Sleeping and Waking up Right with IKEA

How many of you out there know you are sleeping on the right mattress?

I remembered when I first move to KL for my study 10 years ago, I was sleeping on a thin mattress I bought on a furniture shop nearby my house because it is cheap(student no budget!) and it looked good but sooner or later I realised it did no good to my spine. So when I started working, I decided to invest in a better mattress which is pocket spring mattress which I bought according the recommendation I read online and guts I have at that time and I was very lucky because I think I bought the right mattress because I have been sleeping so well ( I think!). Honestly I do not have much knowledge about mattress & bedsheets back then, and as time goes I have learned the importance of sleeping with the right mattress. With the right mattress, one could have a good relaxing sleep until the next morning without costing backache or feeling tired the next day.

Mei Ying the sleeping beauty is having her beauty sleep.

So when I was invited by the kind people in IKEA to learn more about my sleeping position and what kind of mattress suits my sleeping pattern, I was very interested to find out if my choice of mattress is correct. IKEA have invited 3 experts to talk to the media about sleeping disorders and the importance of a conducive bedroom environment.

Dr. Raymond Tan, Consultant ENT Surgeon, snoring and sleep apnea specialist giving his presentation on sleeping disorders.

He said that baby needs 12-18 hours sleep, child needs 11-13 hours sleep and adolescent needs 9 hours of sleep. For adults generally we needs 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep while eldery needs less sleeping hour than adult and their sleeping hour best to start from 9pm-4am. That's why usually we are told eldery wake up pretty early as insomina problem is quite common for them.

Someone asked what is the best sleeping hour for adult?

He said that adults should sleep from 11pm tp 6am and adults might face depression and obesity if deprive of sleep in the long run.

It is estimated that 2% to 4% of the general Malaysian population suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) syndrome*, resulting in snoring, loss of sleep, lethargy in the day time and other complications. While medical treatments are available for sufferers to cope with their conditions, the right sleeping environment and habits are crucial to a good’s night rest to ensure a good start for the following day.

It is not suprising to find obese people have higher risk for OSA and those suffering from this disease will over eat for energy which in the end put on more weight and OSA worsen. Some of the OSA symptoms were loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, choking or shortness of breath at night, restless sleep, unrefreshing sleep and changes in personality (impaired concentration, anxiety, irritability, depression and forgetfulness). Raymond Tan shared that one of the ways to help reduce OSA is for the patient to sleep on their side. He suggested one to sew a tennis ball into the back of the patients pyjamas, forcing them to sleep on their side.

So whatever your age, it is important to have a good sleep at the right timing as it will rejunvenate our Mind & Muscles for the next day and I learnt that sleep helps us remember what is important and forget what is not, while helping us commit to long-term memory what was learned in the day.

Dr. Michael Chan, Gonstead Chiropractor, giving his presentation on sleeping postures and positions.

He said that it is important to choose the right mattress & pillow to ensure our spine aligned while sleeping and this will ensure a good healthy sleep.

A mattress that is too soft or too hard will cause the spine will not be aligned and as a result our spine will suffer while we are sleeping.

The last speaker, IKEA specialist Gordan Wimalasiri shared about sleeping and bedding solutions that can help to manage sleeping disorders and the ideal sleeping environment.

He said that there are 3 steps in choosing the right mattress :



1) Weight & Height

As the general rule are, the heavier we are, the firmer the mattress should be..as it suppose to help to support our weight balancely on the mattress.

There is a chart in IKEA's wall that helps us to determine the right mattress according to our height & weight. I found out I should be sleeping firm mattress and well I did sleep on a firm mattress at home :D

2) Sleeping Pattern

Side Sleeper : Sleeping on the side, the shoulders and hips create heavy pressure on the mattress. Hence one should choose softer mattress (helps shoulders & hips sink while providing equal support for the rest of the body) and higher pillow (to aligns your head & neck with your spine so that you lie straight and feel really relax).

Back Sleeper : Sleeping on our back is the best way to support the spine's natural s-curve and spreads body weight more evenly. One should choose slight firmer mattress & pillow of meium height.

Stomach Sleeper : A stomach sleeper needs support arround neck and base of the spine. And one is suggest to choose firm mattress and low pillow.

3) Types of mattress

Spring mattress : Helps to distribute the weight of the body more evenly, eliminating excess pressure on any part of the body. It can be turned in all directions and ensure even wear & extend the life of the mattress.

Wooden-base spring mattress: have self-supporing frame so there is no need of additional bed frame. Just attach legs, a mattres pad for customised comfort for a complete bed.

Foam & Latex mattress : provides body with firm support while being soft & resillent.

So are you sleeping on the right mattress & pillow?

After the presentation, Gordon gave us a small tour and introduced one of the IKEA most popular mattress which is the SULTAN mattresses that will give us the comfort you need for a good night’s sleep. SULTAN mattresses are made according to local sizes, so you can sleep soundly, every night for many years to come.We are also told that The SULTAN mattresses have a 25-year quality guarantee and 100-day return policy to give our customers the best offer.

I really like this policy because a customer have 100 days to sleep on it and may exchange the mattress once within 100 days if one don't love it, provided the merchandise is not found by IKEA to be dirty, marked, damaged or abused. This policy is valid on all new SULTAN mattresses and does not include SULTAN bases, SULTAN bed slats or SULTAN mattress pads. How awesome is it right, IKEA let you try & feel and change if you are not happy with it.

So why not meet up with IKEA mattress specialists which will guide and offer you tips on how to choose the right mattress or visit http://www.ikea.com/my/en/ and use the IKEA online Mattress Guide to find the mattress that’s best suited for your body type and sleeping style. Also IKEA currently having a promotion until 13 May 2012 :-

Mattress Disposal Service

Let IKEA dispose your old one for free when they deliver your new SULTAN mattress to your home. Inform the Home Delivery if you need this service.

50% Rebate on SULTAN Mattress Pad and/or Protector

Get 50% rebate in IKEA Gift Card on mattress pad and/or mattress protector when you purchase a SULTAN mattress within the same receipt.

Eat Your Discount

Spend a minimum of RM20 at the IKEA Restaurant in a single receipt and receive RM5 voucher to purchase IKEA pillows, quilts and quilt cover sets.

For more information about IKEA, check out http://www.ikea.com/my/en/