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Is Firm Mattress Best For Back Pain

Soft Best For Side Sleepers And Sleepers Under 150 Lbs

Best Firm Mattress For Back Pain 2021 (Which Bed Is Right For You?)

Soft mattresses tend to be better for lighter weighted sleepers under 150 lbs and sleepers with a lower body fat percentage especially in the side sleeping position with back pain because the reduced surface tension allows you to sink more deeply into the mattress materials to off-set the pressure that would normally build up on your body and in your joints on a firmer mattress.

Soft mattresses can be differentiated further into extra-soft, soft, and medium-soft firmnesses as follows:

Extra-Soft Ideal For Side Sleepers Under 130 lbs

Extra-soft mattresses are best suited to the lightest weighted side sleepers under 130 lbs with back pain because the maximal give afforded by the surface of the mattress can help to dissipate your body weight more evenly across the mattress to reduce the pressure in your joints.

Mattresses with memory foam in the upper comfort layer can be especially beneficial for lighter weighted side sleepers and/or sleepers with a lower body fat percentage because the foam can adapt to your unique body shape to soothe the pressure that you would typically feel on a firmer mattress surface.

Soft Best For 130 150 lbs Side Sleepers

Soft mattresses are best suited to lighter weighted side sleepers in the 130 150 lbs range because the softer than average surface tension allows you to sink into the materials more for better pressure relief.

Medium-Soft Suitable for 130 150 lbs Front, Back, and Side Sleepers

What To Consider When Purchasing A Mattress Topper For Back Pain

There is a wide variety of different mattress toppers on the market that claim to do a number of different things. Rather than getting caught up in jargon and marketing claims, we encourage shoppers to look at the specific factors that contribute to whether or not a mattress topper will feel comfortable for them. Below, well share some of the most important things to take into consideration as you select a mattress topper.

What Mattress Firmness Is Best For Back And Neck Pain

Research from 2015 suggests that a medium-firm, self-adjusted mattress is best for back pain. However, firmness is subjective. What feels firm to you might feel soft to someone else. Its best to try out a mattress in a store before buying it, or to choose a mattress that comes with an in-home trial period.

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Sleep Soundly On The Best Mattress For Back Pain

Make your mattress work for you, not against you.

Sleep should rejuvenate your body, not enhance its aches and pains. Sleeping on the wrong mattress can not only make back pain worse, but it can increase your likelihood of developing it later in life.

If you suffer from chronic or occasional back pain, you’ll be delighted to learn that switching to the right mattress can help alleviate your discomfort and give you a better night’s sleep. Read this guide to learn how to choose the best mattress for back pain

Firm Vs Soft Mattresses Pros And Cons

Best Mattress for Back Pain

A good mattress is the foundation of a good nights sleep, so choosing which one is right for you really is a big decision. You spend a third of your life on it, and unsatisfactory sleep affects the rest of your life, too. Getting good quality, restful sleep is essential to general health and wellbeing.

The variety of mattress options on the market is enormous, making the final decision trickier than ever. And one of the biggest decisions in terms of mattress buying is the choice between purchasing a firm vs soft mattress. There are pros and cons for either, and really the choice is extremely personal. Here are some tips to help with your decision.

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Another Organic Option Thats Ideal For Back Sleepers

Avocado

Cyber Monday mattress sale: Enter the promo code SAVEBIG to score $125 off Avocados hybrid and latex mattresses or code BFBLISS to save $3o0 on the brands Organic Luxury Plush Mattress. You can also get $200 off wood bed frames.

  • Materials: GOLS-organic latex, pocketed support coils
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
  • Trial period: One year

Many of todays mattresses are made from memory foam, which typically contains synthetic chemicals. If youre looking for something a bit more eco-friendly, consider the Avocado Green Mattress. Its constructed of organic ingredients, including a layer of organic latex sitting on top of more than 1,000 pocketed support coils. The mattress has a gentle-yet-firm feel and five distinct ergonomic zones that adapt to your pressure points and provide relief where you need it. The thoughtful construction also helps reduce motion transfer and distributes weight more evenly so the mattress can contour to your bodys natural shape. Its best for back and stomach sleepers.

Sometimes A New Mattress Is All It Takes

An interesting finding from a few of the studies was that sometimes a subjects back pain was reduced by a new mattress, no matter what type of new mattress it was.

The recommendation is that any mattress older than 7 years should be considered near the end of its life.

Of course this does depend on the quality of the mattress in the first place and the amount of stress it is placed under, for want of a better phrase.

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How The Right Mattress Can Reduce Your Lower Back Pain

Your mattress can have a major effect on your daily life, for good or bad. A quality mattress can significantly reduce back pain and prevent spinal damage. According to Spine-Health, Sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause or worsen lower back pain a mattress that provides both comfort and back support helps reduce low back pain, allowing the structures in the spine to really rest and rejuvenate.

Best Mattress For Heavy People

Best Firm Mattress For Back Pain (Our Top 6 Picks!)

