Clark has written in his books about buying mattresses the “Clark Smart” way. Buying a nice mattress for a good price and how to test it out are both important. So, Clark read with great interest a story in the New York Times about people who spend more than $10,000 for their mattress and box spring. People are buying mattresses made of lambswool, cashmere and silk. And, it’s considered normal to spend between $2,000 and $6,000 for the pair. The marketplace has moved toward this high-end level year after year, at a 20 percent increase every year. The ironic part is that people are sleeping much less than they were a generation ago. Most people get less than seven hours of sleep these days. So, as we deal with anxieties and stresses, we think we’ll get a better night’s sleep if we buy expensive mattresses. But studies have shown that it makes no difference if you spend $10,000 or $1,000. The British Medical Journal found that people do just fine sleeping on a moderately-priced mattress with good support and firmness.