Sleeping on an Air Bed – How Does It Affect Your Long Term Health
Air beds are something that a lot of people go for when they want something better than typical mattresses in the market. As it happens, though, choosing an air bed over foam-based or spring-based bed can be a little problematic than you expect.
We don’t mean that air beds are bad or that they should not be used. Instead, our idea is that not everyone needs an air bed. To understand whether you need one, you should have one clear perspective on sleeping on air beds and how it affects your long-term health. In this article, we plan to discuss exactly that point.
Before we jump into the details, however, we will take a look at air mattresses in general.
Air Mattresses: What’s the Deal?
Air mattresses are also known as air beds and inflatable mattresses at times. As you can guess from its name, the mattress uses air as the filling instead of foam, springs, or other materials. It should be noted that this type of mattresses isn’t actually new to the industry.
We have seen air beds for quite a few decades now. Of course, the quality and reliability of these products have improved drastically in the past years. Now, you have air beds that are optimized for certain purposes as well as therapeutic needs. That is also the reason why not everyone may benefit from an inflatable bed.
So, before you jump into the bandwagon of getting an air bed, you should get more information about how inflatable mattresses and bed frames work.
The Common Issues with Air Beds
Research has shown that inflatable beds come with some downsides. We will have a look at these common issues before discussing how you can get around them – if at all you think you still need an air bed instead of a conventional mattress.
- Temperature
As we said, these beds air as the medium to create a comfortable space to lay down. Since there is no tough material inside, the outer layers of the mattress should be durable and somewhat tough. This is why a lot of manufacturers use synthetic materials to create air beds.
And, synthetic materials are not effective in terms of temperature regulation. So, if you live in a humid area, sleeping on an air bed can be a difficult process during summer-time. in addition, the lack of a good sleeping temperature can hinder you from good sleep, especially if you already battling with insomnia.
- Poor Body Support
You will have to compare air beds to other types of special mattresses in the market, such as memory foam mattresses. However, unlike memory foam or latex mattresses, air beds don’t provide a recommended level of body support.
At the same time, there are some special inflatable mattresses that can assist who suffer from body pain as well as those who are bedridden. This selection must be based on a strong recommendation from a trained professional, such as your physiotherapist, though.
- Convenience
You also have to pay attention to the level of convenience in general. More importantly, you have to see if your partner is comfortable with an inflatable mattress. Just as we said, air beds are not the most popular choice in the market right now.
So, make sure that you consider this opinion before you make the purchase.
How To Make an Air Bed Experience Better?
Well, the above mentioned reasons don’t mean that you have to entirely leave that plan to get an air bed. In fact, there are a few steps that you can follow to make a better sleeping experience out of an inflatable bed. Some of the expert-recommended options are as follows.
- Using the right bedding accessories can help you get past the major limitations you come across while using an air bed. With the right comforters, bedsheets and pillows, you can create a best environment for sleeping. In fact, majority of successful people who follow a good sleep schedule recommend one great sleeping setup, especially the mattress.
- Regular de-inflation and re-inflation is an effective way to keep your bed air more comfortable. You should always use an air bed that has sufficient amount of air inside. Otherwise, it can provide uneven pressure on different parts of your body, which in turn cause different aches. Make sure that you do keep the inflatable mattress in the best condition possible.
Long story short, if you need an impressive sleeping experience from an air bed, you have to invest more to the package. Otherwise, you may have a sleeping setup that doesn’t give you enough sleep, let alone quality-rich sleep.
The Bottom Line
As we said earlier, it’s not our intention to give a bad image to air beds in the market. However, you must be clear about what’s ahead from the sleeping experience point of view. But, rest assured, expert opinions and some investment can always make things better.