Among tons of styles and types, there is no single best mattress suited for all people. Then how can you tell if your mattress is the best one? Well, it’s simple! If you can sleep without any pain or stiffness, then it’s the best one for you. can a bad mattress cause back pain.
Therefore, if you are having back pain, you might need to change your mattress. If you are wondering- can a bad mattress cause back pain, yes it can. How? Keep reading to find out!
Mattress plays an essential role in enhancing your sleep quality and consequently, controlling your mood the next morning. If you do not get a comfortable, restful sleep at night, it can impact your physical and mental health. On top of that, sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause back pain or worsen it if you already have it.
How to Tell If Your Mattress is Causing Back Pain
Suppose, you wake up one morning with sudden back pain. What could have caused it? If you have not changed anything in your daily routine, and the pain just started after an uncomfortable bedtime, then you know the answer! It might be your mattress that is causing you back pain.
If your mattress fails to provide you with good back support during sleep, it may cause a bad position of sleep, worse spinal problems, and even the worst strains on muscles. As a result, a bad mattress can contribute to neck pain, knee pain, back pain, and low back pain.
Look out for these warning signs of a bad mattress:
- Mattress feels too soft or the opposite
The way a too-hard mattress can push on your pressure points can also hurt your spine. Experts suggest going for mattresses that are semi-firm.
- Turning sides too frequently
If you are turning sides too frequently during bedtime, feeling uncomfortable no matter what position you are sleeping in, then you really need to change your mattress. A bad mattress causes you a restless night and as a result, deteriorates your health.
- Sinking in the mattress
If you are sinking into your mattress every time you lie on it, it is not keeping your spine in a neutral position. This way, it can cause you lower back pain.
- Waking up with pain
This is the biggest warning sign of all! If you start feeling back pain right after waking up, the mattress and your sleep position are to be blamed.
- Saggy, uneven, or aged mattress
A mattress’s sole purpose is to offer you optimum firmness and back support. If your mattress is older than 7-8 years and has become saggy and lumpy, it will most likely not serve you the purpose. A mattress is likely to wear out over time while our body weight, bone density, and sleeping habits may change too. Therefore, if you want to avoid chronic back pain, you must get a new mattress and throw away the aged, saggy one.
How to Replace a Bad Mattress with a Good One?
If you own a bad mattress, now you will be able to identify it easily. As you already know how a bad mattress can cause back pain, you must replace your bad mattress with a good one to ensure healthy bedtime. Mattresses can vary based on their types, sizes, materials, firmness, styles, etc. Additionally, everyone has different sleep preferences.
If you want to get a good mattress and avoid morning back pain or ease your existing lower back pain, here are a few suggestions for you!
- Firmness: Medium-firm
Get a mattress that is not too firm or too soft. If you get a mattress that is too firm, it can cause misalignment by pushing on your pressure points. An overly soft mattress may allow your body to sink, causing a bad posture. According to experts, a firm mattress usually provides more pain relief if it is medium or semi-firm.
- Type: Orthopaedic mattress
An orthopedic mattress is popular for reducing back pain. It evenly spreads your body weight to prevent joint pressure of your pressure points, particularly in your neck, back, knee and hips. Therefore, it ensures spinal alignment to help alleviate stress on the spine and reduce back pain. For pain sufferers, the orthopedic mattress is the ideal option.
- Material: Memory foam
If you are a health concern and want to avoid any kind of body pain due to a bad mattress, then you may go for the mattresses that are crafted with memory foam materials.
When you lie on a memory foam mattress, the heat from your body softens the mattresses at inappropriate points. So, it helps to support your body along the curves and natural lines of the body. Memory foam mattresses help relieve pain and ensure restful sleep.
- Construction: Coils and Padding
The construction of a mattress indicates its performance, longevity, and quality. The coils or inner springs provide support whereas the padding provides comfort. Mattresses can vary in their number and the arrangement of coils, the thickness of padding, etc.
The total number of springs in the mattress is referred to as the coil count and the coil gauge as the thickness of the wire. Mattress coils range usually between 13-gauge to 17-gauge. For example, 13-gauge indicates a thicker coil whereas 17-gauge a thinner coil.
If you are a heavy person, look for mattresses that have adequate coil gauges to provide you with robust support.
For padding, comfort layers should be 2-3 inches thick to provide sufficient cushion and support. Some mattresses have more than one layer to provide enhanced plushness.
- Exclusive Features
Some mattresses feature special sleep technologies such as a cooling system or targeted back support. You may choose the mattress based on your preference and requirements.
Conclusion
Sleep comfort plays a significant role in getting a sound, restful, comfortable sleep at night. The right mattress can offer you comfort while a bad mattress can cause back pain. If you are looking for pain relief, or want to avoid back pain altogether, choose the right mattress and know when to get a new one!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few answers to the questions you might be looking for!
- What kind of mattress is best for back pain?
Answer: Memory foam and latex mattresses are considered to be the best type for preventing or reducing back pain. Because they conform to your body cradling pressure points while giving your spine support and keeping it aligned.
- How do you know if your mattress is too hard?
Answer: If your mattress does not contour to your body, feels uncomfortable while you lie down, and you wake up with neck pain or body pain- then the mattress might be too hard in firmness to suit your body.
- How long does it take for your body to adjust to a new mattress?
Answer: It usually takes around one to three months to get fully comfortable or adjusted to a new mattress. It might take some time for you to forget about the old one and get familiar with the new one. Besides, the materials of the mattress need time to soften and conform to your body, hence it takes time.
- Can a bad mattress cause body ache?
Answer: If your head, neck, shoulders, spine, hip, and heels are not in alignment, then the mattress might not be doing its job. As a result, it can cause body aches due to the wrong alignment of your body.
- Why does my back hurt after waking up?
Answer: Besides having a bad mattress, poor sleeping posture can cause you back pain after waking up. Wrong or poor sleeping positions can put pressure on your spine, causing its natural curve to flatten. It can also cause muscle strain and joint pain.
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