The best in beds and mattresses for the perfect night’s sleep
Sweet dreams
With the odd exception (Margaret Thatcher and Napoleon supposedly got by on only four hours a night), we spend more than a third of our lives asleep. Sufficient sleep is vital for maintaining normal levels of cognitive (thinking, reasoning and communication) skills, as well as physical and emotional health. Any new parent will tell you that the quantity of sleep we have is vital – any parent of toddlers and older children will tell you that quality is important, too. Fitful, restless sleep and frequent wakefulness is as bad for our health and wellbeing as too little sleep.
Sleep tight
If a good night’s sleep is eluding you, there are a number of things you can do to improve your sleep. Avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evenings, switching off the TV, relaxing in a warm bath and making sure you leave mobile phones out of the bedroom can help. If light is a problem, installing blackout blinds in the bedroom will keep daylight out until you want to wake up. And last but not least, investing in a good quality bed and mattress will ensure that you stay warm and comfy all night.
Time for bed
A good bed starts with a good bed frame – make sure you choose one with plenty of room. If you’re starting out with a new partner, or thinking of having children one day, then opting for a king size bed (or even bigger, if you have the space) might help to ensure things don’t get too crowded later on. Divan beds – a simple, box-like base onto which you add a mattress – is probably the most popular and simple style of bed. Although a basic divan has a solid top, a pocket-sprung divan bed will cost a little more but give you extra comfort.
Headboards are often sold separately, so factor a headboard into your budget if you want one. Look out for divan bases with added under-bed drawers and storage. Bedsteads – basically a slatted frame – come in a huge range of styles and materials (wood and wrought iron are both popular). Try out different styles and slat-types before you buy to see what you find most comfortable.
The right mattress
Pocket sprung mattresses – where coiled springs are sewn into pockets within an upholstered shell – are supportive, and popular. Memory foam mattresses, topped with a layer of heat sensitive viscoelastic material, help to relieve pressure on painful joints. For cheaper alternatives, try simple foam, continuous or open coil mattresses – but we’d caution against scrimping here, investing in a mattress topper or cover can add extra comfort.
Softly, softly
For linen, good quality Egyptian cotton and pure Irish linen are always in style. Currently throws and cushions in silk or cotton velvets, animal prints, nubby linen and wool in shades of midnight blue, chocolate, black and scarlet are en vogue.
