I hear it time and time again: "I was on vacation/traveling for work and slept better than in my bed at home." Spending the night on a different mattress other than the one you have at home can drive home the fact that your current mattress is in dire need of replacing. However, some people assume it is because the mattress they are on in the hotel is so good and will actually go to great lengths to find out the make and model of the hotel mattress or even buy one from the hotel. Is this a good idea? 

If your current mattress is way past its prime, like so many of the name brand mattress are, it is likely that it has a body impression and has lost its supportive qualities. A body impression in your mattress means that during the course of the night, your spine is bowing out of alignment and following the dip and valley of the body impression. It also means that the matted down nature of the materials creates an environment where your mattress no longer is able to absorb the energy of your body weight, making it additionally uncomfortable. 

When you stay at a friends or at a hotel, you are usually staying on a mattress with little to no wear, basically a new mattress. Your spine is properly supported and the cushioning materials are newer, providing the missing comfort you so desire. But just because this new sleep environment is working for you doesn't mean it's the best mattress for you. 

Hotels routinely swap out their mattresses at a regular intervals so when you sleep on one it is likely new to 2 years old. The mattresses they use, however, are more likely to break down after just a few years, much like the name brand coil mattresses you buy at the local mattress retail chains. So, yes, you will get proper support and it will be wonderful and supportive compared to your bad mattress at home, but likely you will be replacing it in a few years, like your current mattress. 

Staying in a hotel or a friend's house and getting a better night's sleep is the perfect way to tell that you do need a new mattress however, and it is good to take note of what you did sleep on at the hotel or friend's house and then find a mattress of good quality, non-toxic or organic. Getting the name off the label won't really help, however, getting the manufacturer's information such as the company that made it will give us a great idea of the type of construction of the mattress.  

If it's time for a new mattress, make sure you add Nest Bedding to your list of places to shop. You will find helpful staff, great prices and amazing beds, long lasting and non-toxic memory foam mattresses and great quality organic mattresses. Shopping for a new mattress in Berkeley, San Francisco and Mountain View? Check out Nest Bedding.