If you decide you're ready for a new mattress, there are four main concerns to address when looking for a new one: comfort, support, durability and space. The Better Sleep Council offers these suggestions on how to judge each criteria to best suit your needs:

COMFORT
Gone are the days when a mattress had to be hard-as-a-board to be good for you. A too-hard mattress may only succeed in putting your shoulders and hips to sleep. You'll sleep best when your bed helps you feel cradled in comfort, cozy and secure. Today's top quality mattress and foundation ensembles are built for superior comfort. Luxurious new cushioning materials and extra-soft surface treatments create a plusher, more comfortable feel.

SUPPORT
Correct support is essential for healthy rest. A good mattress and foundation will gently support your body at all points and keep your spine in the same shape as a person with good standing posture. Pay special attention to your shoulders, hips, and lower back-the heaviest parts. If there's too little support, you can develop back pain. But if the mattress is too hard for you, you can experience uncomfortable pressure.

A word about "firm" - don't rely on product labels to tell you which mattress will give you the right support. One manufacturer's "firm" may feel harder than another's "extra firm." The only way to find out if the support is right is to lie down and try it for yourself.

DURABILITY
It's the quality of the materials used and how they're put together that determines how long a mattress and foundation will provide quality comfort and support. The best assurance of good performance over a good many years is to buy the highest quality sleep set you can afford.

SPACE
Cramped quarters can turn sleeping into a nightly wrestling match. A healthy sleeper moves anywhere from 40-60 times a night, including some dozen full body turns. You need freedom of motion while you sleep and to help you relax while getting to sleep. If you sleep with a partner, be sure to select queen or king size. Both are not only wider, but several inches longer than the standard "double" (full size), which offers each sleeper only as much space as a baby in a crib.

Following these guidelines will help you find a new mattress that will help you get better sleep and recharge you for what the next day may bring.

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