You shouldn’t have to compromise on good sleep if you’re out on the open road. In fact, considering the dangers of driving while drowsy, you should be getting the best sleep out of all of us! Truck drivers and outdoor enthusiasts alike: If you want to upgrade your sleep, here’s all you need to know about finding your perfect semi-truck mattress.
Why Truck Mattress Materials Matter: Concerns You Might Be Having on the Road
Comfort
Nobody wants an uncomfortable mattress but when your sleep is so vital to safe job performance, you can’t afford to skimp on comfort. This means knowing what kind of sleeper you are and what that means. If you prefer to sleep on your side, you probably like for your mattress to be less firm because it allows for the mattress to contour to your body.
Back and stomach sleepers on the other hand might like their semi-truck mattress to be more firm so that there’s less sinking—that causes an uncomfortable curve, especially for back sleepers.
Dampening the feeling of the road
Another concern when you’re on the road is feeling any movement from the vehicle. If you have a custom truck mattress that has zoned comfort, it’s designed to provide different levels of support for every area of your body—including areas like your shoulder, hips, and legs where some extra cushion might help to dampen the feeling of a bumpy road. High-density foams and “quick recovery” memory foams are good at absorbing motion, so look into those as well.
Back Pain
Not only does a quality custom truck mattress help you get better shut-eye, but it can also help you improve your posture and relieve any existing back pain. This is because the support it offers not only keeps you more aligned in general but it’s also designed to help keep your spine straight.
Easy Maintenance
If you’re spending long days on the open road, then you need to be able to clean and maintain your mattress easily. Whether it’s a foam or air mattress, having a cover that can be quickly removed is essential for both convenience and hygiene. This also means making sure you have a sleep surface that can be easily cleaned and disinfected.
Cramped Spaces
Have you ever tried to put sheets on the bottom mattress of a bunk bed? It’s almost impossible to get the back corners tucked in without hitting your head or crumpling the sheets on your way out. Because of the tight spaces in a truck bed or camper, a truck mattress has to be made custom so that you have enough room to be comfortable and functional.
Safety
Because you drive so much, it might be easy to brush off a bad night’s sleep and just power through. But drowsy driving causes around 1,550 deaths a year and people who sleep for less than 5 hours increase their risk of a crash by 5 times.
It’s important that you get a good night’s sleep because it affects your well-being, as well as the safety of other travelers.
What You Need for a Comfortable Truck Mattress
Custom Sizing
Your sizing will depend on what kind of vehicle you’re in and how much space you need around your area, but a custom truck mattress will ensure you have plenty of room to move around and that your body is fully supported.
Fire Resistance
Because of the risk of crashes, the Department of Transportation requires all truck mattresses to meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 302 (FMVSS 302) fire standard. In simple terms, the material has to burn at a certain rate and should not ignite when experiencing high heat. When you buy a mattress, check with the manufacturer that it meets FMVSS 302.
Cooling
Rain or shine, you’re out on the road. You need a bed that will keep you comfortable in all types of weather, so look for a cooling technology like gel or ventilation in your mattress. In winter, you can add layers, but it’s a lot harder to sleep if your mattress is trapping heat.
Durability
Truck life is tough on bedding. You usually don’t have separate living spaces in your truck, so lots of things happen on your bed. You sit there to relax, you eat there when you’re on the go, and you might have kids or pets who are also using your space.
How to Order Your Custom Truck Mattress
You could be looking for a semi-truck mattress or something custom for your camper. If you need something more unique than the standard sizes, use these steps to get a good measurement for your space:
- Measure the length of your space
- Measure the width in 3-4 different spots. We recommend getting multiple widths because storage or other factors can change your sizing.
- Think about how much space you need between your head when you’re sitting up and the ceiling of your truck. Every inch counts when it comes to thickness, so measure this carefully! You can still get plenty of support and comfort without buying the thickest mattress on the market.
Don’t Forget These Sleep Essentials!
When you buy a custom truck mattress, you’ll have to get custom sheets to go with them. When you buy your mattress, look for a company that also sells custom bed linens, including:
- Pillows
- Sheets
- Mattress toppers or protectors
- Blankets and throws
Comfort, Safety, and Function With Tochta
As someone who’s on the road for days at a time, your sleep situation is easily overlooked. But getting good sleep is just as important for travelers and truckers as it is for everyone else. At Tochta, we offer custom truck mattresses that are built to last and provide the comfort and support you need while you’re on the road.
We started out as serious RVers and could never find a mattress that was custom, comfortable, and affordable. 25 years later and we’ve helped over 2 million customers with our high-quality, affordable truck mattresses. So if you’re looking for the best sleep possible no matter where you travel, build a custom mattress with Tochta.
