When you spend your life watching people lie down, you learn a few things. Over thirty years of research and study of sleep, not to mention conducting Sleep Consultations at Marshall & Stewart, have shown us patterns the small habits that quietly ruin a night’s rest, and the simple adjustments that completely transform it.
We’ve seen the difference that the right materials, the right temperature, and the right support can make. And we’ve also seen that most people underestimate how much better they could feel if they understood sleep properly.
“Every day, we meet people who think they sleep fine, but they don’t know what they’re missing until they experience real quality rejuvenating sleep”, says Brent Cooper, founder of Marshall & Stewart. “When they try the right bed, and you can actually see it on their face the relief of real rest for the first time in years.”
Here’s what those decades have taught us about how to sleep like an expert and how you can, too.
What Should You Do Before Bed to Sleep Better?
Most people think sleep begins when their head hits the pillow. It doesn’t. In our experience, good sleep starts with how you prepare what you eat, how you wind down, and even the lighting in your bedroom.
We find that clients who struggle with sleep are usually advised to:
- Dim the lights an hour before bed
- Keep their room between 16–19 °C
- Avoid screens or at least use night filters
- Choose natural bedding materials that breathe and wick moisture
And that’s all good advice but here’s the thing: it’s no good dealing with these issues if the actual bed, the root of the problem, is not performing as it should.
“Personally, I don’t have any sleep problems – I can even have a coffee before bed – I know I’ll sleep well because I’ve got the bed absolutely right. I’m not saying the other things don’t matter, but often people worry too much about the little things and not enough about the big one. You’ll simply never sleep well until you get the right bed.” Brent Cooper.
Why Do I Wake Up Hot During the Night?
We talk a lot about comfort, but in our experience, temperature is the single biggest reason people wake up at night. If you overheat even slightly your body leaves deep sleep to cool down.
Deep sleep is simply impossible for the human body when it is too hot. Instinctively, we may throw a leg out from under the duvet, lower the covers or turn over to find a cooler spot.
It is annoying because you feel like you went to sleep at the right temperature – something has happened. This is because everything on your bed is designed to keep you warm – it is just doing its job.
The problem arises when the materials around you, the bedclothes and the mattress do not allow the normal cooling process to occur. You feel nice as you go to sleep, but as your body tries to cool to enter deep sleep, problems arise – you are blocked from deep sleep by excess heat that cannot escape.
That’s why we build every Marshall & Stewart bed with breathable natural materials like horsehair, cotton, wool, and cashmere. These fibres move air through the mattress and regulate temperature naturally.
“Synthetic foams trap heat. Natural fillings breathe,” explains Brent. “It’s the difference between sleeping in a climate-controlled cocoon or a plastic bag.”
Should a Mattress Be Firm or Soft for Better Sleep?
After decades of consultations, one of the biggest realisations is that people confuse firmness with support. Support does not mean a very firm bed – indeed, this is one of the most destructive myths affecting the industry.
The goal isn’t to lie on the hardest bed possible it’s to keep your spine in a neutral line while your muscles completely relax, allowing you to get to deep sleep. A mattress that is too firm could be doing the opposite of this i.e., making your body tense and forcing it to work hard all night. That is why you wake up stiff and sore – and, obviously, tired from all that hard work!
When you get the bed right, your body doesn’t have to fight to stay comfortable. It’s why many clients say they “float” rather than “lie down.”
“Your bed should do the work, not you,” Brent often tells clients. “If you wake up stiff, your mattress is making your body hold itself up all night.”
Why Does My Partner’s Movement Wake Me Up at Night?
Turning while asleep is normal
Many couples assume it’s normal to wake each other by turning over when it isn’t. And before you shout at your partner, please remember that it is entirely natural to turn over in your sleep. On a poor bed, that number of turns will likely be between 90 and 120, whereas on the right bed it will be less – something like 20- 40 times.
It may be you, not your partner.
Noticing your partner turning could be a sign that you are not hitting your deep sleep. So while you may think the problem lies with them, it could actually be your ability to drift into the correct sleep, caused by the wrong mattress.
Your partner may be turning too much
Naturally, if your partner is sleeping on the wrong mattress, they will be turning too often, which could be disturbing your sleep. Again, the root cause is the same – the wrong mattress.
Bed Size is important
Surprisingly, simply ensuring your bed is as wide as possible is a great way to help resolve this issue. It allows independent movement and, importantly, it allows heat to escape rather than be transmitted.
High-quality Pocket Springs Systems are vital.
You’ll notice that we’ve come to the spring system after dealing with some more basic points. High-quality spring systems isolate movement so your partner’s rest doesn’t disturb yours. We find this especially important for light sleepers and people with different body weights.
Split systems have a place here
Zip and linked mattress sets are ideal for individuals with varying body weights. This means you can have two mattresses of different tensions which make up a double bed. Typically, this only applies for super king-size beds and larger. This is recommended for people with very different body weights and preferences. It is a great way to avoid arguments or suffering bad sleep to make sure your partner is comfortable. It is exactly the sort of issue a sleep expert can guide you through during a sleep consultation.
As a side note, these beds make accessing and turning your bed much easier. Both the mattress and the base are small enough to fit up stairs and around corners. Equally, when it comes to turning your mattress, having two singles makes the job much easier.
“We can tell instantly when someone’s slept on a mass-produced mattress,” says Brent. “They don’t realise how much energy they spend bracing themselves every time their partner moves.”
Can Your Body Tell the Difference Between Good Sleep and Bad Sleep?
Something fascinating happens when someone experiences deep restorative sleep for the first time in years their body remembers it. Clients often return to the showroom saying they couldn’t stop thinking about that feeling of total stillness and support – just come in any time and experience it for yourself. We would absolutely welcome you to pop in and try a few beds.
We believe that’s because quality sleep resets more than the body it resets expectations. Once you’ve felt what true rest is, compromise becomes impossible.
“It’s like showing someone colour after a lifetime in black-and-white,” says Brent. “They can’t go back.”
Still Waking Up Tired? Let Us Show You What Restorative Sleep Really Feels Like
Reading about sleep is one thing; feeling it is another. Our Marshall & Stewart Sleep Consultation is a private, expert-led experience designed to help you understand exactly how your body interacts with a bed and what perfect alignment truly feels like.
In our experience, people walk in curious and walk out astonished. They finally know what it means to wake without aches, without tension, and without compromise.
“The moment someone lies on the right bed, you can see their body let go,” Brent Cooper says. “That’s when we know they’ve found it.”
So if you’re still waking up tired, still wondering what difference a truly handmade bed can make, book your private Sleep Consultation today and start sleeping like an expert.