Nectar Lush Mattress model redefines sleep with dual activity air conditioning, remarkable support and also lofty feel.

Lush mattress model is 12in of premium layers engineered for your ideal remainder, manage your temperature level and also assist you rest much better and also deeper.

The Nectar Lush has a 12-inch profile with three foam layers, including a comfort layer of gel-infused memory foam.

The mattress supplies deep contouring for stress relief.

It isolates motion extremely well as well as assists stop sleep disturbances for those who share the bed.

It additionally manages temperature level much better than the average memory foam mattress.

Mattress Kind: Memory Foam

Customer Ranking: 4.8 out of 5

Firmness: Medium-firm Best Medium Firm Mattress For Back Pain

Test Period for Returns: 365 nights

To get:

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Best Adjustable Bed For Back Pain

If you and your partner can’t agree on a mattress firmness, the Sleep Number 360 i8 Smart Bed allows you to customize each side to your perfect firmness, and the bed automatically makes adjustments based on your body’s position.

  • Best for: All sleeping styles
  • Available sizes: Twin long, full, queen, king, split king, flextop king, California king, split California king, flextop California king
  • Mattress type: Adjustable air
  • Firmness : 20 firmness levels
  • Motion isolation : 3
  • Heat dissipation : 3
  • Edge support : 6
  • Trial period/warranty: 100 nights 15 years
  • Weight/thickness: 80 pounds 12 inches
  • Shipping and returns: Free shipping but return shipping fees apply
  • White-glove delivery and mattress removal: Free with purchase of mattress and base
  • Showroom availability: Yes, nationwide

Pros: Above average edge support, built-in sleep tracker, 20 firmness options for each side of the bed, adjusts based on sleeping position, white-glove delivery included

Cons: Sleeps hot, poor motion isolation, tough to move

What do you do when you and your partner have different comfort preferences? Adjustable air beds offer custom firmness on each side. The best we’ve tested for back pain is the Sleep Number 360 i8 Smart Bed.

Lastly, I was initially unimpressed with the sleep tracker, which Sleep Number hypes as the main selling point of this expensive mattress. However, the accuracy and quality of the SleepIQ app have improved dramatically over the last six months.

Try Using A Mattress Topper

Your mattress is a bit old, but you’re not ready to spend too much on a new mattress. Or maybe you are using rental property for a limited period of time, so you don’t want to deal with lots of stuff to move. Well, a mattress topper may be the best solution for you. It can revamp your old mattress, giving it an extra super layer that improves back support. That’s pretty awesome, right?

Mattress toppers are particularly useful for those people who are experiencing pressure buildup on their existing mattresses. They provide extra cushioning and contouring, further spreading the sleeper’s weight to take some pressure off the main areas, say, the hips and shoulders.

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How Does Mattress Design Affect Back Pain

Mattress design can affect back pain both positively and negatively depending on how the mattress materials interact with your body type, body weight, and dominant sleeping position.

Below is a breakdown of how the materials, support, and layer design can affect your back pain and your potential comfort levels:

Memory Foam And Latex

The 8 Best Mattresses for Back Pain of 2021

The most commonly recommended beds for back pain are memory foam and latex. Memory foam mattresses and their natural alternative, latex mattresses, both offer strong support and contouring. They hug the body and cradle all your natural curves, supporting pressure points like shoulders and hips while relieving pressure for reduced pain. Memory foam and latex also help keep your spine aligned while sleeping, which further reduces stress on the back and lowers pain in all areas.

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Do Firm Mattresses Get Softer

If your mattress is firmer than you expected, it may soften up over time. Some mattress materials, such as memory foam, respond to pressure and body heat so they can soften up a little. However, innerspring beds are made of spring coils and have very little foam, so they will not become softer with use.

Best For Back Sleepers With Neck And Back Pain Zoma

If youre suffering from back pain, sleeping on your back can bring about its own problems.

A lot of back sleepers do best with a medium-firm mattress. This its because if the mattress is too tough then it will use pressure on your spine and not support the natural curvature of your lower back.

If you choose a mattress that is too soft then it can cause you to sink into the mattress at the hip area and place extra pressure on your lower back.

If youre currently suffering from back pain and you sleep on your back then you may likewise find additional convenience by positioning a pillow under your knees to take off any additional pressure that is being applied to your lower back area.You would likewise likely benefit from a flatter pillow as to not create unneeded lift in your head and neck, which, in turn, can put more pressure on your spine.

The Zoma mattress is specifically developed for professional athletes and busy people who put additional demands on their bodies.

The layers in the Zoma mattress aid you to sleep deeply, provide remarkable support, and helped recovery from muscular pains and discomforts.

These mattresses supply fantastic support with targeted firmness to give extra abutment in the areas where you need it most.

The top layer of the mattress is 2 inches of remarkable comfort and is a softer layer to give direct pressure relief on the hurting locations that reach the mattress.

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Problems Related To Pressure Points

When you sleep on a firm mattress, it creates pressure points in body parts like the pelvic area and shoulders. This causes discomfort for all, especially for the ones who are used to sleeping on their sides. Such pressure points on someone who suffers from a bad back will cause double the discomfort, hence making it difficult to take rest and sleep.

