What Are Adjustable Beds

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An adjustable bed is any bed that a user can easily alter to conform to different sleeping positions. These adjustments might be changes in the bed frame, or can refer to the firmness of the mattress. A wide variety of adjustable beds are available to accommodate the special needs of certain medical conditions and sleeping preferences. A few models allow a couple to individually adjust each side of the bed for maximum comfort and sleeping compatibility, so couples can enjoy their mattress preference without forcing their preference on their partners. Some users claim to find relief from back pain and sleeplessness with adjustable beds because of the sleeping positions offered by these beds that a standard flat mattress cannot match.

Adjustable beds come in two main types: manual and electric, with a traditional coil spring, memory foam, or air mattress. The manual adjustable bed frame requires the user to adjust the bed's incline by hand before entering the bed, but an electric model allows the user to adjust the bed at any time at the press of a button. Manual adjustable beds usually have a limited number of settings, while an electric bed offers more incremental incline options. Electric adjustable beds may also offer the added benefits of heat and massage.

The mattress options are the same as any traditional bed. The coil spring mattress is made up of fabric and padding wrapped around a center of metal coils. The coils provide the structure and support of the mattress. In a memory foam mattress, several layers of varying densities of memory foam are pressed together to create the sleeping surface. Air mattresses have an air filled core that provides the support for the structure. These mattresses are often adjustable with the user able to increase or decrease the amount of air in the mattress to adjust the firmness of the mattress.

The type of adjustable bed and mattress that is best suited to you and your family will varry based on your needs and budget requirements. Manual adjustable beds with a coil spring mattress are often the most economical, while electric adjustable beds with an air mattress and added heat and massage are the most expensive. If you are purchasing a bed for medical reasons, ask your doctor which bed type is ideal for your situation. If you seek an adjustable bed for the many benefits it offers without a specific health need, try a few different models on display in a local store. Each adjustable bed type has strengths and weaknesses and each type has both supporters and nay-sayers.   

Adjustable beds offer several benefits that a standard bed does not offer. When sleeping on an adjustable bed, you can create a more natural sleeping position with a slightly elevated head and feet. This position relieves pressure on the spine, easing back pain, neck and shoulder pain. Other conditions eased or eliminated with an adjustable bed are arthritis, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, snoring, sleep apnea and acid reflux. Each of these conditions is in some way exacerbated by laying flat for extended periods of time while sleeping. The elevation offered by an adjustable bed relieves these health conditions giving you a more peaceful, restful and restorative sleep. When you sleep better, your body works more like it should and your mood is naturally elevated.

In addition to the health benefits of adjustable beds, these beds provide the option of adjusting each side of the bed individually, allowing couples to be comfortable regardless of the comfort requirements of partners. If you need a firmer mattress, or your head must be elevated to relive acid reflux, you can have that without forcing your partner to sleep in the same position. Add heat and massage, and you may never want to leave the bed.  

When an adjustable bed is not in your price range, you still have several options to enjoy the benefits that an adjustable bed brings. The first is an electric wedge device that you can place at the foot or at the head of the bed under your flat mattress. The wedge inflates at the push of a button to prop the mattress up to a more comfortable position. These wedges are a mere fraction of the cost of a fully adjustable bed.

If you desire the heat of massage features of a fully adjustable bed, try a heated or messaging mattress pad. These mattress pads are electric devices controlled by remote that cover your existing mattress. Have the soothing comfort of heat or massage at the touch of a button without the full expense of an adjustable bed.