If you're tired of tossing and turning at night, waking up with a bad back and a stiff neck, and generally feeling tired and miserable from lack of sleep, it might be time to invest in a new mattress. When purchasing a new mattress, it is important that you take your time, do your research, and know what to look for. There are so many cheap and low-quality mattresses out there that even though you may think you're getting a bargain, it ends up causing more harm than good. More and more people are investing in memory foam mattresses and hybrid memory foam mattresses and never looking back. Here's a look at the ultimate memory foam mattress buying guide.

Memory foam is a material that is now synonymous with sleep, especially in mattresses and pillows. Surprisingly, memory foam wasn't originally designed for mattresses at all. Instead, it was developed for astronauts and was widely used by NASA back in the 1970s. It was not designed for use in spacesuits or in zero-G training, as some sources claim, but as a safety feature to aid pilots in the event of a crash. Memory foam is made of a viscoelastic material. This allows it to conform to the natural curvature and shape of the human body while isolating movement more efficiently. Manufacturers soon noticed how incredibly comfortable the material was, and instead of using it for safety reasons, they looked for ways to use it for comfort reasons instead. Soon, mattress manufacturers began using the material in their mattresses, and the end result included some of the most comfortable mattresses available.

Since the 1970s, it's safe to say that memory foam has come a long way. Often you will find that high quality mattresses like the Inofia memory foam mattresses use different layers of memory foam to create the most comfortable mattresses you could ask for.

Traditional Memory Foam – First off, there is traditional memory foam, which has been around in the mattress world since the 90s. This memory foam helps absorb heat and absorb pressure on the joints. It's great in the winter, but it may not be ideal in the summer when it gets too hot.

Open Cell Memory Foam – Next, there is open cell memory foam. This memory foam is ideal for people who don't like the feeling of sinking into their mattresses. It has a much faster response time and helps dissipate heat more efficiently.

Gel Memory Foam - These days you'll often find a layer of gel memory foam in mattresses and hybrid mattresses, and for good reason. Gel memory foam is the best material for distributing body heat and is ideal for regulating body temperature. Basically, a gel is infused into the foam, which provides excellent body temperature regulation as well as fantastic shock absorption and pressure relief. If you're wondering how it works, imagining a gel ice pack is a rough idea of ​​what gel memory foam is, except obviously it doesn't go in the freezer.

If you want to learn more about memory foam, you can click on Wikipedia to view the most authoritative information.

Things to Consider When Buying a Memory Foam Mattress

Now that we know a little more about memory foam mattresses, we will look at some things to consider before purchasing a memory foam mattress.

Soft or Firm - When it comes to falling asleep, we all have our own preferences regarding the softness or firmness of our mattresses. If you prefer a soft mattress, you should try out a few mattresses beforehand and check whether they meet your standards or not. The same principle applies to a firm mattress. The good news is that there are different levels of softness and firmness, so you can find the perfect density for you.

Do you get hot at night? - Some people get very warm in bed at night, even in colder seasons. This is something to consider when purchasing a memory foam mattress. If you buy a traditional memory foam mattress, you'll likely find that the mattress itself is too hot for you because it absorbs heat from your body instead of displacing it. Ideally, you need a layered memory foam mattress or a layered hybrid memory foam mattress with an open cell layer and a gel foam layer to help with air circulation and keep you nice and cool while you sleep.

Hybrid or no hybrid? - A hybrid mattress, like the best-selling Inofia hybrid dual memory foam mattress, is a mattress with different layers of memory foam as well as a layer of individual mattress pocket springs that provide additional support and motion transfer while you sleep. If you're dealing with back pain, neck pain, hip pain, or just aches in general, a hybrid mattress may offer more support than a memory foam mattress.

Price – When it comes to buying a mattress, you really do get what you pay for. If you buy the cheapest mattress you can find, don't be shocked if it breaks down and causes pain a few months after you buy it. This does not mean that you should also look for the most expensive mattresses on the market, but just try not to buy the cheapest ones, because in the end only you will suffer and you will end up spending more if you have to replace it in a year or two later anyway.

You can find a more comprehensive guide to buying mattresses here. This article writes about almost all types of mattresses and recommends different styles for different groups of people. If you are interested, you can take a look.