When Insomnia Demands a New Bed

Things are getting serious around here. Insomnia is becoming as much a part of me as my own personality traits. That is the last thing I want to happen. It's happening despite the lengthy list of strategies I have employed.

From melatonin to changes in eating habits to setting a regular bedtime routine to meditating – I have tried everything but prescription sleep meds.

One thing I probably put off longer than I should have deals with my bed itself.

Could a new mattress help my insomnia?

When you have had a mattress as long as I have had mine, it only stands to reason that replacing it could make a difference in the ability to rest comfortably and sleep soundly. After waking up several nights in a row with a stiff back and a crick in my neck, I started to wonder if my mattress was affecting my sleep. I know stress has been a huge factor over the last few months, but there was a good chance my bed playing a role, too.

Doing my mattress research

I started my search by looking for memory foam mattresses. The mattress topper I am using now is great, but the 12-year-old mattress below it has to be creating some trouble. Never having had a memory foam mattress, I wasn't sure which one would be my best bet. There isn't anything you can't Google, including "best mattresses for insomnia." My search returned a surprisingly long list of mattresses claiming to offer relief for insomniacs like me.

Customer reviews say it all

There aren't many things I buy online without first reading reviews. This was going to be a huge purchase for me and a long-term investment. Reviews were everything. One thing I have learned from shopping online is to read reviews that are not on the company's website. I never put stock in the reviews a manufacturer posts. I find it much more beneficial to read reviews from third-party sites. They feel more honest and are less likely to be biased.

After making some notes, saving a few sites, and including the words insomnia and sleep problems in all of my searches, I narrowed my choices down to 3 mattresses. I was interested most in Purple, Nectar, and Helix. Sleep is important, and I have truly missed it. If I was going to make a big change, I wanted it to be the best change possible for my health.

That’s what friends are for

Friends can give the best recommendations if you just take the time to reach out to them. It's funny – I don't often discuss bedding options with friends, but this felt like a great thing to ask friends about. I wanted to go into this purchase completely informed.

As it happens, I have a friend who has had a Nectar mattress for about year. Between her glowing review and all the accolades I found in several forums online, I was convinced. Fingers crossed, I placed my order.

How it begins

Did my insomnia relief just arrive in a box in my carport? Did I just watch the end of my restless nights unroll itself and expand before my eyes? Could I be lucky enough to have finally hit on the answer to all of my insomnia questions? I guess I will soon find out. Wish me luck because I am quickly running out of options.