An air bed is an inflatable mattress that can be filled with air, most commonly by an electric pump. It is constructed with specially designed air chambers which create a gentle cushion of support. The air chambers can be easily adjusted according to user preference within a wide range of firmness or softness. Many people are familiar with the cheap air beds that are widely available and mostly used for camping. However there are also much higher quality models which can give ideal comfort for use in the bedroom.
To gain good quality sleep, the body requires a comfortable sleep surface which allows all the joints and muscles to stay relaxed during the night. Many people use the typical spring mattresses found in conventional beds, in which the coils press up against the person to provide support. The result is that pressure points are created in the neck, back, shoulders, hips, and other places. Over time this often results in poor alignment of the spine and reduced circulation, causing many sleepers to toss and turn as much as 50 to 70 times per night. This situation tends to get worse over the life of the bed as the metal springs deteriorate. To address this problem the air bed was developed.
An air mattress allows us to literally sleep on air. It consists of a durable air chamber attached to a powerful air pump, which is operated by a hand held control. Press the inflate button to add support and give the feeling of floating on air. Press the deflate button and the air chamber gently conforms to the curves and contours of our anatomy, exerting an even pressure over the whole body. There are no pressure points, no constriction of circulation, and the spine can align itself more naturally.
Sleeping on a good airbed helps create comfort to relieve sore muscles, backache, and neck pain. Sleepers report that they toss and turn much less, fall asleep more easily, and as a result wake up feeling better.
Since an air bed can be deflated and then easily moved and stored, it has many uses in addition to the bedroom. It is a good choice as a comfortable temporary bed to keep in the home for guests. RV owners find that an RV airbed mattress is a great lightweight and easy to load choice for use in their motor homes. Since it can be deflated during transport, it is an excellent choice for RVs that stow the beds during road travel. Usually it is possible to have the air mattress built to a custom size, to ensure that it fits well into whatever space is available.
The bed can contain either a single air chamber or dual air chambers. Dual chambers are a great choice when there are two sleepers. Each partner can adjust their own side and yet not disturb the other person, since each side has its own individual control and air pump. Dual air chambers are available in both queen and king size.
On top of the bed is a removable pillowtop, easy to air out or clean. Virgin wool is a good choice of pillowtop material, as it absorbs 30 percent of its weight in moisture, thereby acting as a natural air conditioner in summer and a natural insulator in winter. In most models there is also a comfort pad underneath the pillowtop to provide additional support. If desired a special topper such as a memory foam mattress topper can be added.
Usually a quality air mattress is 7 or 8 inches tall and is placed on a foundation to give a bed with normal height. Foam side rails surround the air chambers, giving comfortable seating on the side of the bed. The air pumps are concealed out of sight, within the foam perimeter. Quality air beds will be UL listed to ensure electrical safety.
William Tucker has been specializing in air beds and other bed products for 7 years to help people find relief from sleep problems and back and joint pain. Go here for more info on the RV airbed and other mattress products.
Comments are closed.