Sleepless in America: Beds Go High-Tech

Jan. 27, 2007 — -- With Americans spending about one-third of their lives asleep, mattress companies are starting to realize that your bed is big business.

In the past, finding a mattress was simple. There were only three options: soft, medium or firm. But now, mattress companies are upping the ante in price and selection.

"Today's fabric incorporates gold and silver and copper and soy and hemp and bamboo, as well as natural woven materials in the mattress such as wool and silk and cashmere and horsehair and many other of the synthetic products such as visco-memory foam," Rob Naboicheck of the International Sleep Product Association told "Good Morning America Weekend Edition."

Translation: Your bed has gone high-tech.

While memory foam absorbs motion, coils give more bounce to your mattress.

But handmade extra coils will cost you from $10,000 to $25,000, causing some consumers to opt for financing their bed rather than paying for it all at once.

According to John O'Connell, a senior vice president at 1-800-MATTRESS, consumers' increased interest in health is driving the trend.

"There's more and more interest in health conscience," O'Connell said. "Consumers are more interested in health, so a lot of the manufactures and supplies are starting to better understand the technologies and the products to supply the customers with what they are looking for."

Sometimes that technology literally is out of this world. NASA developed body-contouring memory foam, which can cushion better than traditional versions by molding to your every curve.

According to Popular Science editor in chief Mark Jannot, the new technology of mattresses does make a difference in that they give your body more and better support. These are some of your options.