Sleep is very important in human life. If you don’t sleep well, then your brain becomes dull and doesn’t support your body. This means whatever you do, is against your brain’s will and therefore, either you meet accidents or lose concentration in any field. If kids don’t take proper sleep they lose their concentration in class. They become lethargic and avoid any kind of activities.

Time has changed, and so has the work techniques of many organizations. Employees work harder to finish their target, which results in late night shifts and sometimes staying in offices for days. This might sound an achievement for those who have delivered good work and got recognition. However, in turn they have lost their health and compromised on it.

Sleeplessness can lead to various problems. Research says if people don’t sleep properly, then they are irate, dull, stressed and also depressed. That smiling face is never seen in a person who is sleep deprived.

Such problems lead to obesity because, if you eat at night and don’t sleep well, then you’re not digesting your food. Also, if you wake up lethargic, then all your physical exercise is out the window. Obesity in return brings diseases like diabetes, joint pains, and heart problems.

If you’re suffering from depression or anxiety, it can be taken care of by treating you with medicines. However, if you’re unnecessarily keeping yourself deprived, then you should think about your health before getting into any problems.

For example, many people are unable to sleep properly because of excessive sweating. It could mostly be because of wrong type of mattress choices that build up the heat from the body. They can use a specialized mattress for hot sleepers.

Well, yes, a high-quality mattress does play an important role in your good sleep. If you have a mattress that is quite old and saggy, then you will never sleep properly. It is because it will hug you at any time and will prevent you from moving in any other position. Also, whether you sleep sideways or on your stomach it will roll your body or put a bend on your spine which will damage your spine alignment.

Old mattresses didn’t circulate air compared to new technology. When you are in your deep sleep you snore and release more heat in the air. This heat that is generated from your body goes directly into your mattress. Old foams retained heat from flowing out, which is why after a few hours you used to sweat or feel hot.

However, thanks to the latest mattress, where you can get memory foam and innerspring which is a pocketed coil. Each of them circulates air keeping you cool. They have a feature where even if you sit for hours at one place, they push back to the same position, the moment you get up. One such material that we are talking about is latex foam.

Latex foam was introduced in the market in 1960. However, the material used to prepare this mattress was rare which made it quite expensive and only the elite group could buy it. Ever since advanced technology has entered our life, it has made it quite easier for us to achieve almost anything. This made manufacturing of latex mattresses easier which also dropped its price.

Let us learn few things about latex -

● Origin ● Extraction ● Processing

Origin

Latex is found in rubber trees. All latex mattresses are prepared from the liquid that comes out from rubber trees. Therefore, the manufacturer gets their substance from areas where the plantation is quite large. Rubber trees are grown majorly in Southeast Asia region. They are huge in size and their growth is good for the environment as well. So, the more trees you plant the more you benefit, scientifically and naturally.

Extraction

Latex mattresses are manufactured with environmentally friendly techniques. The sap is taken out in good quantity from a rubber tree without damaging its root, trunk and branches. A small cut is sliced on the tree, which removes the bark from the tree. The moment bark is removed you can see fresh pink wood beneath it.

After a few seconds you will observe white creamy and slimy liquid flowing out of it. This flow keeps going for hours and till the time it doesn’t stop people keep collecting it in a bucket that is tied to the tree. Nature has its own beauty and techniques, because one rubber tree can survive for at least 25 years and can produce sap daily. However, every day there has to be a new place in the same tree where the cut can be made.

Processing

This sap which is taken out in a bucket happens to be in huge quantities and sent to manufacturers. These manufacturers use two methods to make natural latex mattress -

● Dunlop Method ● Talalay Method

Dunlop Method

It‘s the original form of processing which has been used since 1929. The process provides a firmer consistency which is the perfect form of natural Latex mattress. In this method, the sap brought from trees is churned and mixed till the time it doesn’t convert into foam. This foam is placed in a container which gives it a special shape.

Further, it is then put in a hot oven to prepare natural occurring Latex bedding. This process isn’t lengthy and in one process, the entire mattress is prepared. Before packing it, it is dried and cleaned properly to remove any dirt and chemicals.

Talalay Method

It is different from the Dunlop method because this method was launched after quite some time. With the latest technology that is used in this process, the mattress is made softer than Dunlop method. In this process, instead of converting sap into foam, the liquid is poured into a container or mold. This sap is filled half and the remaining half of the container is packed with air with the assistance of vacuum. Then, with the assistance of suction, this sap is evenly spread in the container to flatten it.

This mold or container is frozen and then immediately heated to give a solid texture to sap. This is why there is uniform density in the entire mattress that makes it softer, but in proper alignment.

Hence, Dunlop Method makes a firm mattress and Talalay Method makes a softer mattress.

Here are some benefits of latex mattress -

● It is very soft as well as firm because of which all your joints and spines are in alignment. It doesn’t put pressure on any joint and gives tremendous relief after laying on it.

● It has motion resistance power which means if your spouse is turning all night, the motion will not spread throughout the entire mattress, keeping you away from disturbed sleep because of your partner. So next time, if your spouse tosses a lot there isn’t any reason to change your room, but we can’t do anything if he or she snores.

● Latex mattress has open cell technology which means air inside the mattress circulates, as it has space to move around. This keeps your mattress cool even if you get hot at night in a humid climate.

● It is naturally prepared in such a way that it keeps dust and mites away from bed. This means without using pesticide or vacuum, you can maintain your bed free from dust, thereby keeping your family free from allergies and infections.

● It is recommended by physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths as it spreads the body weight on the entire bed. This means any kind of neck or back ache can be handled while sleeping on this mattress.

● Since years, this mattress has been known due to its durability and comfort. It might have been expensive initially, but now it is affordable and comes with a warranty from every brand.

People generally get confused between Memory foam and Latex. However, not many know that latex is far better than memory foam, if you want a cool sleep.

● Memory foam is dense and doesn’t have open cell technique which circulates air which permits the mattress to breathe.

● Latex mattress is made from natural substance, sap. They are prepared with a special technique that gives even firmness as well as softness, and also circulates air within cells that provide cool sleep. Buying a latex mattress isn’t difficult, but you should always know whether you need a firm or soft mattress. No matter what brand you purchase, latex mattresses have long durability.