Making sure you have a bed that’s perfect for your needs is more than just a childish whim. Most of the time, it dictates just how much sleep you’re getting, as well as the quality of that sleep. This is particularly true if you’re feeling some aches and pains in your body. When pain is an issue, you need a mattress that can help alleviate this pain and give your body the proper support.
If you have chronic back pain for instance, you would see the simple act of lying down as a painful chore that needs to be avoided like the plague. But you need sleep, so what is one to do?
Suffering from Back Pain
Back pain affects more people than you think. This can be caused by a number of things, from prolonged sitting and lifting heavy objects to getting an injury while playing sports and twisting a muscle somewhere. Sometimes, it’s a matter of wear and tear and simply getting older.
What many people don’t realize is that sleeping on a faulty mattress can not only worsen the pain in your back, it can sometimes even cause it. If you suddenly find yourself complaining about back pain that seems to have appeared out of nowhere, check your sleeping position as well as the quality of your mattress. The answer may lie there.
Why Your Mattress is Important
Whether you sleep on your back, on your side, or on your stomach, your mattress is important because when you’re lying down, your mattress is the one that gives your spine the support that it’s looking for. You’re no longer upright and your spine is in an awkward position, so if your mattress doesn’t provide the right kind of support, your spine will definitely get strained.
Your choice of mattress is critical not only because it can make or break your back, but because if you really think about it, this is where you’re spending practically one third of your day. That’s a whole lot of time, so it’s really in your best interests to make sure that your mattress is the right one for you.
Aside from back support, a good mattress also ensures that you get enough comfort when you sleep. Sleeping is supposed to be a restful exercise that restores your body to its fullest capacity. When you wake up the following day, you’re supposed to feel refreshed and ready to take on whatever life holds. You can’t do this if you have a bad mattress, because it’s more likely that you’ll wake up cranky, with aches and pains all over, and not at all in the right mood to begin the day.
Finding the Best Mattress for Back Pain
The importance of having a great mattress is intensified if you’re suffering from back pain, so you should really take the time to choose. It may be overwhelming to look at all the options available, but being hasty will only make matters worse. The right choice will be worth it, and your back will definitely thank you for your efforts. Here are some general tips that you may follow:
Find the balance between comfort and support
Sufficient back support is something that you should be aiming for, but comfort is also important. This means that your mattress can’t be too soft as that will give your back zero support, but it can’t be too firm either. Achieving the perfect balance with a medium-firm mattress is more ideal.
Maximize the material
Mattresses are made of different materials, and there are those that have actually been designed specifically for those who suffer from back pain. Memory foam mattresses for instance will help keep your spine in alignment, and this prevents back pain as well as discomfort. That said, there are mattresses today that combine the traditional support and comfort of coil springs with great foam material, so you don’t have to be constrained to memory foam.
What’s important is before you buy your mattress, you must really take the time to review what it’s made of and whether it will give you the lumbar support that you deserve.
Pay attention to the size and height
It’s not just the firmness and the material you should be looking at, but also the size and the height of the bed. Your mattress should be wide enough to allow you to sleep comfortably, especially if you have back pain and you need to keep finding the optimal sleeping position throughout the night.
It’s also important that you consider your bed’s height, and how easy (or hard) it is to get in and out of bed. This is something that’s easy to take for granted but for those with back pain, having a bed that’s too low or too difficult to get into will only worsen it.