experts and have a huge range for you to try and buy. You can be assured of a good nights sleep after buying a bed from Bedrock!
