Countless news articles appear every year on World Sleep Day (June 18). Mostly they are about the fact that people in the majority sleep too badly. If you take just a quick look at the health report, you'll learn that one in ten European workers suffers from severe sleep disorders. The risks that result from this are manifold. This article will go into more detail later on.
Analyses show that a large proportion of Germans simply sleep in the "wrong" bed. Either the mattress is the problem - or the frame. Of course, the choice of pillow is also important. And that of the comforter. There are many things that can be done right - or just very wrong. This article now takes up a topic that fundamentally improves sleep quality. It's about the mattress topper. Not a luxury item, as is often portrayed. But an additional up to 10 centimeters high padding to make the nights more restful. Usable for all types of mattresses, not only box spring beds (for which toppers were developed earlier).
Up to 1 liter of sweat per night
I don’t have that much money - many readers will now think that. Many people only know toppers from reports about luxury hotels - because there they are part of the standard equipment of every bed. And that has good reasons: How many people each year will spend the night in this. It is obvious that the whole bed cannot be changed after each guest, but only the linen. But how is hygiene ensured? After all, every person sweats at night - some less (about 250ml), some more (about 1 liter). Other body fluids we want to exclude, however they are part of the normality. In addition, there are countless skin flakes. All these factors make the hotel bed an ideal breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. This often results in allergic reactions. So how do hotels prevent this health disaster? The answer was given at the beginning of the paragraph: by using a topper. Let's transfer this information to a private household. Then they become almost more important. Every bed can turn into a hygiene trap. So one should think about how to protect themselves!
1.5 billion euros for mattresses
Before we get back to the topic of acquisition costs, here are a few more arguments for buying a topper. It's all about comfort. It's true that Germans spend about 1.5 billion euros a year on mattresses - but it's estimated that one in six people lie uncomfortably every night. Here, too, a topper can provide (conditional) relief. Conditionally, because a too soft support is hardly improved by a harder topper. But a mattress that is too hard becomes a relief when a suitable topper is positioned on top of it. Everyone should think about this. Because the wrong - i.e. too hard - mattress can not only cause back problems, but also bad headaches, Tinnitus or even high blood pressure. Not a nice perspective.
Luxury topper from luxury hotels
Of course, such a topper costs. But by far not as much as the luxury hotel standard mentioned above would lead you to believe. There are now many manufacturers who offer a wide variety of qualities in different price ranges. But only we at The Nest Company sell the toppers of the posh hotels - at affordable prices. We work with the suppliers of the 5-star hotels - allowing our customers to sleep in the beds of the superstars.
But what is the "right" topper?
Here are the basics: toppers are four to ten centimeters high with a removable and thus washable cover. This usually consists of a so-called climate fiber quilting, which ensures a dry (here: healthy) environment. By the way, toppers are manufactured for single and double beds. There aren’t any gaps. However, there are also so-called split toppers - relevant for beds with a motorized elevation. Special incisions allow two mattresses to operate independently of each other.
The small lexicon of toppers
However, a final purchase decision should also be made dependent on the "content" of the topper. Five variants are explained at this point, they consist of cold foam, viscose foam, gel foam, latex - and with us from The Nest Company - of 100 percent down. Let's start right away with the...
down topper:
Seven centimeters thick, it provides a perfect feel-good climate. The base (5cm) consists of a firm mix of feathers and down. On top of it is positioned a second chamber (2cm), which is made of 100 percent down. The advantages: The top layer perfectly adapts to the body, provides optimal climate balance even on hot days or heat storage for cold nights. The bottom layer is responsible for support and durability.
The other toppers:
- Cold foam toppers
... stand for significant climate regulation. To be percise: the structure consists of open pores, which better dissipate heat and sweat. An important factor is also the resilience. This means that they immediately adapt to a new sleeping position.
- Viscose foam toppers
Most people know as memory foam toppers. They are best for people who suffer from back pain or joint problems. The foam has thermoelastic properties, so it adapts to the body's heat production. Disadvantage: If you tend to sweat a lot during sleep, you will be even warmer. -
- Latex topper
... combine many advantages: the material is extremely elastic, but still has a movement- damping effect. Latex toppers adapt to the body quickly and precisely - and immediately return to their original position after stress. This makes them ideal for people who move a lot during sleep. Disadvantage here, too: Latex is not particularly breathable, and perspiration is only wicked away to a limited extent.
- Gel foam toppers
...are considered the best-of for all requirements. They quickly adapt to the body, relieve the back and joints, but immediately return to their original shape. In addition, they are breathable, so they are absolutely usable for people who sweat a lot at night.
From tree to bed
Before we conclude on the health benefits of buying a topper, here are a few explanations on why it is a real achievement to be able to deal with this issue: The road to the current form of night's rest was a long one. Homo Erectus was drawn to trees to sleep two million years ago. His successor, Homo Sapiens, chose the ground 300,000 years ago, mostly a bare, cold cave floor. The first reed mat finds date back only 77,000 years. Discoveries of resting furniture made of wood or stone prove that the pharaohs in the third century before Christ already attached more importance to comfort. At that time, upper- class Romans also liked to sleep on fleece padded with straw. However, the evolution of sleeping comfort came to a sudden end with the fall of the Roman Empire in 476. Until the late Middle Ages people again slept on cloth sheets (rags) on the floor. Only then did animal furs and feather-filled pillows become popular among the wealthy. In fact, it was not until the 19th century that sleeping pads resembled today's mattresses - saddlers made them and delivered them in three pieces. However, it was not until the development of modern foams after the Second World War that the masses were also able to enjoy a comfortable night's rest...
Topper - an ingenious invention
... and then we would almost be in the present time. Almost. Because about 100 years ago, a very exclusive innovation came onto the market in the USA, the box spring bed. In the simplest sense, it is a bed frame in which a spring-loaded substructure (the box spring that gives it its name) is suspended. Above it was and still is the mattress - without a classic slatted frame. Third - and for many the most important part - is the so-called topper. This invention is now considered the most valuable part of the bed. Because it can help prevent many health problems.
Sick due to lack of sleep
Lack of sleep - but also poor quality of sleep - triggers many negative consequences. Sleep physicians have found that permanent sleep deficit can be responsible for diabetes, dementia or cancer. That's a worst-case scenario. Other consequences are a high susceptibility to infections, because the immune system does not get enough rest. This also has an impact on insulin levels. Sugar can no longer be absorbed by the cells - this can lead to overweight or obesity. However, a permanent lack of rest causes the level of the stress hormone cortisol to be constantly high. In the long term, this increases the risk of developing arteriosclerosis or suffering a heart attack or stroke. All these reasons make it so important to deal with sleep or sleep deficit and its triggers...
