Proper Installation - Make sure your new mattress and foundation are properly installed in your home. Improper installation can damage your new sleep set. If you choose to transport and install on your own, ask the store personnel to give you some tips to help you avoid problems.
Rotate It - Unless your mattress care instructions indicate otherwise, you may want to periodically rotate your mattress from end-to-end and from top-to-bottom.
Use A Protective Pad - A good quality, washable mattress pad (and one for the foundation, too, if you like) is a must to keep your set fresh and free from stains.
Let It Breathe - If you detect a slight “new product” odor, leave the mattress and foundation uncovered and well ventilated for a few hours. A breath of fresh air should do the trick!
Give It Good Support - Be sure to use a sturdy, high-quality bed frame. If it’s a queen or king size set, make sure your frame has the strong center support that will prevent the mattress from bowing or breakage.
Don’t Dry Clean - The chemicals in dry cleaning agents/spot removers may be harmful to the fabric or underlying materials. Vacuuming is the only recommended cleaning method. But if you’re determined to tackle a stain, use mild soap with cold water and apply lightly. Do not ever soak a mattress or foundation.
Don’t Remove The Tag - Contrary to popular belief, it’s not illegal to remove the law tag, but the information on the label will serve as a means of identification should you have a warranty claim.
It’s Not A Trampoline - Don’t let the kids jump on your sleep set. Their rough-housing could do damage to the interior construction of your bed, as well as to themselves!
Follow Manufacturer’s Instructions - Again, be sure to follow any specific guidelines from your manufacturer for the best method of mattress care.
Out With The Old - Now that you’ve treated yourself to a new sleep set, arrange to have your old bed removed and disposed of. Don’t give it to the kids, relatives, guests or neighbors. If it wasn’t good enough for you, it isn’t good enough for anyone else. Throw it out!
Do you Need a New Mattress?
With most products, it’s fairly obvious when a replacement is needed. If it no longer works or has signs of wear and tear that impair its functionality, you know it’s time for a new one. However, realizing that it is time for mattress replacement and new foundation isn’t always so obvious.
Similar to your favorite old chair or worn pair of shoes, your mattress can still feel somewhat comfortable long after it has lost its ability to provide your body with the proper support and comfort it needs. Because sleep is so critical to our ability to function and feel our best, it is important to evaluate your sleep set on a regular basis to know when your sleep is compromised and to replace mattress accessories as well.
Signs that you may need a new mattress & foundation :
-- You wake up with stiffness, numbness, aches and pains
-- You had a better night’s sleep somewhere other than your own bed (such as a hotel)
-- Your mattress shows visible signs of overuse (it sags, has visible tearing, ripping, holes, staining, or damage)
-- You are tired after a full night's sleep
-- Your mattress is seven years old or older*
*How long a mattress will last depends on several factors, such as amount of use and the original quality, but in general, a mattress set that has been in use for seven years is no longer providing you with the best comfort and support and should be replaced.
Keep in mind that everyone’s body changes over time, and the need for comfort and support only increases with age. That’s why it’s a good idea to compare the mattress and foundation you are sleeping on now to newer models every few years.
Sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle. Like eating right and exercising, sleeping well is essential to feeling your best during the day. It affects how you feel, your relationships, your productivity and your quality of life. While you sleep, your brain goes to work, consolidating the day’s learning into memory and re-energizing the body.
There’s nothing wrong with taking a short nap to help refresh you during the day. But if you find you’re napping all the time, it could be a sign that you aren’t getting as much sleep as you should. Or that you’re not getting the deep, restful sleep you need at night.
Yes. The mattress has the potential either to encourage sleep or rob you of sleep. Whether your mattress is a sleep friend or a sleep foe can determine how refreshed you feel in the morning. If you’re tossing and turning more at night or if you’re waking up feeling stiff or sore after a night’s sleep, it could be a sign that your current mattress is no longer the best for you. Your body appreciates a comfortable, supportive mattress and will let you know if it’s not up to the task.
Yes. The mattress has the potential either to encourage sleep or rob you of sleep. Whether your mattress is a sleep friend or a sleep foe can determine how refreshed you feel in the morning. If you’re tossing and turning more at night or if you’re waking up feeling stiff or sore after a night’s sleep, it could be a sign that your current mattress is no longer the best for you. Your body appreciates a comfortable, supportive mattress and will let you know if it’s not up to the task.
