Bed in a box: Is buying a mattress online right for you?

If it's been more than a few years since you've shopped for a new bed, mattress-buying has changed dramatically.

Although most people still prefer buying a mattress in a physical store, a research report from the Better Sleep Council, a nonprofit organization supported by the sleep-products industry, showed 27 percent of people would consider buying a mattress online.

Those numbers are rising fast. According to the Internet Retailer Home Goods Report, seven of the 10 fastest-growing online home-goods retailers sell only mattresses.

Is buying a mattress