Is It Well To Sleep On A Soft Or Hard Mattress
It all depends on your preference for firmness level. Softer mattresses are more compressible as soon as you apply pressure to them. When buying the mattress, it is important to consider the hardness along with the material for the mattress.
The hard or soft mattress depends on the type of spring used with the mattress. The hardness of the mattress depends on the upholstery or the top player, giving you a firm feel. You need to consider certain things while buying a hard or soft mattress.
If you suffer from mild, moderate, or severe back pain and are a side sleeper, you should choose a softer mattress. People who dont suffer back pain and sleep on their stomach or back should opt for hard mattresses.
Apart from that, you must consider the weight of an individual. Choose a harder mattress for medium and heavy body construction. Last, it all depends on your personal preference and spinal alignment. Choose a mattress that makes you feel comfortable throughout the night.
Remedy For Body Aches
The solution for bad mattresses that causes body aches is getting the right one for your bed. In fact, until you get the most popular ideal mattresses, it is time you are going to improve the sleep experience. A good mattress is supposed to offer you full-body support and does not create any pressure on your back and neck to make sure you have a sound sleep. You can also buy a new good mattress from our well-researched list of top 10 best mattresses for back pain.
Read Also:4 Ways A Memory Foam Mattress Causing Lower Back Pain
The Best Mattresses For Back Pain
- Editors Pick WinkBed
- Best Mattress for Combination Sleepers with Back Pain Helix Dusk
- Best Memory Foam Mattress for Back Pain Nectar
- Best Hybrid Mattress for Back Pain DreamCloud
- Best Cooling Mattress for Back Pain Nolah Evolution
- Best Mattress for Side Sleepers with Back Pain Layla
- Best Mattress for Stomach Sleepers Saatva
- Best Mattress for Shoulder and Back Pain Leesa Legend
- Best Cheap Mattress for Back Pain Brooklyn Bedding Signature
- Best Mattress for Back Sleepers with Back Pain Casper
Disclaimer: The content on Sleepopolis is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldnt take the place of advice or treatment from your physician or medical professional. This review is meant to be an informative guide for those looking to maintain healthy posture while they sleep. User experiences and needs will vary. If you experience lasting pain, soreness, or discomfort while sleeping, its always a good idea to seek out a healthcare professional in person.
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Memory Foam Is A Good Option
Mattresses made from this cushy polyurethane material aren’t for everyone. But if you like the feel, Dr. Guyer recommended memory foam because it contours to your natural anatomy, allowing an impression of your thoracic spine and lower pelvis while also supporting the rest of your back.
Getting a good night’s sleep is a crucial part of everyday health and wellness. If you have difficulty falling or staying asleep, it can affect all aspects of daily life. One of the best choices you can make is sleeping on a mattress that fosters good sleep health and habits.
Look Into A Custom Mattress For Even Better Back Pain Relief
Last but not least, you may want to consider buying a custom-made mattress to help eliminate your back pain in bed.
A custom mattress is precisely what it sounds likea mattress made to fit your exact specifications and unique needs.
Custom mattresses can be made to fit almost any size . But they can also carry with them a wide range of other benefits like eliminating back pain, keeping you cool at night, and even eliminating certain sleep problems.
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Softness Vs Firmness Is A False Dichotomy
People have debated the merits of soft vs. firm mattresses for years. However, this debate is primarily based on a false dichotomy. Modern beds are constructed with a mix of soft and firm layers, providing the perfect balance of comfort and support. The soft layers help to cushion the body, while the firm layers provide support for the spine and hips. As a result, people of all shapes and sizes can find a mattress that suits their needs. Whether you prefer a softer or firmer mattress, theres no need to choose one side of the debate you can have the best of both worlds.
Why Sagging Mattresses Cause Back Pain
Your spine is naturally curved. When you sleep, your body must maintain its natural curvatureotherwise, you can develop chronic back pain, joint pain, or achiness that can negatively affect your sleep and your mobility.
Sagging mattresses throw your spines delicate alignment off balance. If your spine is held in an unnatural position for multiple hours, like during a nights sleep, you can develop chronic back and neck pain. In severe cases, a sagging mattress can pull a disc out of alignment and potentially lead to a herniated disc or bulged disc.
Also Check: How To Deal With Nerve Pain In Back
What Type Of Mattress Is Best For People With Low Back Pain
Back pain is one of the top reasons that people begin to lose mobility in middle age. Pain can keep people from engaging in physical activity, making it more difficult for them to maintain a healthy weight and keep up their strength, stamina, and balance as they age. So treating and managing back pain that results from injuries or health problems is crucial for staying on the path of a healthy and active life.