The average person needs 7-8 hours a night, but it differs for every person. Some people may need as much as 10 hours a night and others need much less. If you sleep longer on the weekends than during the week, you probably aren’t getting the sleep you need every night.
A few key things should help. Try going to bed and getting up at the same time every day – even on the weekends. This will help keep your biological clock in sync. Develop a sleep ritual by doing the same things each night just before bed. Parents often establish a routine for their kids, but it can help adults, too. A routine cues the body to settle down for the night. Another hint: Unwind early in the evening so that worries and distractions don’t keep you from getting a good night’s sleep. Finally, create a restful sleep environment – sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation – to get your best night’s rest. If you’re sleeping as much as you need, but still find that you’re sleepy during the day, you should consult your doctor to see if you might have a medical condition interfering with your sleep.
It differs for every person. Some people may need as much as 10 hours a night and others need much less. The average person needs 7-8 hours a night. If you find yourself sleepy during the day, you probably need more sleep at night. Or if you sleep longer on the weekends than during the week, you probably need more sleep during the week.
Anyone who sleeps during the day needs to make sure their room is dark – use heavy window coverings to block out the light. This is important for everyone, but particularly for people who sleep when it’s bright outside. Also, make sure your room is cool, between 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 18 degrees Celsius). Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation that offers you enough space to move around comfortably. And sleep in a room that’s quiet. The sleep environment is a very controllable part of good sleep – whether you’re sleeping during the day or at night. You can adjust the temperature, replace an uncomfortable or worn-out mattress, block out noise with earplugs or a white noise machine and keep light from your bedroom with dark blinds or eye shades.
If you regularly fall asleep on your sofa, you may not be getting as much sleep as you need at night in your bed. Or maybe your sofa is more comfortable than your bed! In either case, you should make sure to practice good sleep habits – from sleeping on a comfortable, supportive mattress to not drinking alcohol too close to bedtime. And try to get more sleep – it may change how you feel during the day. Check out the Better Sleep Guide for tips on how to get a better night’s sleep.
If you’ve tried the common sense tips from our Better Sleep Guide, and you know you’re sleeping in a restful bedroom environment including a comfortable and supportive mattress, you should see your doctor. You may have a medical condition that interferes with getting a good night’s sleep.
Sleep needs to be a health priority. It affects every aspect of your day-to-day living. If you can’t say “yes” to sleep, make sure to make the most out of the sleep you get. Exercise regularly – people who exercise a few times a week sleep better than people who don’t. Also, avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco products late in the day. All can interfere with sleep. You need to create a restful sleep environment so the sleep you get is restorative and uninterrupted. Sleep in a dark room, on a comfortable, supportive mattress. Keep the room cool and quiet. And if you find yourself too stressed to sleep, make a list of all the things you need to do. Once you’ve made your to-do list, give yourself permission to relax and sleep. You’ll need the energy to tackle your tasks in the morning.
If you’ve looked at your sleep environment and your everyday routine to make sure you’re not sabotaging your sleep and you still feel sleepy after getting a full night’s sleep, you should see your doctor. You may have a medical condition that interferes with getting a good night’s sleep. Check out our Sleep Disorders link for more information.
No. If you sleep more on the weekends than during the week – and many of us do – this indicates that you have a “sleep debt.” A sleep debt accumulates when you don’t get enough sleep. The only way to reduce the debt is to sleep as much as your body needs every night. Make sure you’re getting the right quality of sleep as well. Sleep in a cool, dark, quiet room on a comfortable, supportive mattress to get your best night’s sleep.
You need to understand your needs before you start shopping. We recommend that you think about your lifestyle. How has it changed since you last bought a mattress and how might these changes affect your purchase? And what about your body? Has it changed and how has this affected your needs for support or your comfort preferences? Finally, think about space needs and if you have a partner, take your partner with you to shop for a new mattress. It’s important to find something to meet both your support needs and comfort preferences.
Armed with this information, go to a mattress retailer you trust, someone who will answer your questions with information. Then, take a “rest test” to compare the feel of different mattresses by lying down on them. You will quickly find some mattresses you like and others that do not meet your personal comfort preferences and support needs. Through this process of elimination, you can determine which mattresses you like best.
The answer is a matter of individual taste. What’s best for me may not be best for you. When it comes to mattresses, there is no one-size-fits-all. After all, we’re all built differently and have different comfort and support preferences, so why would the same mattress be “best” for all of us?
