Invest In The Right Mattress To Help Your Back Pain
Weve been handcrafting all-natural fabric mattresses since 1929. Our #1 priority is to build every customer we are privileged to serve with a mattress that fits their specific needs. No two bodies are alike, which is why we believe handmade, best-in-value mattresses are the best choice for back pain! We stand behind that claim with our 60-day comfort guarantee!
Check out our Mattress Match to find your perfect mattress.
Best Mattress Topper For Back Pain: Casper Mattress Topper
If you want to add a layer of softness and support but arent ready to replace your entire mattress, a good quality mattress topper could be the way to go.
With three layers of support and breathable foam, the Casper Mattress Topper will transform your bed with a buoyant layer of oh-so-good plushness.
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How Can Sleep Help Chronic Pain
Now that weve gone over my picks, I want to take a second to talk about the purpose of this guide. While it may seem like the focus is on finding a mattress thatll make falling asleep with pain easier, its actually about finding the bed thats going to help you use sleep to actively deal with said pain.
Sleep is very important for restoring balance to the nervous system and improving coping strategies for pain, Dr. Poorbaugh told me during our chat . Normally, our central nervous system is downplaying or ignoring stimuli from multiple sources simply because the information is not important. A person with chronic pain, however, loses this important dampening ability, so many activities that were once well-tolerated now become pain-provoking.
Dr. Poorbaugh went on to cite a recent study, which showed that poor sleep patterns were directly related to higher rates of pain, poor mood, increased pain catastrophizing, and overall reduced physical function.
So what can be done? In order to get the kind of sleep you need to help deal with your chronic pain, consider the following when choosing the right mattress to deal with pain.
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Can Memory Foam Cause Back Pain
A memory foam mattress can cause back pain if you dont find the firmness level best suited for you. The ideally firm mattress for your sleep position keeps your spine in neutral alignment while relieving your pressure points.
Side sleepers will be most comfortable on a medium, medium-soft, or soft mattress. Stomach and back sleepers will sleep comfortably on a medium-firm or firm mattress.
Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress
The Helix Midnight Luxe’s zoned support provides pressure relief that helps prevent not only back pain, but hip and shoulder pain as well.
Helix does an incredible job of being inclusive with their products. They have a variety of customized options so shoppers can find whats just right. So its no surprise they have a model that fits the bill for back pain. We recommend the firmer options for individuals with back pain, but if you prefer a more cradling feeling, one of the medium-firm options may work well for you.
As mentioned above, the Helix Midnight works particularly well for side sleepers, as its pressure relieving construction keeps hips and shoulders free of pain. It also does a great job of keeping your spine aligned, which factors into back pain relief. If
Helix offers a 10-year warranty and 100-night sleep trial with every mattress purchase.
Read our full Helix Midnight Mattress Review to learn more!
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Best Cooling Mattress For Back Pain: The Winkbed
Wink
For those worried about waking up not just achy, but also overheated, consider a bed specially designed to cool. The WinkBed is our top pick for people with back pain who are also hot sleepers. It provides it all-pressure point relief, cushioning, spinal alignment and cooling properties. A layer of individually wrapped pocket coils increases airflow through the bottom of the mattress while the gel-infused foam retains less heat than typical memory foam. Finally, the Tencel cover dissipates heat while you sleep.
While this mattress checks boxes for back pain and hot sleepers, it might not work for couples who shift a lot throughout the night. Motion isolation helps keep your tossing and turning to your side of the bed, and the WinkBed did not impress in this test when movement easily transferred from one side of the bed to the other.
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.
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Three Separate Zones Offer Ultimate Comfort
- Materials: Memory foam, foam and springs
- Firmness level: Medium-firm
- Trial period: 100 nights
The Casper mattress has three zones of targeted support to help align your spineand hopefully ease your back pain in the process. Softer foam around your shoulders cushions your upper body, while firmer foam under your hips, waist and lower back keep your spine in the right position. The durable foam base underneath allows for added firmness and support, so the mattress doesnt sink or sag under your weight. Its available in all-foam or hybrid options, with the former being the firmer pick, the latter having a medium-firm feel. When asked, a Casper Snooze Specialist recommended the hybrid for back pain due to its combination of support and give. That said, it also comes in an all-foam version for those who prefer it.
Memorial Day sale: Casper is taking up to $800 off its mattresses, including this particular model, in honor of Memorial Day.
How To Pick A Mattress If You Have Back Pain
In the past, if you had back pain, many doctors and well-meaning friends probably directed you toward a firm mattress. As it turns out, that advice was wrong. What you really need, according to the most recent research, is a mattress that feels medium-firm to you.
