In an ideal world, you’ll wake up from a restful night’s sleep feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. However, that is not always the case. Some nights you might toss and turn, which will happen to the best of us, but if you’re constantly waking up with a sore back, or if your perpetually sore back is not receiving comfort while sleeping, you need to begin the look for another mattress. Your mattress plays a major role in recovering from back pain and improving the way you feel. By getting off your feet, it reduces the amount of pressure placed on your back. If this is an issue you’re dealing with, you will need to determine what is the best mattress for back pain. Here is everything you need to know about it.
What is Your Typical Sleep Position?
Everyone has a desired sleeping position. There are back sleepers who can crawl into bed, remain on their back, and sleep the entire night this way. There are others who need to switch from side to side, and there are still those who prefer to sleep on their chest. Whatever group you fall under, everyone has a sleep position they default to.
First, if you have seen a doctor about your pain, and they have told you a specific way to sleep, it is important to follow these instructions. However, if you haven’t, you will want to purchase a mattress that is best for how you sleep.
Back Sleepers
First, if you are a back sleeper, you will want to invest in a medium to a firm mattress. An extremely firm mattress won’t give you back any give, which is necessary as certain contact points will need to be addressed. You will need to determine for yourself whether a medium or a firm mattress is best. This may be determined by body weight and your own personal comfort. With a Sleep Number bed, this can be adjusted to better fit your needs.
Side Sleepers
Most sleepers are side sleepers. Whether you have a default right or left side you sleep on, or you will rotate depending on your side of the bed, it doesn’t matter which side you sleep on. Generally, for a side sleeper, you need a softer mattress. This allows you to sink further into the mattress, helping the natural curve of your spine. If you sleep on a mattress that is too firm, it will cause your hips or shoulders to be higher than necessary, which in turn will impact your quality of sleep and increase the amount of pain you suffer while sleeping.
Stomach Sleepers
If you are a stomach sleeper, you place a great amount of strain both on your lower back and on your neck. This is because your head will be propped up against a pillow, which can stretch your neck in an unnatural way. In fact, it is recommended that if you do sleep on your stomach, you should consider looking for ways to change this. Simply due to posture, unless you sleep without a pillow, the stomach position is not a great option. However, if this is not possible (at least for the time being), you will want to focus on a firmer mattress.
Do You Need a Bed Ideal for Couples?
What should you do if you sleep with a significant other who has different sleeping habits than you? Neither of you should compromise. Instead, you’ll need a mattress that is able to handle both of what you are looking for.
The default option is to go with a medium to a firm mattress. This will provide support for both sleepers, no matter what kind of position you sleep in. There will be some softness while still providing support for your back.
One of the benefits with a Sleep Number bed is it can be adjusted to fit the needs of two sleepers. This way, instead of one person giving up their quality of sleep for the other sleeper, you both can receive the quality of sleep you deserve. You both likely wouldn’t perfectly fit in the same clothing, so why should you attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole when it comes to your mattress?
Make Sure and Talk With Your Doctor
If the amount of pain you experience throughout the day is extreme, you’ll want to consider talking with your doctor. There might be another issue altogether causing your back pain. In these instances, you will want to adjust whatever the doctor says is causing your back pain. While a mattress that provides support is optimal, you’ll need to listen to your doctor about reducing pain and strain on your back during the day. This will go a long way in improving not only your quality of sleep but your back pain as well.
You may also want to consider going to a chiropractor. Sometimes the pain on your back is due to a compressed spine. When going to a chiropractor (just like any other service, make sure to check reviews for service providers in order to identify the best in your area), they can help expand your spine, which helps space it out properly. It also allows for the cartilage to expand back into its natural shape. This may also help relieve the amount of pressure place on nerve endings in your spine. If you are experiencing pain from a pinched nerve, a chiropractic visit has the potential of correcting this.
Help Finding The Perfect Mattress
When it comes to a quality night sleep that reduces your level of comfort and pain, you need to invest in a quality mattress. At Sleep Number Beds, it is possible to identify a mattress specifically designed for your desired level of firmness. So if you’re interested in a new mattress that is designed just for you and that will help answer the question of what is the best mattress for back pain, now is the time to check out Sleep Number Beds.
