Researchers Say Right Mattress is Important for Good Sleep

The mattress, it turns out, really does matter when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. But finding that right mattress is not easy.

Those were two of the key findings revealed at a high-powered Sleep Summit hosted by officials of the Sleep to Live Institute, a sleep research center in Joplin, MO.

Institute officials assembled an all-star cast of sleep experts to talk about the importance of a good night’s sleep, the challenges of getting that sleep, and some solutions to the problem.

Panelists included Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute, and sleep researchers Thomas Roth of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and Sonia Ancoli-Israel of the University of California at San Diego’s School of Medicine.

They were joined by veteran medical journalists Dr. Nancy Snyderman and Dr. Bob Arnot, and Dr. Andrew Krystal, director of the Insomnia and Sleep Research Program at Duke University’s School of Medicine.

A highlight of the session was an overview of what officials said was the first major study to analyze the impact of mattresses on sleep and quality of life.

Krystal presented the findings of the study, conducted in collaboration with RTI International. The study found that mattresses really do matter when it comes to sleep quality and common health complaints, notably daytime pain, officials said.

“The findings from the Mattress Matters study are remarkable,” said Krystal. “After analyzing 128 healthy, pain-free adults, we discovered that there is a statistically significant correlation between how mattress support affects sleep quality, pain and daytime function. We were also able to document that participants were generally unable to select the best mattress for their sleep needs.”

Krystal said the study participants spent an average of 20 nights on each of seven different mattresses, offering a range of support. The subjects differed on the degree of mattress support that was optimal for them. “One size doesn’t fit all,” Krystal said, noting that no single bed produced optimal results for all study participants.

Frank Hood, president of the Sleep to Live Institute, said that consumers would have better luck finding the right bed for them by flipping a coin rather than by lying down on beds in stores, the traditional approach used by most consumers in mattress shopping.

Using the results of the Mattress Matters study, Sleep to Live Institute scientists and engineers developed bedMATCH, a diagnostic system that uses statistical measurements and calculations to help consumers pick the best mattress for them, regardless of brand or price, officials said.

“The bedMATCH system is the culmination of clinical research and collected sleep profiles from millions of consumers,” said Oexman. “For the first time we’re able to show the scientific link between mattress choice and a person’s health and well-being. Buying a mattress is a major purchase and bedMATCH simplifies the process.”

That new system will be in stores by early spring, officials said.