I was reading an article on bed sores, which are very common among the elderly, and it reminded me I needed to write an article about the benefits of a pressure-free or reduced pressure sleeping surface. Here is an excerpt from that article:

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the number of hospital patients who develop pressure sores, also known as decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers or bed sore has rose by 63% over the last 10 years. Those most at risk of developing pressure sores are those whose mobility or sensation of pressure are impaired.

The reason why bed sores develop, as pointed out above, is pressure. A lack of blood flow is caused by pressure, along with agitation of the skin, leads to sores developing.

When you cut yourself, you first inclination is to apply pressure, and it is the right thing to do. Pressure stops the blood flow. And while that is a good practice when you cut yourself, it is not a great state for your body to be in throughout the course of the night. When you are sleeping on a continuous coil mattress, you are laying on a surface that is applying pressure on your body, reducing blood flow, and leading to tossing and turning. 

Ever have your arm or leg fall asleep due to pressure? It's the same thing. It becomes uncomfortable and leads to movement: the brain instinctively sends a message to the body to adjust to allow better blood flow.

When you are on a pressure-free sleeping surface, such as you find on a memory foam mattress, and to a lesser extent, a pocketed coil mattress, it absorbs the pressure your body weight, combined with gravity, creates. On a continuous coil, that pressure is sent back at your, collapsing micro-capillaries and slowing down blood flow, resulting in discomfort and decreased blood flow. 

The best beds for pressure-free sleep are high quality, non-toxic memory foam mattresses, such as the type we carry at Nest Bedding. The next level would be pocketed coil mattresses and latex mattresses, which do a better job at reducing pressure when compared to your typical continuous coil mattress you find at McRoskey's in San Francisco, Serta or Sealy.