No other piece of furniture in your home is as important as your mattress. A good night's sleep means you wake refreshed and ready to face the day. But in order to have a good nights sleep you must have the right mattress for you. Here is how to shop for a new bed mattress.

Mattress Construction

There are three basic elements in the construction of a mattress. The foundation is like a giant shock absorber which adds durability and support to our mattress. It absorbs the wear and tear of our nightly sleeps and provides us with a comfortable sleep platform.

The core construction varies with different types of mattresses. Depending on your personal taste and level of comfort your mattress might be made of springs, foam, air, or even water. The middle core is what provides the support for your body.

The layers of upholstery are wrapped around the core. This is what provides the comfortable surface to lie on. This layer is made from a variety of fibers or foam to provide a cushion effect.

Support

Your mattress is supposed to gently support you while you sleep. All points of your body and spine should be supported. When you are choosing a mattress you need to be able to relax in order to see if you are properly supported. If you are not properly supported your muscles are unable to rest throughout the night and you wake up stiff and sore.

Comfort

Is a personal preference. Some people require a firm mattress while others require a softer mattress and of course there is everything in between. Modern materials are plush, cozy, and well you could say simply irresistible .

Warranty

Each manufacturer offers a different warranty so be sure to check to see what the mattresses you are considering have to offer. Warranties are based on a great deal of things and generally the higher end mattresses have a longer warranty period. Check your mattress regularly for defects and problems with workmanship.

Durability

Relates to how long the mattress will stay comfortable and support you properly. Over time your mattress will wear out just like any product does. So each year you should re-evaluate your sleep needs.

Space

The mattress you pick should give you enough room to move around freely. Couples should choose a mattress that's at least a queen in size.

Sets

Matching set work together and look nice but mismatched sets mean you can save a lot of money and provide the same quality of comfort and support.

Value

Buy quality products that are made from quality materials. Remember you pay for what you get so don't expect a $200 mattress to be of the same quality as a $1000 mattress.

That said there are plenty of great deals to be found online. Many online retailers offer their mattresses for as much as 40% less than the local retailer. Choose Sealy, Simmons, Beautyrest, Serta or one of the many name brands on the market to ensure your bed mattress provides you with the very best sleep possible.