The so-called Swedish mattress is fast becoming one of the most popular mattresses in the world and with so much hype around it you have to ask whether its all just clever advertising or does it really do what it says on the box. We've all seen the TV ads and it seems like every single ad for a bed promises us better night's sleep. If you consider the fact that you sleep for one third of your life then maybe investing in a good bed is a wise decision.

What makes a Swedish mattress different is the material. Unlike traditional spring mattresses this is actual a foam mattress. While foam is usually used on cheap and lower end mattresses, this type of foam is very special. It was actually developed by NASA in the early 1970's for astronauts on the Apollo mission. They needed a material to protect them against the immense g-force during take off but most foams and materials were either too soft or too hard.

Visco foam or memory foam as its commonly known was developed and what it does it to take on the form of any shape that;s impressed on it, but it has an optimal density to avoid objects sinking into it. It has the optimal level of density for both support and comfort and best of all, the foam always holds its shape.

fast forward twenty years and the Swedish bed manufacturer Tempur-pedic buys the technology from NASA and starts making beds using this special visco foam. They recognized that the unique behavior of the foam would provide superior support during sleep and initially the beds were used for patients who had to spend long hours in hospital beds. It reduced the complications that traditional beds caused significantly and when the Swedish mattress hit the mainstream it really took off.

Regardless of media hype and advertising, the medical benefits is obvious and undisputed. Users report massive improvements in sleep patterns and many people who had chronic sleep problems solved it by switching to a visco foam mattress. It reduces muscle tension, supports the spine and has an all round level of comfort that it unlike any spring mattress. I can highly recommend that you at least try it out and see for yourself.