Most side sleepers do best around medium, a notch softer than back sleepers. Weight comes first: go softer if you're lighter and firmer if you're heavier.
Read more: Choosing the Right Mattress for Side SleepersRotate on a schedule, flip only a two-sided mattress, check the base and treat stains fast. UK care advice from Bed Advice UK, plus when to replace it.
Read more: How to Make Your Mattress Last LongerNight waking is normal for a young baby. Rest whenever your baby sleeps and share the nights, with your baby in their own cot in your room.
Read more: Sleep Strategies for New ParentsGive a new mattress at least 30 nights. If it's too firm, check the room isn't cold, then try a topper. If it's too soft or sags, check the base first.
Read more: How to Fix a Mattress That's Too Soft or Too FirmA TEMPUR mattress doesn't need a TEMPUR base. It needs one that lets air circulate, on legs, and TEMPUR says slats no more than 90mm apart work best.
Read more: Choosing the Right Bed Frame for Your Tempur MattressTake at least a 15-minute break every two hours and avoid long drives between midnight and 6am. If you feel sleepy, stop safely, have two coffees and nap.
Read more: Road Trip Sleep Tips: How to Stay Rested and SafeA sleep paralysis 'demon' is a sensed presence in the room during harmless sleep paralysis, says the NHS. Better sleep habits may reduce episodes.
Read more: What Is a Sleep Paralysis Demon?A sleeping bag won't make a baby sleep through the night. For safer sleep, it needs a good fit and a tog rating matched to the room temperature.
Read more: Will a Sleep Sack Help My Baby Sleep Through the Night?How much sleep babies, children, teenagers and adults need, how sleep changes in later life, and safer sleep for babies, using NHS and Sleep Charity guidance.
Read more: How Sleep Changes Over Your LifeParents' sleep drops sharply after a birth and, in one large study, still hadn't fully recovered 6 years on. Regular hours and a wind-down hour help.
Read more: How Parents Sleep: What Changes After ChildrenFrom 28 weeks, go to sleep on your side, left or right, and turn over if you wake on your back. Keep caffeine under 200mg a day and avoid it in the evening.
Read more: How to Sleep Better During PregnancyBlot, don't rub. Spray a light mist of vinegar and water, then baking soda, and use hydrogen peroxide on set stains. Never soak the mattress itself.
Read more: How to Get Urine Out of a Mattress, Even When It's DryMost of a mattress can be recycled, but only about 14% of UK mattresses really are. Look up your council on the NBF's disposal site, or use your council or the retailer.
Read more: Are Mattresses Recyclable? Getting Rid of an Old MattressA bed frame has no fixed lifespan. Replace it when slats break, the base dips or it doesn't suit your mattress. A creaking frame can usually be fixed.
Read more: How Long Does a Bed Frame Last? Signs You Need a New OneA book can help you wind down before bed, but a printed book beats a bright screen. What the studies show, and how to make bedtime reading help you sleep.
Read more: Is Reading in Bed Good for Sleep?What to write in a sleep diary each morning, how long to keep it, what to look for and why it helps your GP. Includes a one-week diary to fill in and print.
Read more: How to Keep a Sleep Diary (and What to Look For)Which sleep tips have the best evidence? What the US sleep guideline ranks highest, why habits alone fall short for insomnia, and getting CBT from your GP.
Read more: Tips That Work When You Have Trouble SleepingREM is sleep with rapid eye movement, linked to memory. Sleeping longer and keeping regular hours can help sleepers get more of this sleep stage.
Read more: What Exactly Is REM Sleep? How to Get MoreKeep the bedroom cool but not cold and warm the bed instead. Here is the ideal temperature, when to have a warm bath, and how to use electric blankets safely.
Read more: How to Sleep Warm When It's ColdSeasonal affective disorder is depression that usually comes with winter. Learn the NHS symptoms, when to see a GP, what helps and what to check in a SAD lamp.
Read more: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Symptoms and What HelpsSleeping on the side and cutting down on alcohol help reduce snoring. A GP should assess gasping, choking or breathing that stops and starts in sleep.
Read more: How to Stop Snoring: 7 Tips to TryA gap between a scary film and bed helps with winding down. Something light afterwards and screens off an hour before bed give space for fear to fade.
Read more: How to Sleep After a Scary Movie: 5 TipsShould your dog or cat sleep on your bed? What a sleep study found about dogs in the bedroom, what Allergy UK advises for allergies, and keeping the bed clean.
Read more: Should Your Pet Sleep in Your Bed?Night reflux sufferers should stop eating hours before bed and raise the bed head rather than stack pillows. Heartburn most days needs a GP visit.
Read more: Acid Reflux at Night: How to Sleep BetterFor most adults, it's just miserable, not dangerous. Salt-water rinses and hot shower steam help, but gasping or stopped breathing in sleep needs a GP.
Read more: Is Sleeping with a Blocked Nose Dangerous?Bed bugs bite. Dust mites trigger allergies. A washable cover and synthetic bedding help with dust mites, but nothing placed on the bed stops bed bugs.
Read more: Bed Bugs vs Dust Mites: Allergies in BedA sliding mattress usually has a cause, from missing rails to a too-small mattress. Fix that, then add grip with a non-slip pad or carpet tape on the frame.
Read more: How to Stop a Mattress SlidingLying with the sore ear facing up can help if lying on it hurts, but it must be kept dry with nothing inside. Sudden hearing loss requires urgent help.
Read more: How to Sleep with a Ruptured EardrumFor intercostal muscle strain, sleeping propped up or on the side that does not hurt is advised. Ice is best for the first few days, rather than heat.
Read more: How to Sleep with Intercostal Muscle StrainThe NBF says most mattresses start to lose shape and support after about 7 to 8 years. Sagging, lumps or waking stiff tell you more than the date.
Read more: How Long Do Mattresses Last? When to Replace YoursWash your sheets and pillowcases every week. Learn when to use a 60°C wash, what to do with pillows and duvets, and track when each bit of bedding is next due.
Read more: How Often to Wash Your Sheets and Other BeddingCan't sleep? Don't force it: after about 20 minutes, get up until you feel sleepy. What to change over the next few weeks, and when a GP can help with CBT.
Read more: What to Do When You Can't SleepJet lag usually eases within a few days. Learn why flying east is harder, how to shift your sleep before you fly and when to get daylight, with a trip planner.
Read more: Jet Lag: How to Sleep Well Across Time ZonesBefore you buy, check the trial and returns terms and the guarantee. You also need to check mattress fit and delivery access before placing an order.
Read more: How to Choose a Mattress: Questions to Ask Before You BuyStart at medium-firm and adjust for weight and sleep position. A pocket-sprung hybrid is a safe default in the largest size that fits the room.
Read more: The Complete Mattress Buying Guide
