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We spend about a third of our lives lying in bed so it pays to choose one that's comfortable. It's also likely to be the biggest piece of furniture in the room - or house - so it needs to look good. Aesthetically, the decision rests on whether you want the bed to dominate the room - and have a four-poster with swathes of muslin sweeping from its crown - or a low lying bed, such as a futon, which will create a calmer atmosphere. In reality, beds come at a standard height, acceptable to most of us. Couples are opting for greater widths than they did previously, though. "No one buys 4ft 6in beds any more," says Joan Bolger of Bedroom Drama. "If people have the space, they opt for 5ft or 6ft beds. We differ from England on this score - they have thinner beds than us, while the Americans are into 7ft beds."

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When testing a bed, you should be able to clasp your hands behind your head and have elbow room each side, without encountering the edge of your bed or your partner's head. You do need to cast aside inhibitions about lying on showroom beds, in your normal sleeping position, as you should never buy a bed without testing it first. Dermot Kelly of Duxiana, the multi-spring Swedish bed makers, positively encourages people to try out beds in his showroom, "We wouldn't sell a bed to anyone without seeing them, because the beds are customised to suit individuals," he says.

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Beds and mattresses come in different variations but the three main types are firm-edge bases, where the springs are attached to an outer frame; sprung edge, in which the springs are mounted on to the base and continue right to the edge of it; and a slatted wooden base. The first two will last around 15 years; the latter will support you almost indefinitely, although the mattress will need to be changed.

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Mattresses can either be made from various types of foam or latex, or sprung. There are two main types of spring system - pocket-sprung, in which each spring is contained within its own pocket and moves independently, only giving where weight is bearing down on it. On double beds these prevent the whole mattress moving when one person shifts position. Open-sprung mattresses have interlinked springs which work as a complete unit spreading the load throughout the whole mattress. While they can sometimes tilt the mattress in the heaviest person's favour, there are mattresses that compensate for this. "In order to stop one person moving the mattress, and to cater for the fact that one person will be heavier than the other, some Duxiana beds are made in two pieces with a firm side and a medium side with different wire diameters in each," says Kelly.

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With sprung mattresses the price you pay is determined by the number of springs, stuffing and covering. Generally, the more springs, the greater the support and the higher the price. Foam mattresses also come in different grades with the more expensive ones having greater breathability and support while the cheaper ones can be sweaty and become dense after a while. Beds and mattresses made from natural fibres will cost more but are worth considering because the mattresses breathe better and the bedding grips to them - synthetic fibres can be slippery and send sheets asunder during the night. Most beds and mattresses are designed to last for 10 to 15 years. To make a mattress last longer you need to turn it over about once a month.

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Everybody has different preferences when it comes to how hard or soft their bed is. The two main considerations are comfort and support - many people link good support with hardness but you don't need to sleep on a solid block to get the correct support for your back. The confusion may come from the fact that some harder beds are referred to as "orthopaedic" - but they don't carry any sort of medical certification. "You can have quite a soft bed that is good for your back if it has the proper spring system and support," says Dermot Kelly. "Everyone will have their own foibles," says osteopath Diana Smyth; "but what you really need is a solid mattress with a very dense core and lots of padding on top of which your hips, shoulders and other bones can sink into. Sinky bed springs are very bad for the back." Dermot agrees: "Mattresses need to give under the protruding parts of your body - such as hips, shoulders and knees - and rise up to support the concave parts of your body."

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Diana Smyth says that a good pillow is crucial as neck and shoulders can cause real problems. "You want the softest and most luxurious down pillow you can afford. They are expensive but not if you think about how much you have to pay an osteopath. The pillow needs to be soft but malleable enough to come around the shoulders and support the neck without tilting it. You can tell by putting your hand on the pillow - if it springs back straightaway it's not right. It shouldn't feel dense and dead, there needs to be a definite shift when you put your hand on it and it should gently spring back."

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While still prevalent in Ireland, no one buys nylon headboards any more, says Joan Bolger. Many people are happy to do without, for the sake of a calmer appearance to the room, while others can have headboards made to suit their requirements. Another way of reducing clutter is to buy a bed on legs or with drawers so that you can store items beneath it. You can also consider buying a bed with a surround to load newspapers, toast and other bedtime paraphernalia on - Simon and Tadgh O╣Driscoll have designed one, and Ligne Roset sells one called the Peter Maly (stockists include Arnotts). For a cushy experience you should make sure that you have enough sockets near your bed and can control all lighting without having to do a midnight dash across the room.