How to Pick the Right Mattress

IT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR YOUR SLEEP AND YOUR PAIN.

- SHARON LIAO

Finding your “just right” mattress is often challenging, given all the options. “The trick is finding the right degree of support without sacrificing comfort,” says Michael Breus, Ph.D., a sleep specialist and founder of TheSleepDoctor. com. You want to find a mattress that keeps your spine in alignment but allows your muscles to relax. Here’s how to score the mattress of your dreams.

KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME.

The average mattress lasts six to eight years. If you wake up with pain three to four times a week that you can’t trace to your arthritis, start shopping for a new one, Breus says.

“One sign is if you sleep better in other beds, like if you’re traveling,” says Todd Sinett, a chiropractor in New York City.

DECIDE ON A BUDGET.