Our nationwide epidemic of insomnia has caused Americans to become obsessed with buying the "right" mattress. It's faulty logic, though; most cures for insomnia involve lifestyle choices -- drinking less caffeine, not watching TV before bed, not working up until the moment you go to bed.

The October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports has taken a look at both mattresses and mattress retailers. The highest mattress rating of all goes to the Tempur-Pedic (average price $2,408). Yet even with the highest rating, only 60 percent of customers say they'd buy a Tempur-Pedic again.

The real story here is the No. 2 mattress, which comes from the Original Mattress Factory (average price $891). Yes, that's right -- the second highest rated product at one-third the cost of the industry leader! Now that's a Clark Smart buy!

It's important to remember that price does not necessarily equate to satisfaction with mattresses. A more expensive mattress may not make for a better product.

When it comes to retailers, Consumer Reports ranked the Original Mattress Factory stores as the top choice for customer satisfaction. Costco Wholesale was a close second.

The high placement for Costco may reflect their return policy on mattresses: A full money back refund without penalty and no time limit. That really makes Costco stand apart!