To determine the mattress that’s best for you, we recommend using the process of elimination to weed out the ones you don’t like. Go to a retailer and use the “rest test” to narrow down your choices. As you lie down on the mattresses, pay attention to three of the mattress’s most important features: comfort, support and space. The mattress that best fulfills the combination of these needs is the “best” mattress for you. If you sleep with a partner, bring that person with you to test out the mattresses. After all, you will need to reconcile what you like best with what your partner likes best.
Your body should tell you when it’s time for a new one – but are you paying attention? If you regularly wake up feeling stiff and sore or if you aren’t sleeping as well as you did a year ago, it may be time to replace what you’re sleeping on. At least twice a year, check for visible signs of wear and tear and ask yourself if you’re sleeping better or worse than you did a year ago and if a new mattress might improve your sleep. This regular sleep check-up will help ensure your mattress is still doing its job.
Four keys to keep in mind are support, comfort, space and matching sets. The mattress that’s right for you will keep your spine in proper alignment – how your spine is when it’s in good standing posture – supporting your body and cradling it along its curves. The right mattress will also be comfortable for your body. Keep in mind that your comfort preferences are likely to change as you age. Make sure the mattress provides enough space for easy, free movement. Couples should sleep on a queen or king-size mattress. And keep in mind that a mattress and foundation are designed to work together. Buy them as a set and get the most out of your investment in yourself.
Assess your needs before you start shopping. Think about your lifestyle. How has it changed since you last bought a mattress and how might these changes affect your purchase? And what about your body? Has it changed and how has this affected your need for support or your comfort preferences? Finally, think about space needs and take your partner with you (if you have one) when you shop for your mattress. You need to find something to meet both your support needs and comfort preferences.
The best way to try a mattress is to take the “SLEEP Test”:
Select a mattress
>> Lie down in your sleep position
>> Evaluate the level of comfort and support
>> Educate yourself about each selection
>> Partners should try each mattress together
>> Don’t be embarrassed. You don’t think twice about test driving a car, and you shouldn’t think twice about “SLEEP Testing” a mattress. Lie down on the mattress for several minutes and assess how well it provides support and how comfortable it is for you. The only way to tell if a mattress is right for you is to lie down on it.
Mattresses wear out on different timetables. This is due to numerous factors such as how the mattress was used (guest room, master bedroom, doubled as a trampoline for the kids), whether it was cared for properly and/or the quality of the mattress itself. Other important considerations are how personal comfort levels or a person’s lifestyle and body may have changed over the years. We encourage you to think about these things and ask yourself the following questions:
>> Are you sleeping better or worse than you did a year ago?
>> Are you waking up feeling stiff and sore?
>> Does your mattress have visible signs of wear and tear?
>> Would a new mattress improve your sleep?
If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then it’s time to consider purchasing a new mattress. And because people tend to overlook their mattresses and don’t think about them, we recommend that you “check” your mattress using these four questions on a regular basis – at least twice a year – to make sure mattress wear and tear isn’t sneaking up on you and disrupting your sleep.
Your rest – the amount and quality of your sleep – is a critical factor in your overall well-being. It can affect how you feel physically and mentally as well as your productivity. Accordingly, we urge you to invest in your rest, and spend enough on a mattress to ensure that your individual comfort and support needs are being met. Be sure not to shortchange yourself out of a good, quality night’s sleep and buy the best mattress you can afford. The average person spends one-third of his or her life in bed. This equals 220,000 hours over the course of a lifetime! And the mattress is the most used piece of furniture in the home.
Couples should sleep in a queen or king-size mattress for free, easy movement. Couples who sleep on a full mattress are only allowing themselves the same room to move around as a baby has in a crib. And make sure to take your partner with you when you shop for a mattress. It’s important that you find one that meets both your support need and comfort preferences. Click here for more details.
There’s nothing more challenging than taking care of a new baby. The good news is, as babies grow older, they sleep for far longer periods at a time and soon will sleep through the night. In the meantime, know that erratic sleep schedules and getting up in the middle of the night will be part of your lives for the next few months. So make the most of the sleep you can get – provide yourself and your husband with a restful sleep environment. Sleep in a cool, dark room on a comfortable, supportive mattress. That way, you’ll get the best sleep you can, even if it’s for shorter periods of time. And learn to sleep when your baby does. It may be tempting to tackle chores while your baby sleeps, but a quick nap will help boost your energy. Sleep is as important to you as it is to your child.
