My wife and I recently found ourselves shopping for a new mattress at Mattress Firm. Like most mattress shoppers, we hopped from one mattress to the next, trying to get a feel for which was the most comfortable. At some point in our game of musical beds, the salesperson noted that we were on a mattress with an adjustable bed base underneath.

“Want to try it?" the salesperson asked. I was skeptical about the utility of having a bed that moved, but the salesperson told us she had recently purchased an adjustable bed herself and would never go back. So, we gave it a spin. The mattress became even more comfortable after a few small adjustments. We were sold and ended up coming home with a new mattress and the adjustable base.

From the moment the base and mattress arrived, we understood what the salesperson was talking about. The base added a whole new dimension to our bed and bedroom. A few of the small things that changed?

• It allowed my wife and I to sit up in bed and read or chat.
• If the kids wanted to join us for a little bit of TV during the day, we simply put the head of the base completely up and it was more of a sofa than a bed.
• The base had both USB plug-ins as well as a conventional plug outlet, thereby allowing me to re-charge my devices much more easily… it was a little bit of luxury I didn't know I needed but was happy to now have.

Potential Health Benefits of an Adjustable Bed

In addition to the convenience of an adjustable bed, as a sleep physician, I appreciate how an adjustable bed can help with a variety of health conditions or poor sleeping habits, including:

Snoring

For those that sleep as quietly as a freight train, an adjustable bed frame may be just what you (and perhaps your bed partner) have been waiting for. If you snore, gravity is not your friend. When lying on your back, gravity pulls the tongue and palate towards the back of your airway, thereby causing it to narrow. The more narrow your airway, the more likely you are to snore. But, a slight elevation to your neck and head can alleviate some of gravity's pull, allowing for a more open airway and a quieter night of sleep.

Gastroesophageal reflux

Reflux can make it difficult to get quality rest due to persistent pain and discomfort. Although gravity is not your friend when it comes to snoring, it is your friend when fighting reflux because gravity helps keep stomach acid and food in your stomach and out of your esophagus. Unfortunately, when you lie in a completely reclined position, gastric contents are no longer under the pull of gravity and can easily move into the esophagus causing the discomfort of reflux. A slight upward tilt on the bed is one of the few proven ways to actually help improve reflux symptoms.

Back pain

Chronic back pain is one of the most common medical ailments for adults. For those that suffer, an adjustable bed may prove advantageous. A small elevation to your lower extremities can put your back in proper alignment and take tension off of the sore muscles.

So the next time you're looking for a mattress, don't forget to think about what's underneath. With just a few small adjustments from one of the best adjustable beds, and you could be sleeping better in no time.