Good Bed Bad Bed - Is your mattress the culprit for not sleeping like a king?

A typical bed has 4 sides. This means you have about a 25 percent chance of waking up on the wrong side. If you take in consideration most people have a headboard and a footboard, it brings your odds down even more, giving you a 50 percent chance of waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

What is to blame for this crankiness? Does your spouse snore too loud keeping you awake at night? Is it because you suffer from constant thoughts tumbling around your head? Or is it possible your bad night sleep is a direct result of a bad bed.

Buying a new mattress is not only difficult, but definitely no fun. With technologies changing every day you can walk into any mattress store and be overwhelmed, even though every single bed looks the same. So what do you do? Do you choose the ever so famous Pillow Top. Or how about the new Memory Foam or the always advertised Sleep Number Bed? Yet, let’s add another choice… the Interflex Integrated Sleep Systems bed.

“My back hurts every morning, as well as my husbands. So, as you can imagine, the first look I get from him every morning is a dirty one!”

- RealHousewife

All mattresses are not created equal. They have their pros and they have their cons, some more than others. After owning a Pillow Top mattress, this RealHousewife decided she was overdue for a decent mattress.

“I purchased an Interflex Integrated Sleep Systems bed - in particular - The Titanium model,” RealHousewife said. “As a former sleep technologist and a REAL housewife, my sleep is important and I deserve the best!”

While it has been less than two years since she convinced her husband, who is still giving her dirty looks today, to buy the Interflex Integrated Sleep Systems bed, she said it feels like she has had it for a lifetime.

Previously, this housewife had owned a pillow top bed, and without the ability to flip the mattress, her side of the bed had developed a butt imprint so huge, there was no possible way to escape the black hole of mattress space.

“The springs stopped springing right under my butt,” she exclaimed. She was in a state of shock considering her husband outweighed her and his side was fine. “If I tried to scoot up higher on the bed, my head would hit the headboard. If I tried to scoot down lower in the bed, my feet hung off! I just couldn’t avoid that hole no matter which way I scooted. It was mush right beneath my tush!”

After begging and begging, this housewife finally convinced her husband to throw out the old and replace it with something new and better.

“I purchased (the Interflex Integrated Sleep Systems bed) because it has all the options a good wife should be entitled to!” she said. “I like to read and write while I am in bed in the evening. This bed had all the bells and whistles.”

This bed drew her attention because it had an adjustable headboard, footboard and various massage capabilities all within an arms reach due to the handy dandy remote control.

“It is very much like a hospital bed, except there is no button for a nurse to answer my questions or bring me a juice,” she said. “(And believe me,) I looked all over for that damn button!)"

I want to give a big shout out to RealHousewife for her help with this article. Without her, I would have never had the ability to write the second half of this article. Thanks for the great interview... like always... and for the idea.

If you would like to read more hubs from RealHousewife, click here. I hope you will find her as entertaining as I do! Happy reading!

If it wasn’t because this real housewife has other things she has to get done, she does believe she could just sit in this bed for weeks. The adjustable head and foot boards put her in a completely comfortable position for working on her laptop, reading or even enjoying a movie. It is also the perfect place to operate the family's home business, stating because she is connected through a wireless router, she can connect with her customers all while wearing her pajamas and fluffy bunny slippers!

The bed is also a large king size… and while the main purpose of a bed is for sleep… she does admit that they do love to party in the bed! Her husband and her often cuddle up with their two daughters and watch family movies. Any other pros to the bed however are better off not listed in hubland.

However, when it comes to the Interflex Integrated Sleep Systems bed, the pros definitely DO NOT outweigh the cons.

“My back hurts every morning,” she complained, “As well as my husbands. So, as you can imagine, the first look I get from him every morning is a dirty one!”

While the foam mattress was supposed to conform to the shape of the sleeper’s body (and not just to leave a gaping butt hole), the mattress was definitely not what was promised. This real housewife’s husband also agrees that the mattress never felt like the one on the showroom floor, and feels that they got “the old bait and switch!”

However, the biggest problem with this bed seems to be the difference in likes. While this housewife likes the headboard to be in an upright position, her husband likes to have the headboard down. To get comfortable, he ends up with his legs hanging off the end of the bed. They also don’t use the massage option.

“(My husband) feels like he is being molested,” she laughed. “It is also very loud, (and since) our bedrooms are on the second floor, the vibrations can be heard on the first floor through the ceiling."

The massage feature is not the only thing that has this couple fearing for their life. It is also designed with an alarm they have never been able to deprogram, and it frequently goes off at 2 a.m., at which time this Real Housewife once again gets dirty looks while searching for the remote buried beneath the blankets. The intention behind the alarm is to gently shake you awake without the annoying beep of an alarm clock.

“The headboard will rise and fall as if it is going to throw you right out of the bed,” she said. “My bed is next to a very large window (and) I am afraid I might wake up outside on the lawn in my pajamas with bad hair!”

In addition, she stated the salesperson never told her at the time of purchase that this bed can not be used outside or near explosives, nor could you allow any persons or pets under the bed.

“I had to find that out by reading the handbook!” she said. “I guess I won’t be hiding dead bodies under there any longer!”

From a real housewife’s perspective, she wants a bed that is durable yet soft and comfortable. Yet, when it comes down to whether she is really happy with her purchase she vouches that it is a complete split - 50/50 - since she only gets 50 percent of the sleep she should be getting.

