How to Pick the Right Mattress and Avoid Back Pain

A huge number of people suffer from back pain as a result of the quality of their sleeping surface.

Back pain can reduce the quality of your sleep or cause you to stay awake throughout the night. And, although there are several other factors that can cause chronic back pain, the mattress is sometimes the number one culprit. This is especially true for those who have not made any changes to their daily schedules. 

However, merely changing to a new mattress can help fix the problem of a potential back pain. Here’s how to pick the right mattress and avoid back pain.

Photo by Ty Carlson on Unsplash

The Ideal Bed

Mattresses are made from a wide range of materials with unique properties that provide comfort for its users. There are also several mattress models that offer different levels of firmness, ranging from the soft to firmer options. 

While most people believe that firmer mattress models are good for individuals suffering from chronic back pain, a recent survey has shown that the combination of both firmness levels(soft and hard) led to fewer nights of discomfort for sleepers with different body types. 

Medium-firm mattresses offer the right level of comfort and pressure relief for sleepers while they experience a gentle cradling effect.

The firmness rating for soft, medium-firm or hard mattresses varies across brands; hence, a medium-firm model from one company may feel completely different from a similar model from another company. 

Be careful not to leap for mattress surfaces that are too soft, as they have a degree of sinkage, which may cause spinal misalignment. Those that are too hard may also be uncomfortable for most people.

Body Weight and Sleeping Position when Picking a Mattress

Your preferred sleeping position and body weight, among other factors, will determine the kind of mattress that is suitable for you. The ideal bed should be a model that helps maintain your natural spine alignment. This prevents the development of pressure points in your body, to ensure that you enjoy quality sleep at all times.

Back Pain and the Quality of your Sleep

Sleeping on the wrong mattress may exacerbate the problem for those with pre-existing conditions such as scoliosis or back pain. Doctors tend to recommend hard mattresses, but they may not be the ideal choice for everyone. 

So, after numerous researches carried out over the years, it has been discovered that the medium-firm option is more effective at alleviating backache. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t check with a medical practitioner for the right prescription for your pain.

However, mattresses with medium-level firmness provide adequate cushioning for specific points in the body where pressure is likely to develop while sleeping on the surface. This ensures that you do not wake up with spine stiffness, shoulder pain, or lower back pain.

People suffering from any kind of pain tend to experience poor sleep quality and as they have little or no control over the duration of their sleep. The right mattress will help you to manage your condition and prevent the development of new aches while ensuring that you enjoy a decent night’s sleep throughout the night.

Making the Right Choice

When looking to get a new mattress, it is advisable to invest in a model that best satisfies your sleeping needs. Most people have several unanswered questions about the perfect mattress and how firm it should be. Well, here are a few factors that will help you to make the right mattress choice to avoid back pain:

Trial Period and Warranty

The elements that make up your mattress determines the level of comfort that it can provide. Among the available options are the latex, memory foam, and innerspring models. There are, however, several brands that combine two or more of these options for individuals that are unable to find satisfaction from the single material models. You can take advantage of the trial period to sample most online models at home for a couple of weeks until you find the model that works best for you.

Temperature Regulation

People tend to fall asleep faster in a cooler environment. A mattress with a breathable cover or those infused with materials that have high cooling properties tends to improve your sleeping experience. Sweating on hot nights will make it difficult for you to sleep as you tend to toss and turn, thereby aggravating the pain.

Your Sleeping Position

Side sleepers will require softer mattresses that relieve pressure in their knees, hips, and shoulders. Stomach and back sleepers would need a firmer option that is capable of providing the needed support to prevent dipping of the hips that can cause spinal distortions. You may consider using a pillow to improve the quality of your sleep.

Conclusion

Changing your mattress will go a long way in reducing back pain and improving the quality of your sleep. However, you may consider improving your posture as staying in awkward positions for long can result in aches or pain.

You would need to consider the above factors as well as your budget in order to make a well-informed decision on the right mattress that will help keep your back comfortable.