Another problem with the pressure points is that they may create numbness and this may result in you tossing throughout the night. You may suffer from the same every day and struggle to find a comfortable position. Finding a comfortable position on a firm mattress will be difficult.

Ideal Mattress For Athletes

Best Firm Mattress 2020 – Will More Support Ease Back Pain?

The Bear Hybrid mattress is made by Bear, a USA-based mattress and also bedding brand name thats focused on advertising and marketing to professional athletes and also physically active individuals.

The Bear Hybrid incorporates the support of steel coils with the pressure alleviation of premium foam on the top.

This mattress model is an awesome value in general.

This thicker-than-average mattress can benefit any type of sleeper kind, has impressive edge support, features green certifications as well as has awesome attributes for muscle mass as well as all-over body recuperation..

Mattress Type: Hybrid

Customer Score: 4.8 out of 5

Firmness: Medium-firm

Test Duration for Returns: 100 nights

To acquire: Best Medium Firm Mattress For Back Pain

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Does My Pillow Matter

While a better mattress certainly can help with back pain and proper spinal alignment, it isnt the only factor. When paired with the proper pillow, the duo could help reduce back pain and contribute to a healthier sleep experience by properly elevating the neck and shoulders for better support.

Read More:Our Best Pillows Guide

Can A Firm Mattress Cause Back Pain

You may have heard that a firm mattress is better for back pain, whilst other sources may say that a firm mattress can actually cause back pain.

However, the real answer depends on the characteristics of the individual:

A firm mattress can cause back pain in lighter individuals under 150 lbs due to increased pressure points, greater compression forces, and poor posture whilst heavier weighted front and back sleepers over 230 lbs may experience reduced back pain due to better posture.

The rest of this article explains in detail how a firm mattress can specifically cause back pain, whilst also revealing which mattress firmness is likely to help alleviate or prevent back pain relative to your physical characteristics and dominant sleeping position.

Ive also listed the 4 signs that indicate that your mattress could be the cause of your back pain along with 5 ways that you can make your firm mattress softer to help you potentially alleviate discomfort.

Alternatively: if youd like to buy a new mattress to help lessen or prevent back pain then have a look at my list of the best mattresses and beds for back pain .

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Which Type Of Mattress Is Best For Back Pain

A key step in choosing a mattress is deciding which mattress type is most likely to work for you. Virtually all mattresses on the market today can be broken into five types based on their construction and materials.

Within each category, you can find consistent features however, there can be notable variation from one brand or model to the next. Some types allow for a greater diversity of designs, which leads to a wider variation in the expected feel and performance of any specific mattress.

Sleep Trials And Back Pain

The Best Mattresses for Back Pain to Help You Sleep Easy

Most of the mattresses on our list offer extended sleep trials to help you get used to the mattress. When youre searching for the best mattress for back pain in Canada, you should choose one with a longer sleep trial. Thats because it sometimes takes up to 30 days for your body to get used to a new mattress. A longer sleep trial gives you even more time to see if the mattress works for you.

Plus, sleep trials are risk-free, and most offer a full refund if you return the mattress after use. Just be careful with the terms of these sleep trials, as there may be fine-print exclusions. Its better to be safe than stuck with a mattress you cant sleep on.

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There Is No Perfect Bed

There is no best mattress. It probably varies enormously as to what you are used to, said Dr. Steven H. Feinsilver, director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Humans spend about one-third of their lives sleeping, but we still havent figured out what an ideal mattress should feel like. Thats because there likely isnt a single type that would be perfect for everyone.

In the past, doctors have recommended hard mattresses, but more recent surveys and studies have increasingly pointed toward medium firm mattresses as the best for sleep comfort, quality, and spinal alignment.

One report from 2011 found that when individuals were given seven beds of different firmness to try for a month, there was no consensus about which was the best.

Unfortunately, terms like hard and medium firm tend to come with varying degrees of subjectivity, meaning one companys medium firm mattress may feel nothing like another companys.

Its fairly remarkable that there is not any consistency in the literature where people have looked at it and said this is the kind of bed you need, said Feinsilver.

Products like the Sleep Number Bed, which allow for complete control and variability of bed firmness highlight just how subjective the ideal sleeping surface should feel. In some models, two people can sleep on the same bed with each half tuned to each individuals own specifications.

Not as much as youd think.

Keeping Your Spine Aligned

If you or your spouse suffers from back pain, the most important factor for choosing a mattress must be spinal alignment, which doesnt necessarily mean firmness. The mattress you choose must keep your spine in alignment, but also be comfortable enough to promote good sleep. Your spine has a slight S-shape that requires firm support to prevent twisting. For back sleepers, your mattress must properly support your back or lower back pain can appear or worsen. Side sleepers often contort their spines due to the lack of support around the lumbar area. Be sure any mattress you choose supports your spine, regardless of whether you have back problems.

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