Many people don't realise that a good night's sleep is dependent on good support for your back and comfortable cushioning for your pressure points - your hips and shoulders.
One major problem is that "orthopaedic mattresses" and "firm mattresses" are often thought to be synonymous with support and comfort.
There is no regulation of manufacturers' descriptions of their product.
You need a mattress or bed that best fits your needs, particularly in respect of your height, weight, preferred sleeping position and the condition of your back.
Contrary to popular belief, to support your back effectively, and keep it as straight as possible, the mattress needs to adapt to the contours of your body.
If your hips and shoulders are supported by a mattress which is too firm and you have a waistline, the middle of your spine will sag down as your back muscles relax to meet the surface of the mattress.
A simple rule of thumb to test whether a bed has the right level of firmness for you is to lie down on your back and slide your hand between mattress and the small of your back.
If there is a large gap, the bed is probably too hard; if it is difficult to push your hand through, it is probably too soft; and if your hand slides through but remains in contact with your back and the bed, it is probably just right.
You could try sleeping on a couple of duvets on the floor for a few nights, but it's not recommended! If you do, and you have a good nights' sleep and the following days are not a pain-in-the-back, then "orthopaedic" or "firm" may be right for you.
The most important consideration, however, when choosing your bed is WEIGHT.
So before you think "orthopaedic" or "firm", take a look at the recommendations below that take into account weight-to-tension.
Recommended Mattress Tension for individual weight ranges:Up to 12 stones (75kg) - Soft 12 to 16 stones (75kg - 100kg) - Medium Over 16 stones (100kg) - Firm Here are Our 7 Top Tips Before you Even Consider Buying

1. Hard mattresses are not necessarily the best for bad backs.
   
2. Don't take too much notice of the description on the product (e.
   g.
   "orthopaedic").
   
3. Your new bed also needs to be high enough, so that you can get up and sit down with ease; and wide enough so that you are less disturbed if your sleep partner is restless.
   (Have you considered a zip-together mattress?)
4. The mattress should be supportive enough to take the weight of your body without sagging, but firm enough for you to turn with ease: a soft surface may be harder for you to turn on.
   The heavier the person the deeper the mattress needs to be, but a very heavy person may need a padded-top top base rather than a pocket-sprung or sprung-edge base.
   
5. Pocket- sprung mattresses with deep natural upholstery are the most recommended form of mattress, as they provide support for and comfortably cushion the bony curves of the body.
   They come with a large variation in numbers of springs and prices.
   It is an idea to choose as many springs as you can within your budget, but beware high numbers of "mini-springs".
   Even the thickness and length of the springs (affecting their strength and resilience) can vary!
6. Memory foam was originally developed for astronauts and works by responding to temperature and weight to relieve and disperse pressure.
   However, it is often reported to be "too hot" and "smelly".
   
7. But "he's an elephant and I'm a mouse!" Easy! If you are in differing weight ranges and you still want to share the same bed, buy "zip and link" pocket-sprung mattresses or a combination mattress.
   Then you can each enjoy the correct mattress tension for your individual weights!

Sleep tight!