7 Tips to Get the Best Bed for Your Budget

Sept. 4, 2013— -- intro: The importance of a good night's rest is undisputed, but how much does it really cost to sleep well?

Michael Decker, an associate professor at Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing in Cleveland, and Terri Long, fourth-generation mattress dealer and co-owner of her family's business, Long's Bedding and Interiors, in New York City, offer some advice on how to buy the best bed at the best price.

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quicklist:title: A Good Mattress Is a Good Investment but You Don't Have to Break the Banktext: "There is a threshold," Decker says. "We need something more than an entry-level mattress, but we may not need a very high-end mattress. We do need one that is sufficiently comfortable, breathable, supports and distributes our weight, and materials inside of it are important."

quicklist:title: Get Comfortabletext: The best way to test out a mattress is to lie down in the position you normally would sleep in, Long says. So, go ahead, and get comfortable the next time you are on the hunt for a new mattress. Decker adds that you should spend 10 minutes or more trying out your top choices to make sure you do not feel any discomfort.

quicklist:title: A Firm Mattress Is Not Always a Better Mattress text: Decker advises that when a mattress is too firm, it can cause increased pressure to certain points in the body that can result in a loss of circulation. To relieve this pressure, a sleeper will toss and turn, resulting in a fitful night's sleep. Often lower cost options do not adequately conform to your body.

quicklist:title: Skip the Extended Warrantytext: "Warranties are generally misused in the industry," Long said. She explains that a warranty on a mattress typically means that the bed will be free from structural defect for a certain number of years. But if a mattress does have any kind of defect, she adds, the owner will notice within the first few years, "so really a warranty beyond 5 years if not really worth anything."

Decker and Long both agree you should not keep your mattress for more than 10 years anyway.

quicklist:title: Read the Fine Print on Your Invoicetext: Long advises that when the bed arrives at your door, double check to make sure it is the one you tried in the store. Some companies reserve the right to substitute your selected mattress if it is not available at the time of the delivery.

quicklist:title: Rotate, Don't Flip text: Not every mattress needs to be flipped. If your mattress is one-sided, do not flip it, rotate your bed four times a year instead. If your mattress is two-sided, however, you should flip and rotate, just not at the same time. Long says to be especially mindful of the first year with your new mattress, because "that's when [most of] the wear and tear will happen," and "by turning and rotating it you use the whole mattress and it compresses evenly."

quicklist:title: Don't Forget the Middle text: To help ensure that your mattress wears evenly over time, make an effort to use the middle of your mattress.