THE GIFT OF SLEEP - TOP TIPS TO CHOOSING THE BEST MATTRESS FOR YOU

[Advertisement - This post has been written in collaboration with Silentnight. All opions are 100% my own]

So you might remember that last month I visited the new Silentnight Showroom in Bristol to take a look at their range and get some much needed tips for a better nights sleep.

Being mama to a toddler takes its toll on the old eye bags and currently I’m sporting some fetching suitcases. Our current mattress had surpassed the ten year mark and we’d started waking with shoulder and back aches. Knowing it was time to switch it up we headed down to Silentnight Bristol Cabot Circus Showroom to check out their mattresses and have a one on one consultation with a team member, all of which have had training from a sleep specialist.

Silent Night is one of those brands that has stood the test of time and is a well loved UK name in the sleep department, providing good sleep for 70 years. Do remember the hippo and duckling TV ads in the 80’s? so cute *and possibly showing my age* but it did mean I was in good hands.

While Romi literally climbed, bounced and treated the experience as her own personal soft play, I was excited to learn more about their range, it turns out there are a whole host of choices when it comes to choosing mattress, all with different structures and fillings, each creating various forms of support and breathability, plus prices vary hugely depending on your needs. Thankfully the in-house team have great in-depth knowledge and were happy to talk through all the ranges, while using the sample cut away mattress to show you how they work from a technical view point.

Did you know that the average person doesn’t even lie down to test the mattress before they buy even though they are going to sleep on EVERY night! As we spend a third of our life in bed finding ‘the one’ is so important. So here are some top tips on choosing the right mattress for you and improving your sleep:

TOP TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST MATTRESS FOR YOU

1. When choosing a mattress take time to think about your sleeping habits, did you know your sleep position could effect what mattress you should buy? Do you sleep on your back, front or side? Turns out sleeping on your back is the best sleeping position for your spine but if you sleep on your side like me, there is more pressure on your shoulders and hips, so you should opt for a medium/soft mattress to allow you sink in and support the natural curve of your spine, rather than a firm one.

2. When choosing your mattress you shouldn’t be afraid to put your feet up! You’d be surprised at how many people take a quick bum bounce check before purchasing, and in some cases even not at all. The advised amount of time to lie on the mattress is more than five minutes in your preferred sleep position. This will allow you to experience whether the firmness and pressure is right for you.

3. Have a partner who likes to party while they sleep is no fun. tossing and turning is a sure fire way to keep your loved one from getting that all important shut eye. The best tip is to choose a mattress that provides motion isolation, this basically means movement on one side doesn’t effect the otherside. Foam mattresses tend to be the best at this but if you get hot at night you probably want to look at buying a pocket sprung mattress like the Silentnight Mirapocket mattresses.

4. If you’re looking for a little bit of added luxury, think sleeping on a cloud effect, then look no further than picking out a Pillow Top or Box Top mattress, all have an additional layer of padding built onto the top of the mattress for added comfort, while still offering support.

5. If like me you are looking for an Eco Friendly option as well as a comfortable nights sleep then Silentnight have you covered with their Eco Comfort range. These mattress are fully recyclable and naturally fire retardant without the use of any nasty chemicals! To top it off each mattress has a unique Eco Comfort fibre layer made entirely from 150 recycled plastic bottles!

6. The average lifespan of a mattress is 10 years! Even though it seems like you’re saving pounds by eeking out a few more years, in terms of hygiene and comfort, it’s time to say goodbye and invest in a newer model. Good news is SilentNight are able to take away your old mattress for a fee and recycle it rather that you duping it in your local tip. Plus this mattress range is available for all ages, from cots to king size so it’s a win for everyone.


After rounding up Romi and testing out ALL the mattresses, I managed to take a seat with a coffee and run through our mattress needs, like a consultation of sorts.

I was especially taken by the new Eco Comfort Range that not only gives you a great nights sleep but is eco conscious and helps remove plastic from the ocean, that effectively means I’m helping the planet while I sleep. Especially as it uses 150 recycled bottles to create the fibre layer, preventing them from causing havoc to marine life and floating in our oceans

Thankfully Paul has very similar sleeping needs and quite frankly was happy for any mattress that didn’t dip in the middle, so we were very grateful to be gifted The Eco Comfort Breathe 2000, which arrived within a few weeks. Giving it a few hours to breathe I couldn’t wait to add fresh sheets and dive into bed. I’m thankful to report it is very comfortable and I’ve really noticed a reduction in how hot I get at night. Even Felix and Romi have made up excuses to hop into our bed so it’s definitely got their seal of approval, plus suddenly changing the sheets has become an exciting activity!

After understanding the time that goes into choosing the right mattress I would definitely recommend popping into your local Silent Night store, the team have a great understanding of what makes a great nights sleep and it feels like a brand you can trust, giving you a full 60 days to try the mattress at home and if it’s not right for you, you can send it back no questions.


You can find details and opening time of the new Bristol Cabot Circus showroom here.

*This post is in collaboration with Silentnight.

 I recieved a mattress and fee in exchange to an honest review of my shopping experience. 

All thoughts are 100% my own. 

GET WINTER READY WITH A GOOD SLEEP

What does winter mean to you? To me it conjures thoughts of warm throws, dark nights, hot coco and cosy sleeps. There's nothing better than being wrapped up in bed with a good book when it's cold outdoors and hitting the snooze button for those extra few minutes before the day starts, but for me it's a place to rest my head and get winter ready with a good sleep. So when Leesa, the online mattress brand got in touch and asked if I wanted to test out their mattress I jumped at the chance to get my zzz's on.


After a few clicks of a button I ordered our King Size luxury mattress and it couldn't have been easier, all I had to do was sit back and wait for it to be delivered to my door free of charge. Now normally with a product like this I would spend time wandering around stores, listening to some sales spiel while trying to figure out what will fit through the front door.

Instead a super neat box box was delivered to our door with our mattress rolled up inside, making it easy to transport, unwrap and unroll it in the bedroom without the entailing the pivot scene from Friends.

Once unwrapped, the luxury mattress decompresses and all creases fade away leaving us to enjoy this super comfy foam mattress. It's made up from three separate layers: The bottom layer dense core support foam, the middle layer contouring foam and the top layer cooling Avena foam, all wrapped in stylish soft fabric, designed to create the perfect nights sleep.

I loved our mattress and it works perfectly for us as I'm a deep sleeper – it would literally take an earthquake to wake me – and even though I'm often the first to drop off I do tend to move around a lot which tends to wake Paul who is a light sleeper. I found that the top layer seems to absorb any movement creating a peaceful night for both of us, especially if you add a wriggly F into the mix!


Not only does Leesa give you 100 days to try out your mattress at home, ensuring you're happy with your investment and a ten year warranty, but for every ten mattresses sold Leesa donate a mattress to a shelter spreading the joy of sleep to those in need, meaning you can get a good nights sleep and a feel good factor. We loved our so much we'll be buying F one of his own and fingers crossed it will stop him coming into our bed!

Leesa are offering you £50 off your purchase when entering the promotional code wildandgrizzly40 at the checkout and I can honestly say I would definitely recommend this for a hotel bed experience at home.

*I received a mattress from Leesa for review purposes only. All words and opinions are my own.