So this is coincidental, I'm a manager at the largest mattress chain in the Northeast (probably shouldn't say its name online) and one of the executives recommended MMM to the entire company in a company blog post. Since then I've read every blog post and just recently joined the forum.
As a professional, I can tell you that how well you sleep directly affects every aspect of your life. From muscle soreness, to fatigue, to memory and cognition. If you toss and turn, if you wake up more than once throughout the night, or if you wake up in the morning feeling pain and then the pain goes away throughout the day then your mattress is not doing you right.
The proper mattress and pillow for you will keep your back in alignment throughout the night and relieve all pressure in areas like your hips, ribs, and shoulder. The biggest mistake people make is they get a mattress that is too firm. As long as the support is right, go as SOFT as possible. If your back is straight, you want as much pressure relief as you can get. If you get something good quality, you don't have to worry about it wearing out prematurely. Just make sure you have a waterproof mattress protector and proper support under the mattress (boxspring, frame, or sturdy platform).
As much as I hate selling them, because they pay terrible commission, Tempurpedic really is the best. Memory foam is self leveling so it always puts your back in alignment no matter if you're 100 lbs or 300 lbs. The foam contours to your body and gives the best pressure relief. Their quality is better than every other memory foam company. People have TP's for 20+ years.
Now here is the secret, mattresses have huge markups almost everywhere. And many places are willing to negotiate. Depending on the place, shoot for 40-60% off the everyday price. This won't work at sears or discount places, but it will work at most bedding stores. I don't know if it is against the policy, but the mustachian in me would be happy to help out other mustachians with discounts and advice. We can deliver anywhere. Feel free to shoot me a PM.
If you don't like memory foam, you're best bang for your buck is Beautyrest World Class. Great mattresses and priced pretty well.
One other note, be careful with mattress reviews. So tough to translate what someone else feels to how you will.
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