How was your sleep over the holidays? If you're like most people, the answer is somewhere between "not great" and "I need a vacation from my vacation." The new year is a natural time to take stock, and maybe 2026 should be your year to finally prioritize sleep.
Throughout 2025, we've been busy exploring the questions that matter to you. We asked whether "cooling" mattresses actually work (spoiler: not like they claim). We explained why skepticism is important when mattress shopping and debunked some of the most common mattress myths. We broke down the real difference between price and value, and took a hard look at what happens when you search for an "inexpensive mattress" If you missed any of these, they're all still there waiting for you.
But beyond all the educational content, there's been a consistent theme: your sleep matters more than you think, and it deserves better than what most of the mattress industry is offering.
The Real Cost of Poor Sleep
We have brought this up several times last year: we spend roughly 28 years of our lives sleeping. That's more time than most people spend working, more time than you'll spend eating, and more time than you'll spend on any single activity in your entire life.
And yet, when it comes to investing in quality sleep, we often treat it as an afterthought. We'll spend hours researching the perfect television or smartphone. We'll agonize over which car to buy or which couch to buy for our living room. But when it comes to the surface we'll spend three decades on, many people spend less time choosing a mattress than they do choosing their lunch.
The consequences of poor sleep extend far beyond feeling tired. Research continues to demonstrate that inadequate sleep affects virtually every aspect of our lives. Physical health suffers through increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Mental sharpness declines as memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities diminish. Emotional stability erodes, making us more reactive and less resilient. Productivity drops at work and at home. Relationships strain under the weight of exhaustion and irritability.
When you improve your sleep, you improve everything else.
Your Mattress Is the Foundation
Your mattress is central to all of this. An old, worn-out mattress, or one that was never appropriate for your body in the first place, creates a cascade of problems. It fails to provide adequate support, forcing your muscles to work throughout the night rather than fully relax. Poor support creates pressure points that force you to shift positions repeatedly, disrupting the deep sleep your body needs for recovery.
Here's something most people don't realize: you can become so accustomed to sleeping poorly that you don't even recognize it as a problem anymore. You've normalized waking up tired, normalized those morning aches, and normalized feeling like you never quite get enough rest. It's only when you finally sleep on a proper mattress that you realize how poorly you've been sleeping for years.
What to Look For
Construction quality. Your mattress should be built to last with quality materials throughout, not just in the top comfort layer. Higher-density foams that won't break down quickly. Innerspring systems built with thicker gauge wire and coils that extend all the way to the edges, not boxed in by cheap foam rails. Natural materials like cotton for breathability.
Two-sided design. You should be able to flip your mattress to extend its life. Mattresses were built this way for generations before companies realized they could sell more by making them wear out faster. A two-sided mattress gives you twice the sleeping surface and can last 12-15 years instead of 6-8.
Real box spring support. Your mattress needs a proper box spring to maximize its longevity. Real box springs work like a shock absorber for your mattress to provide support and ultimately help the mattress to last longer. Real working box springs are increasingly rare, replaced by cheap platforms that do little more than keep your mattress off the floor.
The right feel for your body. Comfort is subjective and personal. What feels perfect for someone else might be entirely wrong for you. There's no "one size fits all" despite what online mattress companies want you to believe. The only person who knows which mattress is right for you is you!
Testing in person. You need to actually lie on a mattress in your normal sleep position for at least 10-15 minutes. Don't just sit on the edge and bounce. Take your time. Change positions. Focus on where you feel pressure and where you feel support. Your sleep deserves this!
Beyond Your Mattress
Even the best mattress can't overcome a bedroom that works against sleep. Keep your room cool (60-67°F is ideal), genuinely dark, and free from disruptive noise. Minimize technology in the bedroom. Your phone can charge across the room.
Your sleep habits matter too. Consistent sleep schedules help regulate your body's internal clock. A calming pre-sleep routine signals it's time to wind down. Screen time before bed suppresses the hormones that help you fall asleep. These factors work together with your mattress to determine sleep quality.
The OMF Approach
If you've read our blogs this year, you already know our story. We manufacture every mattress we sell in our own factories. We build most of them two-sided because it's a better way to build a mattress. We use quality materials because they perform better and last longer. We sell factory-direct with no middleman markups and no perpetual "sales" because our prices are consistent every day.
We believe in providing straightforward information and giving you the time and space to make the right decision for your needs. We don't use high-pressure sales tactics. We encourage you to test mattresses properly, ask questions, and take all the time you need.
Make 2026 Count
As 2026 begins, we invite you to make this the year you finally prioritize your sleep, not as another resolution destined for failure, but as a genuine investment in your health and well being. One that affects you for eight hours every single day, requires minimal ongoing effort once established, and delivers returns that compound over time.
You deserve sleep that restores rather than exhausts you. You deserve mornings without pain. You deserve to wake up actually feeling rested.
Twenty-eight years. Make them count.
Here's to better sleep, better health, and a better 2026.
Written by: Chris Gardner, OMF Marketing