The Mattress Matters Study
A landmark, peer-reviewed sleep study analysed 128 adults across 16,366 nights of sleep to answer one simple question: is there a best mattress for everyone? The findings reshaped how we think about sleep and became the basis of Sleepmatch®.
Rigorous, independent, real-world research
The Mattress Matters Study was the largest of its kind to ever investigate whether the type of mattress you sleep on can measurably change how well you sleep. To find out, researchers measured sleepers in their own homes across more than 16,000 nights of sleep.
Independent and peer-reviewed
Conducted by RTI International,an independent non-profit research organisation, and peer-reviewed before publication. Led by a team of researchers from Duke University Medical Center and the RTI team.
Actigraphy and sleep diaries
Every participant wore a motion-sensing actigraph each night and kept morning and evening diaries, providing a holistic view of how people slept and how they felt.
Real homes, four weeks
Research participants slept on seven different mattresses for four weeks each, using a Latin-square randomisation method. Every participant slept in their own bed to remove laboratory bias.
The “best” mattress was different for everyone
Across 16,366 nights, the mattress that resulted in the best sleep was distributed evenly across all seven firmness levels. The best and worst choices depended entirely on the person.
That’s not just a gut feel. Mattress firmness significantly affected 9 of 11 total sleep and actigraph movement measures, with significant effects on both sleep quality and next-day functioning.
“Best” mattress across firmness levels
The top-rated mattress for sleep quality was spread evenly across all seven firmness levels – definitive proof that there’s no single best choice for everyone.
The study, in numbers
Real research, real rigour — the evidence behind every recommendation.
Healthy adults
Measured in their own bed using actigraphs.
Test mattresses
Spanning every firmness level available.
Nights of data
Analysing nighttime movement and sleep diaries.
On each mattress
Assessing true, settled sleep patterns without bias.
Measures affected
Key sleep signals disrupted by the wrong mattress type.
Source: Krystal, A. D., Edinger, J. D., Bieler, G. S., Mladsi, S. W., & Hogan, S. O. (2011). Choosing a Mattress: Using Actigraphy and Diary Reports to Identify a Mattress That Provides Best Sleep. RTI Press publication No. RR-0015-1102.
Experience the difference for yourself
Book a free in-store Sleepmatch session and feel the mattress the evidence says is right for your body.
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