It’s time. Whether you’re moving out of the dorm into your first apartment or getting rid of that hand-me-down bed from your parents’ house, you’re ready to buy your first real mattress. While it may just seem like a necessity like any other piece of furniture, you should think of your mattress as an investment in your sleep health and, beyond that, your happiness. After all, you spend about a third of your life in bed—that’s way more time than you spend in your car, on your couch, or out and about.

Here are five things to consider when shopping for your first mattress to find one that fits your unique sleep needs.

1. Prepare for Sticker Shock

Mattresses are expensive—especially if you want one that’s going to last. If you’re walking in expecting to only spend a couple hundred dollars on a mattress, you may walk out with one, but you’re going to want to turn around and bring that thing right back after trying to sleep on it. A good rule of thumb is that there is a much bigger difference between a $300 mattress and an $800 mattress than between an $800 and a $2,000 mattress, so if you plan to spend between $800 and $1,200, you should be able to find a mattress made of quality materials, and many retailers, both online and brick and mortar, offer financing options if you don’t have a grand on hand.

2. What Materials, Though?

There are three main types of mattresses when it comes to materials: innerspring, memory foam, and hybrid mattresses. Innerspring mattresses usually consist of a core made from steel coil springs and a top and bottom upholstery layer. Memory foam mattresses are constructed from multiple layers of viscoelastic and polyurethane foam. Hybrid mattresses combine the two, with a spring core and foam comfort layers. Innerspring mattresses offer the most traditional mattress feel, memory foam mattresses hug the body more during sleep, and hybrid mattresses split the difference. Which is right for you will be a matter of preference.

3. Soooooooo . . . Which Material Is Right for Me?

That depends on a number of factors: what position you sleep in, whether you tend to get overheated while you sleep, and whether or not you suffer from back pain. If you sleep on your stomach, a firm innerspring mattress will make sure your spine stays aligned properly. If you sleep on your side, you’ll want something that conforms more to your body to avoid creating pressure points, so memory foam is likely the best option. If you sleep on your back you’ll want a medium-firm mattress that also prevents pressure points, so a hybrid is likely the best way to go. If you overheat when you sleep, though, you’ll want to steer clear of mattresses made entirely from foam as they can trap heat.

4. Are You Single? How Much Will You Mingle?

No, we’re not trying to pry. Just to recommend the right mattress size for you. If you’ll be sleeping with a partner the majority of the time, you shouldn’t get a bed any smaller than a queen size, as the full or double bed doesn’t really leave enough room for two adults to sleep comfortably together. If it’s just you, the full-size bed allows you to spread out more than a twin (single) bed. Pro tip: be sure to measure the room to make sure the bed will fit, as you don’t want to move a queen size bed into a tiny room.

5. Where Should I Buy?

There are many more options than before when shopping for a mattress. It used to just be brick-and-mortar mattress specialty stores and large department stores that had mattresses for sale. Now you can buy a mattress online that comes compressed in a box. There are advantages to each way to buy: buying online maximizes convenience, buying in a department store maximizes savings, and buying in a specialty mattress store maximizes selection. We recommend visiting a mattress store at least to try out mattresses by lying down on them in your preferred sleeping position.

Armed with all this knowledge, you should be ready to make your first mattress purchase. Now, go to bed!

It’s time. Whether you’re moving out of the dorm into your first apartment or getting rid of that hand-me-down bed from your parents’ house, you’re ready to buy your first real mattress. While it may just seem like a necessity like any other piece of furniture, you should think of your mattress as an investment in your sleep health and, beyond that, your happiness. After all, you spend about a third of your life in bed—that’s way more time than you spend in your car, on your couch, or out and about.

Here are five things to consider when shopping for your first mattress to find one that fits your unique sleep needs.

1. Prepare for Sticker Shock

Mattresses are expensive—especially if you want one that’s going to last. If you’re walking in expecting to only spend a couple hundred dollars on a mattress, you may walk out with one, but you’re going to want to turn around and bring that thing right back after trying to sleep on it. A good rule of thumb is that there is a much bigger difference between a $300 mattress and an $800 mattress than between an $800 and a $2,000 mattress, so if you plan to spend between $800 and $1,200, you should be able to find a mattress made of quality materials, and many retailers, both online and brick and mortar, offer financing options if you don’t have a grand on hand.

2. What Materials, Though?

There are three main types of mattresses when it comes to materials: innerspring, memory foam, and hybrid mattresses. Innerspring mattresses usually consist of a core made from steel coil springs and a top and bottom upholstery layer. Memory foam mattresses are constructed from multiple layers of viscoelastic and polyurethane foam. Hybrid mattresses combine the two, with a spring core and foam comfort layers. Innerspring mattresses offer the most traditional mattress feel, memory foam mattresses hug the body more during sleep, and hybrid mattresses split the difference. Which is right for you will be a matter of preference.

3. Soooooooo . . . Which Material Is Right for Me?

That depends on a number of factors: what position you sleep in, whether you tend to get overheated while you sleep, and whether or not you suffer from back pain. If you sleep on your stomach, a firm innerspring mattress will make sure your spine stays aligned properly. If you sleep on your side, you’ll want something that conforms more to your body to avoid creating pressure points, so memory foam is likely the best option. If you sleep on your back you’ll want a medium-firm mattress that also prevents pressure points, so a hybrid is likely the best way to go. If you overheat when you sleep, though, you’ll want to steer clear of mattresses made entirely from foam as they can trap heat.

4. Are You Single? How Much Will You Mingle?

No, we’re not trying to pry. Just to recommend the right mattress size for you. If you’ll be sleeping with a partner the majority of the time, you shouldn’t get a bed any smaller than a queen size, as the full or double bed doesn’t really leave enough room for two adults to sleep comfortably together. If it’s just you, the full-size bed allows you to spread out more than a twin (single) bed. Pro tip: be sure to measure the room to make sure the bed will fit, as you don’t want to move a queen size bed into a tiny room.

5. Where Should I Buy?

There are many more options than before when shopping for a mattress. It used to just be brick-and-mortar mattress specialty stores and large department stores that had mattresses for sale. Now you can buy a mattress online that comes compressed in a box. There are advantages to each way to buy: buying online maximizes convenience, buying in a department store maximizes savings, and buying in a specialty mattress store maximizes selection. We recommend visiting a mattress store at least to try out mattresses by lying down on them in your preferred sleeping position.

Armed with all this knowledge, you should be ready to make your first mattress purchase. Now, go to bed!