Study Confirms Link between New Mattress and Improved Sleep

Furniture World Magazine

A groundbreaking study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (Winter 2006) attributes significant improvements in back discomfort, sleep comfort, and quality to sleeping on a new mattress. As the first - and only - research of its kind, industry leaders, such as the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA), the Better Sleep Councils (BSC) of the U.S. and Canada, and the European Bedding Industries’ Association (EBIA), agree that the study finally provides firm, scientific evidence of the critical link between mattress quality and sleep quality, as well as the importance of regular mattress replacement. “Considering the increasing global sleep deficit, this is fantastic news for all consumers in search of viable solutions to improve sleep,” notes ISPA Chair Kerry Tramel. “There is now definitive research that underscores the health benefits of sleeping on new bedding systems.” In a recently published study in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine titled,” Subjective Rating of Perceived Back Pain, Stiffness and Sleep Quality Following Introduction of Medium-Firm Bedding Systems,” researchers Bert Jacobson, EdD, Tia Wallace, MS, and Hugh Gemmell, DC, EdD of Oklahoma State University, took a group of 59 healthy participants (30 women and 29 men) and compared selected sleep variables in participants’ sleep on their own mattresses (at least five years or older) to sleep on new bedding systems. Results revealed significant improvements for participants regardless of age and weight in all the following areas of focus: lower back discomfort; spine stiffness; sleep quality; sleep comfort, and sleep efficiency. “Largely from this study we have found that new bedding systems provide immediate and sustained benefits in sleep,” commented Dr. Jacobson. “More so, each week as the study progressed, participants noted an increased improvement in sleep quality and efficiency and in the other targeted variables, all attributed to the new sleep surface.” Among immediate and significant improvements found were back discomfort and stiffness. The study showed that the age of participants’ original mattresses was one of the stronger predictors of back stiffness. “Research found that participants with high back pain reported 63 percent improvement in back discomfort at the end of the study,” said Dr. Stacy Irvine on behalf of BSC Canada. “When you couple this with the fact that back pain affects eight out of 10 people, it’s imperative for consumers to evaluate their mattress for optimum comfort and support on a regular basis, especially if they routinely experience back pain.” The study also notes that sleep deficiency interferes with daytime activity, social interactions, mood, and even loss of work production further making the case that a new mattress can improve sleep quality and therefore overall quality-of-life for consumers. “Consumers tend not to realize that mattresses gradually lose comfort and support with use,” said EBIA’s President Frank Verschuere. “So it’s helpful to see proof of evidence that newer mattresses provide improved wellness and sleep benefits.” About ISPA: Established in 1915, the International Sleep Products Association, www.sleepproducts.org is the trade organization for mattress manufacturers and their component suppliers around the world. ISPA hosts the biennial ISPA EXPO trade show and publishes BedTimes and Sleep Savvy magazines.