The key word here is you. Firmness levels are highly subjective. Owner reviews reveal that the same mattress can feel too soft for some people and too hard for others. Apart from personal preference, such discrepancies exist because a persons weight and shape can influence the feel of a mattress. On a soft mattress, for example, my 128-pound body might feel like its floating. But for my 230-pound brother, that same mattress could feel overly firm, given that he would drop immediately to its bottom support layer.
Heres the rule: When back-pain sufferers lie on a mattress they determine to be medium-firm, that mattress is the best backache-relieving mattress for themregardless of how the company labels it or whether the mattress has support zones, reinforced layers, or any other bells and whistles that cater to a spine-focused buyer.
When back-pain sufferers lie on a mattress they determine to be medium-firm, that mattress is the best backache-relieving mattress for them.
More mattress coverage
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We like these six medium-firm mattresses best for stomach-sleepers because theyll support and cushion your midsection while still aligning your spine.
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What Makes The Winkbed Stand Out
- The WinkBed is one of the more durable mattresses on this list. People who struggle with back pain dont want a mattress that will sag too quickly.
- The mattress is zoned and provides extra lumbar support.
- Weve named the WinkBed one of the best innerspring mattresses.
Read our full WinkBed mattress review.
Why We Get Back Problems
About 80% of sleepers are likely to come across some type of lower back pain throughout their lifetime. Of course, it goes without saying that not everyone is actually affected in the same way by these issues.
However, this doesnt mean that you should stay uninformed about them. Some have the potential to get worse over time.
There are two types of back pain that are commonly observed: Acute pain that lasts for less than about six weeks and chronic pain which is less frequent but longer lasting. This is according to the reputable Mayo Clinic. The breakdown is followed by serious research and studies carried over periods of time and a lot of back pain sufferers.
With this in mind, there are also different causes for back pain . Here are a few common ones and some tips on how to prevent them.
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Your Spine While You Sleep
One of the main functions of the spinal cord is to maintain balance so we can walk upright and our motor controls can function properly. If youve ever heard someone say its a miracle that humans can walk upright, its not so far from the truth. However, it takes a lot of subconscious effort, and the spinal curve is essential for it all to work.
What Are The Layers In The Summerhill
The Summerhill is the best-selling mattress at Dozy. This mattress features 2 layers of foam, the top layer is 2-inch of gel-infused memory foam and the lower layer is 2-inch of high-density foam. This mattress also features an 1100 pocket coil base with a reinforced center that protects the mattress from softening under the weight of the heaviest parts of your body.
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A Flippable Mattress That Offers Two Levels Of Firmness
- Materials: Memory foam, support foam
- Firmness level: Soft on one side, medium-firm on the other
- Trial period: 120 nights
Laylas mattress has a four layer construction, including a 4.5-inch layer of support foam thats specifically aimed at keeping your back aligned. This layer also combats the sinking feeling that you get with other memory foam mattresses, so you dont feel like youre dropping too far into the mattress when you sleep. The mattress is flippable, with both a soft and firm side . That said, back pain sufferers will likely feel the most comfortable on the firm side.
Memorial Day sale: Get up to $200 off when you buy a Layla mattress this weekend. If you bundle your purchase, youll save even more.
What Firmness Should You Look For In A Mattress If You Have Back Pain
The ideal firmness for those with back pain will depend on both weight and sleeping position. Individuals under 130 pounds generally prefer softer sleep surfaces ranging from soft to medium firmness, depending on sleep position. Meanwhile sleepers between 130 and 230 pounds should generally look for a medium-soft to medium-firm mattress, and those above 230 pounds fare better with beds in the medium-firm to firm range.
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Best Mattress For Back Painin 2022
Lets be honest: Back pain can be, well, a pain. If you suffer from an achy back, youll want the best mattress for back pain to give you a better nights sleep.
Sleep ought to be relaxing, not painful. Unfortunately, back pain can get in the way of valuable snoozing. Plus, waking up with discomfort can put your whole day out of whack. Whether youre recovering from an injury or managing chronic back pain, an old mattress that sinks could be making the problem even worse.
Thankfully, advanced materials with the proper support may provide some relief. In this article, well explain which mattress features best support back pain. Then, well introduce our best mattresses for back pain in 2022 and beyond.
At Casper, we thoughtfully engineer our mattresses for maximum support, less aching, and better tomorrows.
