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Adjustable Beds
An adjustable bed offers significant advantages
over a flat bed in certain situations:
- It can ease back pain, because the combination
of a raised head and elevated /feet minimizes
gaps between you and the mattress, which
prevents your muscles from remaining in tension
all night.
- When combined with a heater/massager, the
adjustable mattress can increase blood flow
to the back and legs, which in turn can soothe
aching muscles.
- Elevating the legs can reduce swelling and
edema (the pooling of fluids in the lower
legs).
- Keeping the head elevated improves air exchange
and reduces snoring.
- An adjustable bed can adjust to a comfortable
position for watching TV.
- An adjustable bed can reduce acid reflux
and heartburn because an elevated upper body
allows gravity to keep stomach acid from
flowing up the esophagus.
Frame and Controls
Adjustable beds use an electric
motor controlled
by a remote control to position
the head
and foot of the bed. You will
find that you
will be adjusting the bed often.
For example,
you might raise the head high
for reading
and watching TV and then lower
it a bit for
sleeping. Better remote controls
are wireless
to avoid the potential of getting
tangled
in the cord. They also have illuminated
controls
that you can see at night if
you need to
adjust the bed or to lower the
bed angle
to make a trip to the bathroom.
The bed frame does the adjusting,
and the
mattress conforms along with
it. Look for
a frame that is sturdy and can
support your
mattress size and weight and
verify that
it provides the amount of lift
you want.
If you share the bed, make sure
that both
sides can be adjusted individually,
which
also requires separate mattresses
and sheets.
Mattress Types
Mattresses can be traditional
coil spring,
or for the ultimate in comfort
and conformity
to your body as the bed adjusts,
foam or
slightly less expensive latex.
Even if you
choose coil spring, use a foam
pad on top
of at least two inches for better
comfort.
Mattress lengths for adjustable
beds tend
to be slightly longer to accomodate
the bend
and angles without forcing your
feet off
the end.
People who have moved to an adjustable
bed
usually love it and find it hard
to go back.
Just remember: water bed or air
matresses
and adjustable frames don't mix.
So it you
are accustomed to these bed types,
an adjustable
bed may take some getting used
to. |
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