Mattress makers try to lure us into bed with fragrance, soy and more

Race-car beds apparently aren't just for kids anymore.

In an effort to combat slumping sales (the result of a slumping housing market, experts say), the mattress industry is trying harder than ever to reel in customers. Their tack: creativity. An aromatherapy mattress? A mattress for post-workout muscle recovery? A Lamborghini mattress? A mattress that washes your dishes? Yes, yes, yes and just kidding.

Here is a quick survey of trends that caught our eye.

• Sweet-smelling. The miracle of nanotechnology brings us the aromatherapy mattress, such as Magniflex's Lavender Comfort ($1,899 queen). But there are several makers and several available scents to be woven into the fabric of where you sleep: vanilla, rose, green tea and chamomile, for starters. The more you lie on the bed, the more the scent capsules break, which guarantees years of odorous sleep. The manufacturers swear the scent is never overwhelming. Still waiting on a Neapolitan mattress for those who can't pick just one scent.

• Too hot between the sheets? Just as athletic apparel has gone the way of synthetic breathable fabrics, manufacturers offer mattresses made of basically the same stuff. Makers say it offers greater air circulation and breathability for those who get too warm while sleeping. For instance, there is the 3D Mattress by Hollandia International ($2,500 queen). Though it's a pretty good idea, here's another one: Sleep with fewer blankets.

• Dude style. The Tonino Lamborghini Mattress ($1,999 queen), a sleek red, white and black mattress and frame made by Italian manufacturer Magniflex, means you don't have to leave your midlife crisis in the garage. You can sleep on it!

• Save the planet while you sleep. Bed down on a mattress made of bamboo, soy, corn or buckwheat. The Magniflex GeoEthic SoyGreen mattress ($2,599 queen) is covered in a soy fiber fabric and "emits the rejuvenating properties of soy protein during sleep," its maker says. Sleep with a clean conscience after driving home in your electric car, chowing down on your low-carbon-footprint-vegan dinner and reading by candlelight.

• Relax those jogging muscles. From Ironman, whose name is on the digital watch you bought after swearing that this really was the year you were going to get into running, here is the next logical step in athletic gear: a "post-workout muscle recovery mattress." The T3 Recovery Mattress ($1,499 to $2,499 for a queen, depending on the model) "regulates oxygen levels" while you sleep and "speeds the body's natural healing process, reduces soreness and increases comfort," the company says. Call us crazy, but we'll take two aspirin and call it a night.