Best Mattress For Side Sleepers With Back Pain: Ghostbed Flex
Ghostbed
Side sleepers often wake with back pain because their sleeping position puts extra pressure on the hips, lower back, shoulders and neck. For side sleepers looking to neutralize tension on these pressure points, we recommend the GhostBed Flex. The mattresss two layers of gel memory foam contour to the shape of your body, providing both support and pressure relief.
Its important to note that this mattress isnt all memory foam. Its pocket coils add resistance and motion isolation for couples, as well as cooling properties for those who sleep hot.
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Can A Mattress Cause Back Pain
A mattress can definitely be a cause of back pain because it plays such an important role in how the body is positioned through the night. Most people know that posture is important but only think about their posture in the context of standing and sitting. This can cause them to overlook the importance of having a mattress that is the proper fit for them based on their body shape, weight, and sleeping position.
If the spine and joints arent aligned and well-cushioned during sleep, they wont be able to relax. Instead of recovering, the body will be strained, exacerbating pre-existing back issues and sowing the seeds for new ones. The easiest way to know whether a mattress is a contributing factor to back pain is if the pain tends to be the most pronounced in the morning when you wake up. If the pain is the worst when you get out of bed and subsides during the day, theres a good chance that your mattress is playing a part in your aches and pains.
How Sleeping Positions Affect Back Pain
Your sleeping position determines your spines neutral position. Maintaining your spines alignment as you sleep ensures you wake up pain-free in the morning.
If you arent sure of your sleeping position, think of the position you went to bed in. Then take note of the position you woke up in. If its the same position, youre either a side, back or stomach sleeper. But if you wake up in a different position the next morning, then you are a combination sleeper.
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Final Word From Sleepopolis
At the end of the day, a new mattress isnt going to solve your back pain woes any more than a strict diet will. More than anything, its about a lifestyle shift in which you combine these different factors to create a plan specific to your needs.
Maybe your ideal routine will involve a healthy amount of fatty fish, long morning walks, and a bed featuring Zoned Support at the hips. For another sleeper, it may entail vigorous spin classes, more greens, and a plush memory foam mattress for pressure relief at the upper back.
As always, any major life decisions should be made in consultation with a medical professional. The information provided in this guide is just that: Information. Were not doctors, nor do we claim to be, so I highly encourage those with chronic pain to seek professional advice for any and all serious health issues.
What To Look Forward To
The 13½-inch-thick WinkBed in Luxury Firm, a pick in our guide to the best innerspring mattresses, was recently redesigned: The company replaced the microcoils in the top layer with polyfoam and added more support coils to the lower layer. We previously recommended this medium-firm innerspring as a good option for back-pain sufferers who prefer a billowy surface. Were planning to test the redesigned WinkBed soon, and we will update this guide with our assessment of how it may now work for back-pain sufferers.
Kelli Pate contributed to this guide.
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Does The Mattress Come With A Sleep Trial
Most mattress manufacturers offer a sleep trial, allowing customers to test out their new mattress for a certain length of time if the customer is dissatisfied with the mattress before the trial period expires, then they may return it for a refund or, in some cases, exchange it for a new model.
Because experiences vary, and the quality of your sleep plays an important role in your ability to cope with back pain, we strongly recommend purchasing mattresses with generous sleep trials. All of the mattresses we recommend for sleepers with back pain offer sleep trials of 100 nights or more, but the Nectar mattress and the DreamCloud mattress both stand out for their 365-night sleep trials.
Some sleep trials include mandatory break-in periods, which require the purchaser to test out their mattress for at least 30 nights before returning it. Both our Luxury pick, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora, and our Average Weight pick, the Bear Mattress, have this requirement. However, sleep trials can save customers a substantial amount of money in the long run if they decide they are unhappy with their new purchase.
Best Budget Mattress For Back And Neck Pain
Beautyrest Silver BRS900 Extra Firm
- Price: $
research from 2015 , medium-firm mattresses tend to provide the ideal combination of sleep comfort, quality, and spinal alignment.
Still, the feel of a mattress can be subjective, depending on personal preference, body frame, and weight and even the type of pain you experience.
If a medium-firm mattress doesnt hit the spot, you may consider this extra-firm hybrid from Beautyrest. If youre worried extra firm is just another way of saying like sleeping on bare floor, it may help to know that several reviewers call this mattress very comfortable, though a few people say they needed a few days to adjust.
Overall, reviewers praise this mattress, saying they slept better and woke up free of pain.
Hybrid mattresses combine foam and coils for stronger support than foam alone. This option has a cooling layer designed to help you sleep more comfortably and individually wrapped coils made to reduce motion transfer. Reviewers also praise the edge support and say it works well for couples.
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