US-Mattress's Blog

I have an old aunt who lives in an old house, and it smells bad and I don’t really enjoy spending the night there. She’s a wonderful woman, really. But she smokes in the house and everything in her house is old. Sometimes I try to say something like, “Aunt Gloria, you should open a window when you smoke.” or “It smells bad in here.” She usually says something like, “Oh now, stop that. I like it. I like it because it smells like the 50′s.” And then I say something like, “Aunt Gloria, I wasn’t alive in the 50′s. And anyway, do you have anything to eat? I’m really hungry.” Once I tried to talk to her about the awful daybed I have to sleep on when I stay there. “What’s wrong with it? All you do is complain. Pass the salt,” she said, perhaps mildly offended. “No no, Aunt Gloria,” I said. “It’s not the bed. The daybed is great. Just a dynamite daybed, really. It’s just-” “The bedding,” she interrupted. “I know. It’s old and it smells like smoke, right?” “Well, yeah” I said. “And also, it’s really ugly and it’s not soft. Have you thought of changing the bedding? Please pass the butter.” “Change the bedding?” she asked, perhaps mildly irritated. “That’s just so much work, and I’m your dear old aunt, and I just don’t have the time or energy for-” I interrupted her, “No no, Aunt Gloria. You’ve got it all wrong! You see, changing daybed bedding is simple and easy. It’s one of the great things about having a daybed. You can change the bedding easily, and there are so many options!” Then she changed the subject.

Aunt Gloria isn’t good with change. I should have told you that. You were probably thinking she was going to change her bedding and that all would end well. She didn’t want new bedding, and I still sleep on the rough and ugly bedding when I go see her. But look, YOU shouldn’t be like my aunt Gloria. If you have a daybed, you should consider making the most out of its versatility and purchase some new bedding. It’s so easy to change the look of a daybed. From daybed ensembles to daybed covers, you can find the perfect way to bring excitement and freshness to your daybed.

Daybed ensembles allow you to easily decorate and redecorate on a whim for any reason. Tired of the old ensemble? Change it! Want to customize the bedding based on your guest’s preferences? Go for it! Consider changing your daybed ensemble with the seasons, and keep your décor fresh and current all year long. The design possibilities are limited only by your imagination and can express any idea or mood that you would like to display. You don’t have to worry about matching pillow shams, a bed skirt, and a comforter. The choices are already made! You just need to decide what kind of look and feel you want your daybed to bring to your room. From bright patterns to subtle colors. From fun to sophisticated. From classic to modern. Treat your daybed like a canvas for your style, and impress your friends and relatives every time they lay their head to rest in your home.

It really is amazing how quickly the seasons change. They come and go, blending into one another like dissipating ripples on a windblown pond. As they change, we adapt to make ourselves more comfortable. This time of the year, you’re probably stowing away your heavier clothes and pulling out your favorite summer pieces. But while we prepare ourselves for the oppressive heat of a summer day, we often fail to ensure comfortable sleep on a hot night. This year, as you flip the pages of your calendar, moving closer to the sultry sun dried days of summer, think about how you’re going to spend those hot, humid nights. Instead of tossing and turning in a tornado of sheets thrown off and away from your sticky skin, consider purchasing bedding that will help you stay cool. We’ve all spent hot, uncomfortable summer nights desperately seeking cooler places to sleep. It’s a terrible experience. In order to prevent that this year, let’s take a look at some mattress pads that will help you sleep cool and comfortably every night.

Mattress Pads

Your bed traps a lot of heat, and a cooling mattress pad can make a big difference on a sweaty night. Sleep experts say that the best sleeping temperature is right around 65°F. It can be really hard to get that cool on a hot night, especially when you’re under the covers. The SEI Coolerest Sleep Pad is a portable pad that you place under your fitted sheet to keep your bed cool. The coolness lasts for about an hour, which is plenty of time for it to help you fall, and stay, asleep. It requires no plugs or batteries, so you can take it anywhere. Like that camping trip you have planned for this summer. Or your Uncle Larry’s musty, humid cottage that your children pretend they enjoy going to each year.

If your looking for something more advanced, then you’ll enjoy the Chilipad from Chili Technology, a micro-climate thermostat control system that cools your bed, allowing you to sleep comfortably without having to throw off your sheets. It can cool your bed all the way down to 46°F, and its wireless remote and digital display allow you to program the perfect temperature. Also, you won’t have to stow away the Chilipad this fall, as it functions as a heating pad as well.

If you would rather employ a traditional mattress pad to help keep you cool, then you’ll enjoy the Serta Perfect Day Mattress Pad with Outlast® technology. Designed to keep you comfortable under the covers, it helps keep your temperature consistent by absorbing heat when it gets too warm, storing it, and then releasing it back as you cool down. Since it works to regulate both hot and cool temperatures, you can keep it on your bed year round for 365 nights of comfortable sleep.

Don’t suffer through another summer of sweaty, sleep-deprived nights. This year, take the stress and worry out of sleep with cooling technology. These mattress pads will keep your bed cool and let you comfortably drift off to sleep. Stay tuned to further posts in the coming weeks about staying cool at night.

If you’re buying a mattress set for the first time in a long while, you might be a little confused about the difference between a foundation and a box spring. You might be thinking things like “What the heck is a foundation?” or “Aunt Nancy always told me that a good box spring is the key to a good night’s sleep. Was she lying to me? Do I need to reevaluate everything else aunt Nancy told me? Does Uncle Frank know about this?” or “Great, another decision I have to make. This is all I need!” But try not to get too upset. The truth is, there really isn’t a difference between a box spring and a foundation.

Traditional box springs used to have coils inside of a wood casing that provided a slightly softer feeling to the sleep surface. Today, a box spring is made with steel flex rods rather than coils. The rods give slightly under pressure, so they perform the same function as a coil. A foundation is made of the same components. In fact, many retailers use the terms box spring and foundation interchangeably. Since box springs and foundations come in a range of heights, you might notice that lower profile boxes are referred to as foundations, and taller ones are labeled as box springs.

Low Profile Box Spring (Foundation)

Standard Box Spring (Foundation)

So, as you can see, the differences between box springs and foundations are mostly phonetic and aesthetic. When you buy your mattress set, know how high you want your bed to stand off of the ground. Today’s mattress heights are higher than those in years past, so you might want to consider a low profile foundation to keep you from having to pole vault onto your bed at night. If your bed lies low to the ground, then a standard box spring might be the best option for you.