FIND YOUR PERFECT NIGHT'S SLEEP.

This seems like common sense, but there are good reasons most shoppers take up to a year to make a decision and finally select a new bed. First, they’re expensive. Sticker shock is a real thing, and today’s beds have advanced to the point that they’re borrowing technology from NASA. That’s a true story. But today’s super-beds, while providing superior sleep, come at a steeper cost than the old steel and hay mats of yesteryear. The difference is justified too. You can still buy a basic steel coil mattress without much comfort for relatively little money. But after lying on the newer options, you won’t want to settle for less.

Secondly, sleep affects your whole life, so the stakes are high. You probably know how difficult it is to operate or think clearly after a bad night’s sleep. And if you’ve ever woken up with a sore neck or back, you know how even the simplest of tasks like driving a car can be a nightmare.

Lastly, mattresses should last about 10 years and you don’t want to make a decade-long mistake. That’s what first marriages are for. Kidding of course-- if you’re still married to your high school sweetheart, then congratulations on beating the odds. But divorcing a mattress early is also an expensive mistake that we would all prefer to avoid.

Seriously-- the moment you step into a mattress store you’ll realize you’ve stumbled into a giant sea of white rectangles. What’s worse is if you start lying on all of them, not only will you waste an entire day, but you’ll be hard-pressed to even feel a difference after a while. It’s sort of like smelling too many perfumes in a row- they all start to stink. Avoid this by narrowing down your options before lying down. More on that at the end.

This is an important one, and you should do your homework before visiting a store. Some chains offer comfort exchanges, others make all sales final. Some offer free disposal of your old mattress, others expect you to get rid of it. Some give you the lowest price upfront, others mark their prices up and expect you to negotiate. By nature, buying a new mattress is a lot more complex than most everyday purchases, and hopefully, by now you’re convinced it’s worth spending a little extra time doing a bit of research. Never fear, it is possible to find the perfect mattress and get that deep, drooling night sleep your body so desperately craves.

Take your time trying them out. Don’t rush it- you should lay on a prospective mattress for at least 15 minutes to get a good feel for it.

Pick a store with experienced, knowledgeable salespeople. The mattress industry changes quickly these days and you need an expert that lives and breathes it to help explain all of the options and answer your questions.

Try a pressure mapping system. Some stores have pressure mapping systems that can help measure your body’s sleeping position to recommend the proper level of comfort and support. Ours takes less than 4 minutes and is absolutely free. Whatever result you get, you’ll narrow down your options to just a few beds.

Finally, choose a store that has a flexible exchange policy. No matter how much time and energy you spend trying to make the right decision, nothing can replace actually sleeping on one for a while.