Kids need at least nine hours of sleep each night to be star students. To help make sure your kids get the sleep they need, make sure your child’s bedroom is conducive to a good night’s sleep – your child’s room should be cool, quiet and dark and he or she should be sleeping on a comfortable, supportive mattress. For more information on kids and sleep, check out the Garfield Star Sleeper Campaign.
If a mattress is no longer comfortable for you, it’s not good enough for someone else – especially your child. As kids grow, they need supportive and comfortable bedding as well. Be sure your children have enough space to move around comfortably as they grow. In addition, your child’s first “big girl” or “big boy” bed may not provide enough space or comfort for your adolescent.
The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is a small, brownish, flattened insect that feeds solely on the blood of animals. Adult beg bugs are approximately 3/16-inch long (slightly smaller than an apple seed) and reddish brown with oval, flattened bodies. They can sometimes be mistaken for ticks or cockroaches. The babies (nymphs) resemble adult bed bugs, but are smaller and lighter in color. Eggs are whitish and not much bigger than dust specs. Bed bugs do not fly, but can crawl swiftly over floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces.
Their name is actually deceiving because bed bugs can live in almost any crevice of any household item. Sofas, chairs, nightstands and dressers, along the edge of baseboards and wall-to-wall carpeting, cracks in wood molding, ceiling-wall junctures, behind wall-mounted picture frames, clocks, phones…anywhere that has a dark, protected location, a bed bug can set up its home. Bed bugs tend to congregate and it is typical to find many in the same location. Bed bugs may occur in all sorts of places besides hotels, homes and apartments. Recent press reports show they are also infesting such places as clothing stores, movie theatres, hospitals, schools and office buildings. In mattresses, they tend to congregate along the seams and edges. They also hide in box springs, bed frames and headboards.
These pesky critters are quite efficient hitchhikers. They usually are transported into dwellings on luggage, clothing, beds and furniture. Since bed bugs are so small, it’s difficult to detect them after they’ve hitched a ride in your luggage or household items.
The following precautions can help prevent bed bugs from entering your home:
Do not bring curbside items (especially beds and sofas) indoors as these may harboring bed bugs.
If you are traveling, make it a habit to inspect your bed for bed bugs before unpacking. Remove sheets, blankets, etc. and examine the seams of the mattress and upper edge of the box spring for any signs of bed bugs or their droppings which appear as darkish spotting or staining. The seams and corners at the head of the bed (the pillow end) are especially critical. Although bed bugs often reside behind hotel head boards, these can be heavy and difficult to remove except by trained individuals.
Avoid storing your luggage on the floor or bed. Bed bugs are less likely to infest suitcases and other belongings if placed on a table top, luggage stand or other hard surface.
When returning home from travel, put all your laundry immediately into the washer or dryer on warm or hot cycle. Either method is effective at killing bed bugs and their eggs. It may also be prudent to store your suitcase in the garage, basement, etc., rather than in living areas of your home. These precautions are especially important, upon returning home, should you experience bites or suspicious itchy welts during you travels.
Some travel sites are now offering advisories on which hotels have reportedly had incidents involving bed bugs. While many of such reports are unconfirmed, they can provide guidance to concerned travelers.
Bed bug extermination can be difficult, especially when the problem is allowed to persist. During the beginning stages of an infestation, bed bugs tend to congregate in beds and sleeping areas. If the infestation grows and spreads beyond your bed, eradicating them can be more difficult. If you get bed bugs, it’s prudent to hire a professional exterminator. Professional exterminators know what to look for and have the necessary tools for managing the problem. Bedding and garments will need to be bagged and laundered at a minimum of 120°F. Alternatively you can place clothing, toys, backpacks, shoes, etc. in a dryer set at medium-high heat for 10-20 minutes. The heat will kill all stages of bed bugs, including eggs. If items can’t be laundered and/or run through a clothes dryer, you may be able to disinfest them in trash bags placed outdoors in a hot, sunny location or inside a closed vehicle for at least a day. The internal temperature must reach at least 120 degrees or higher in order to be effective, so if you try this, the fewer items in the bag, the better, so that the heat can penetrate to wherever the bed bugs may be hiding. Sometimes, it becomes necessary to throw out heavily infested items, but it’s best to consult with a professional before doing so. Mattresses and box springs can often be protected in zippered encasements rather than having to be discarded.
Goodmatt Solutions Sdn Bhd (1065037-H)
AL3A, Jalan Kampung, Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh,
47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
Email: customerservice@tbhgroup.com.my
Phone: +6012-6498013
Fax: +603-61567254