“I am a housewife. I don’t get that many hours to actually be in the bedroom. I do love to work on my laptop while I am comfortable,” she said, “(my husband), however, disagrees. He thinks it was 100 percent bad investment, unless you are a contortionist from the carnival.”

She does feel however that if the Interflex Integrated Sleep Systems bed had the pillow top type mattress rather than the foam material, she would purchase it again. However, her husband, disagrees.

“A good mattress is very important to me since we do sleep on them every night, and as a sleep professional, I know how important that is for your health,” she said. “But the term, eat, sleep and be MARRY ain’t gonna happen in this bed!”

I am no stranger to an aching back from a bad bed. Mattresses are expensive and I have had my fair share of bad ones. My very first mattress I owned (without the assistance of my parents) was bought from a man who was angry at his girlfriend… or better said… his ex. For a measly $100 he sold us a couch, a chair, a dining room table, a dresser, and a mattress. (Whatever happened to shopping like that today!)

At the time, I was not picky. After all, a gently used mattress is still better than sleeping on the floor… which was the other option. My husband and I were newlyweds and we needed to furnish a house. That can get very expensive, so for $100 I do believe we scored a deal. However, I was much younger than.

We had this mattress for several years, we even collected another mattress for a spare (in case we had a guest spend the night.) This mattress didn’t come with a box spring and it was transported to my house on top of my 98 Ford Escort ZX2. In fact, there really isn’t a funnier sight than seeing a mattress sitting on the roof of a car, only being secured by the one hand I had sticking outside the window. The drive wasn’t long and I only lost the mattress once. By myself, I was able to get the mattress home in one piece. The mattress wasn’t comfortable, but it also served it’s purpose. When someone needed to spend the night, it was better than sleeping on the floor.

About 7 years ago, I was pregnant and highly uncomfortable. I begged and pleaded and I finally got my way. We finally bought a mattress from a mattress dealership. I say dealership because buying a mattress is much like buying a car. There are so many of them to choose from but they all have the same purpose - The mattress to give you a better night sleep and the car to get you from point A to Point B. Lucky for me, my dad assisted my husband with the mattress buying so I didn’t have to worry about all the different types. I just instructed him that I wanted a Pillow Top - why - cause I heard it was good and I am easily influenced.

Now you know you have finally reached adulthood when you become excited over a mattress. Well, I was excited. I figured, pregnant belly and all, that I might finally be able to get a good nights sleep without stealing every blanket and ever pillow to find a little support. I even sometimes used my husband as a body pillow as well. Those who have never had a pregnant wife probably don’t understand how truly uncomfortable this really could be.

When he finally got it home, we got it set up and I immediately tried it out. Boy was it comfortable. Support… finally. Yet, like most mattresses… the support gives away a little more each day. It didn’t matter if I turned it or if I rotated, after 3 years, the mattress was headed downhill. It didn’t matter the position, you could see the body prints pressed into the springs. Even a quilted mattress pad did nothing to help the dying mattress. I was complaining once again, only I couldn’t justify spending money on another mattress so soon. So we suffered and so did our sleep.

Years later, as we decided we were moving on, we were packing up our belongs and found something that would have been very helpful. The receipt to our mattress, which also contained the warranty information for the mattress. While it was a little too late, since we already trashed the mattress, I don’t feel so bad because I am not the only one who suffers from the Bad Bed Blues.

Since each person is different, buying a mattress will be different for each person. Some like a firm mattress while others like one that is soft. The biggest thing to remember, is quality is the most important part about purchasing a mattress. To find quality you have to do the proper research. Checking out your consumer ratings is a good first step in your research.

A good mattress, as long as the kids aren’t using it as a trampoline, should last at least 10 years, according to consumer reports. In that time you will have logged close to 30,000 hours in bed. That is a lot of time to be suffering with a bad bed. If you are waking up achy and cranky, or if you find you get a better night's sleep when spending the night in a hotel, it is time to go mattress shopping.

While purchasing a new mattress can be a hassle, there are several things you might want to consider. You will need to decide what size is best for you - King, Queen, Full, Twin. Purchasing a twin bed for a couple is definitely not an option, especially if you want to be comfortable and have room to move. You should also take cost into consideration. Purchasing a new mattress for less than $300 is probably a good sign it will not last. Then again, purchasing one for several thousand can also lead to a bad mattress purchase as well, just ask RealHousewife.

My best advice, take the mattress for a test spin. By this, I don’t mean going to the store and trying them out - I mean ask around. Your friends and family will be your best outlet for mattress advice. Obviously, each person is different and will look for different qualities in a mattress. If you follow in my footsteps, you might just find that the floor is actually much more comfortable!

How to Choose the Best Mattress for your Body Type - The power of a good night's sleep should never be underestimated. As we sleep, our body's serotonin levels are restored, our immune systems are rejuvenated and our memories are sharpened. Why would you sacrifice this for a bad bed?

How to buy a mattress and not get ripped off - There are few industries more unscrupulous than mattress sales. Know the goods so you aren't confused when out shopping for your next mattress. After all, you want to be sleeping like a king!

If you have come here with high hopes of buying the best mattress, I am sorry to disappoint you. However, I hope you find these stories useful so you can refer to them when purchasing your next mattress! If you would like actual help in purchasing a mattress, follow the articles to the side!

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