Considering that most people spend roughly a third of their lives lying in bed, choosing the right mattress is essential for managing low back pain. It can make the difference in whether you can sleep at night and function the next day.
In the past, doctors often recommended very firm mattresses. But one survey of 268 people with low back pain found that those who slept on very hard mattresses had the poorest sleep quality. There was no difference in sleep quality between those who used medium-firm and firm mattresses.
Soft mattresses, on the other hand, can also be problematic. While a soft mattress that conforms to your body’s natural curves may help the joints align favorably, you might also sink in so deeply that your joints twist and become painful during the night.
If you want to find out whether a firmer mattress would feel better than the one you’re currently using, try putting a plywood board under your mattress to dampen the movement from the bedsprings, or try placing your mattress on the floor.
Consider An Adjustable Base
One study found that switching from an innerspring bed to an adjustable bed resulted in a 32% pain decrease and a 73% increase in sleep quality amongst the participants who were suffering from chronic back pain .
And there are many anecdotal reports that sleeping on an adjustable bed with a suitable mattress can help to reduce lower back pain and ease the symptoms of conditions like GERD/acid reflux and sleep apnea .
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Can It Possibly Cause Sciatica
If you know anyone that has sciatica, youll probably hear them complain about it constantly. Its quite painful. Sciatica is a painful, tingly or numbing sensation down the side or back of the legs that runs down the sciatic nerve .
Its caused by degenerative disc disease and sleeping on a bad mattress can accelerate or exacerbate sciatica symptoms. Therefore, indirectly, you could say that it can cause sciatica. It certainly wont help!
Your Back Pain Starts At Night
In addition to waking up with back pain, if your back starts hurting shortly after you get into bed then this again points to your mattress being part of the problem because it suggests that youre lying down in bad posture, or the mattress is causing painful pressure points.
If your back pain goes away when you lie on a firmer mattress, then this indicates that the mattress is too soft for you.
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Is Sleeping On An Air Mattress Bad For Your Back
Yes, yes, and noit all depends on you and the mattress.
About the Author
Dr. Sheryl Grassie
Helpful Resources
At Mattress Advisor, youll find comprehensive, unbiased reviews on the best mattresses and bedding products and thoroughly researched tips for getting your best sleep.
Most answers, when it comes to questions about what the right type of mattress, are going to start with, It depends. The same is true when you ask if sleeping on an air mattress is bad for your back, even if youre sleeping on one of the best air mattresses.
Just like with other preferences in our livesour choice of profession, what we eat, where we live, what we find pleasing when it comes to sleepthe type of mattress, our sleep position, and the temperature is determined by individual preference.
Swap Or Flip The Layers
Latex mattresses often have individual, non-fused layers that can be swapped around.
Similarly, some mattresses specifically come with dual firmness settings so that you can pick and choose.
For example, the Mend Adapt has a flippable comfort layer that allows you to choose between firm and soft as you see fit.
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Will A New Mattress Improve Your Back Pain
A new mattress can go a long way toward easing your existing back painif you choose the right one for the way you sleep.
Keep in mind, though, that a new mattress isnt always an instant fix for back pain. It can take time for your body to adjust, especially if youve been sleeping on your current mattress for years.
It’s also important to note that if your back pain was being caused by something else other than your old mattresslike, say, an injury or a health condition such as arthritisa new mattress may not completely resolve the issue.
Additionally, no one mattress is best for back pain. But whether you prefer innerspring, memory foam, latex, or another type, there are three main things to consider when shopping for a new mattress if you have back pain.
A Quick Guide To Mattress Firmness Levels
When shopping for a new mattress, you’ll generally find four different levels of firmness to choose from:
– Soft: The lowest amount of support, designed for side sleepers and those who experience hip or shoulder pain with firmer mattresses.
– Medium-soft: Provides some degree of pressure point relief, and more support than a soft mattress.
– Medium-firm: More of a balance of comfort and support, good for those who sleep in a variety of positions. – Firm: The highest level of support, but may not be as comfortable for side sleepers.
The other option is to go for a bespoke mattress, which can be tailor-made to suit the level of firmness that you need, as well as the depth, width and length that you require.
