Physical and Psychological Stress and Sleep Efficiency before and after Introducing a New Sleep Surface

Background: It has been long assumed that stress interferes with sleep, but less has been attributed to the converse of poor sleep contributing to stress. Study question: Can an older sleep surface contribute to poor sleep and thus, stress and will a new sleep surface provide better sleep, thus less stress. Methods: Forty-six participants rated physical and psychological signs of stress and sleep efficiency for three weeks while sleeping in their own beds. Following baseline measures participants’ beds were replaced by new, unmarked beds and they again rated their stress and sleep efficiency. Results: Average age of participants’ bed was 11.27 yrs. Physical and psychological signs of stress were reduced significantly (p<0.01) from preto post-assessments. Similarly, sleep efficiency improved significantly (p<0.01) between preand post-assessments. Conclusions: Replacing an older mattress that may have lost adequate support and comfort may result in a better night’s sleep thereby reducing stress brought on by a lack of sleep. It was suggested that a simple principal step in acquiring better sleep is to consider a new sleep surface rather than to opt for pharmaceuticals to achieve better sleep.