SLUMBER QUEST: And while I'm ranting: What's with America's search for the perfect mattress? I enjoy talk radio and listen to a lot of it, and I'm constantly struck by the number of commercials advertising the ideal sleep surface. Pay for it by noon, get it delivered that same day for a "perfect night's sleep," and of course there's the festive option of you and your sleep partner choosing how firm you want your side of the bed to be. Hey, I like a good night's sleep as much as anybody, and generally I get as much sleep as I seem to need. But: in a culture with drive-through coffee shops increasingly available; with TVs in every bedroom; with computers glowing like nightlights; with MP3 devices now attached to bodies like prosthetic devices — given all this, why do I keep thinking the mattress isn't probably the issue? (If I'm being too hasty here — if you yourself got a major mattress upgrade and you find yourself catching way better Zs than you ever dreamed possible — I'm all ears.)