An air mattress can be a very convenient alternative to a real bed, and some of the better ones inflate within 60 seconds, which is something you will really appreciate after a long day when you're tired and just want to get to sleep. A big advantage of an air bed mattress is that you can adjust the firmness of your sleep surface with ease, and if you're sleeping with your partner, the mattress has a separate chamber for each side so that you can both attain different levels of firmness.
A good example of a top quality air mattress or air bed is the Sleep Number bed, built with many separate air chambers which can be adjusted to your sleep preference. There are hundreds of different types of air beds on the market, so take the time to find the one that is best for your needs. Prices range from a few dollars up to a few thousand dollars, so make sure you do a little research, this may just be a great place for you to start.