Read Also: Do Hot Tubs Help Back Pain
Consider Buying A Mattress Online
A great way to score a deal on a new mattress is to buy online. While it might seem like a strange concept if youre used to going to a brick-and-mortar store, weve found that buying online offers some huge advantages.
Most online mattresses are sold directly by the manufacturer. Eliminating the middle-man and the need for showroom space means lower prices, and the growing competition between retail and online storefronts has only generated more deals for shoppers.
But the benefits go beyond just price. Shopping online is convenient, allowing you to browse options from the comfort of your own home and without any salespeople eagerly pushing a sale to earn a commission. Having the time to research each mattress and compare it to others is a major contrast to the brick-and-mortar experience where youre limited to just whats available in that store.
When buying online you dont have the ability to feel out a mattress before purchasing, but almost every mattress we test offers a sleep trial with no-hassle returns, including a full refund if you try out the mattress and dont like it. This gives you a no-risk opportunity to try out a mattress for weeks or months in your own bedroom as opposed to for just a few minutes in a store. Over the longer-term, virtually all online mattresses come with a warranty of at least 10 years to protect against future problems, which are rare in mattresses sold both online and in-store.
The Best Mattresses For Back Pain 2022
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Back pain can negatively affect sleep quality. Choosing a mattress to suit an individuals sleep preferences may help prevent aches and pain. The best mattress for relieving back pain will adjust to pressure points and support spinal alignment.
Approximately 80% of adults experience back pain. This can impact an individuals ability to walk, sit, work, and sleep. Research suggests that insomnia is common among people with lower back pain.
Choosing a mattress to prevent and relieve back pain can help improve sleep quality and decrease aches and pains. Read on to learn more.
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How Can I Make My Back Stop Hurting In Bed
There are a few things you can do to help treat your back pain in bed.
First, you can consult with a physician.
They may use high-end procedures like X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or EMGs to determine why youre experiencing back pain in bed.
However, not all back pain merits seeing a doctor.
Generally, youll want to make an appointment with your physician only if your back pain.
- Feels especially severe or radiates to other parts of your body.
- It quickly gets worse over time.
- It started with a specific injury.
- Is showing signs of infection like fever or swelling.
- It may be causing weakness, numbness, or tingling in your lower body.
If that doesnt sound like you, though, there are a few things you can do at home to help treat your back pain.
Can A Soft Mattress Cause Back Pain
This article was written by the site owner Dan Cartwright who has been testing and reviewing mattresses and sleep products since 2015.
If your doctor has ruled out any underlying medical reasons for your back pain, then you might be wondering if your back pain is related to your mattress.
As explained in the article Ive linked to below, a firm mattress can cause back pain, but could a mattress thats too soft also be to blame?
A soft mattress can cause back pain if it doesnt provide enough support relative to your body weight and body type because by sinking too far into the mattress materials, your spine and the surrounding muscles are placed under prolonged strain throughout the night.
I know this from personal experience because the first time I slept on a memory foam mattress that was too soft, I ended up with back pain.
I have also tested many mattresses over the years and I often experience the same type of discomfort especially around my lower back when the mattress has been too soft and/or not supportive enough.
In the rest of this article, Ive used my extensive knowledge of mattresses to explain specifically how a soft mattress can cause back pain, how to find out if your mattress is the cause, and how to solve the problem.
Read Also: Can My Bed Cause Lower Back Pain
Are Memory Foam Mattresses Good For Back Pain
Memory foam mattresses are often touted as the best option for back pain, and they certainly can be, thanks to their balance of support and cushioning. However, choosing the right firmness is essential. If you go this route, find a mattress made with high-quality, dense memory foam designed to provide ample support. Keep in mind that many inexpensive memory foam mattresses are too plush to keep the spine properly aligned, which can actually worsen your back and joint pain.
Plus How To Pick The Perfect Replacement According To A Spine Surgeon
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Human beings usually spend around a third of their lifetime sleeping. A good night’s sleep helps restore and recuperate necessary energy, ensuring optimal performance the following day. There’s nothing quite like sinking into bed after a long day. But if you’re literally sinking into your bed, your mattress could be too softand it might be a time for a new mattress, said Richard Guyer, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of the Texas Back Institute.
Your spine has a natural S-curve, said Dr. Guyer, with the lower back curving inward and the upper back curving out: “If you lay down on a very, very soft bed, the curve is not supported, and you lay like you’re in a hammock. I call it the banana position.” While the banana position feels oh-so-good when you’re chillaxing, it’s not the way you want to sleep all night, said Dr. Guyer.
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