Best Mattress For Sciatica
If you suffer from sciatica, you know the pain that comes along with the condition can make sleeping comfortably quite the challenge. Since your sciatic nerve runs along the lower back, through the hips and the buttocks, all the way to the calves, when it becomes irritated the pain is no joke.
So, how in the world are you supposed to sleep with pulsing pains shooting up your hips and legs? Aside from seeking the advice and treatment of a medical professional, one thing you can do is buy a new mattress. And not just any ol mattress, but one that lifts your spine into a neutral alignment all the way from your shoulders to your hips.
For people that suffer from sciatica, you know its more specific than general back pain, which we cover in our Best Mattress for Back Pain list, so I thought Id get you started on your journey by introducing you to some of the best mattresses specifically for lower back pain on the market. Though they differ in terms of construction, firmness, and price, theyre all designed to alleviate tension at the lower back for a cozy, pain-free sleep.
Mattress Score For Sciatica
Overall Score for Sciatica: 9.7/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.7/10
#2 Bear Mattress
Bear mattress offers three amazing mattresses that have received rave reviews from customers. Their original memory foam has won acclaim with athletes on a budget, the Bear Hybrid is great for those looking for a pressure-relieving higher end feel, and their Bear Pro is perfect for those looking for an ultra-cooling contouring feel. From the Celliant® to copper cooling, these mattresses also are designed to be superior at cooling, alleviating muscle pain, and supporting the spine. With these three competitive mattress options, folks report loving these beds.
Can It Possibly Cause Sciatica
If you know anyone that has sciatica, youll probably hear them complain about it constantly. Its quite painful. Sciatica is a painful, tingly or numbing sensation down the side or back of the legs that runs down the sciatic nerve .
Its caused by degenerative disc disease and sleeping on a bad mattress can accelerate or exacerbate sciatica symptoms. Therefore, indirectly, you could say that it can cause sciatica. It certainly wont help!
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Tips For Relieving Sciatica Nerve Pain
Everyones sciatica pain is a little different, so the things that work for you might not work the same way for someone else. Its all about trying different things and learning to identify the triggers that worsen your pain. Generally speaking, staying active and living a healthy lifestyle will help you manage sciatica.
Here are some simple tips to help relieve your sciatica pain:
Zinus Green Tea Mattress
And a good mattress that will help you get better and experience less sciatic pain doesnt have to be expensive. The Zinus green tea mattress is one of the best mattresses for back pain related issues yet it is a very affordable option.
Even when you recover from the sciatic pain, this is a mattress that will continue giving you more support that you need to enjoy your sleep.
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Sciatica And Sleep Position
People who suffer from sciatica usually have problems sleeping in certain positions. However, there isn’t any perfect sleeping position that works for everyone suffering from this condition.
But that also doesn’t mean you should sleep through the pain all night here are some sleeping positions that might work for you if you suffer from sciatica.
Should I Sleep On Floor With Lower Back Pain Does Sleeping On The Floor Help Sciatica
Sleeping on the floor could help with your lower back pain but it might not.
Figuring out how to sleep with low back pain and sciatica is going to vary from one person to the next because everyones body is different. And I dont say that as a cop out. The famous Youtube physical therapists Bob and Brad say so, as well. And youll see varying answers on Reddit.
Fortunately, if the floor is not comfortable, you have a few other ways to make your mattress more firm.
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Invest In A Great Mattress
Whether your nerve pain is minimal or severe, sleeping on a poor-quality mattress will almost certainly make your symptoms worse. If your bed is too hard, too soft or provides inadequate support, youll be more likely to have nerve pain.
Also, we already know that getting a good night of sleep is one of the best things we can do for our overall health. If were not sleeping well during the night because of a terrible mattress, thats also going to affect how we feel and how well our bodies can adapt to conditions ranging from cold and flu to sciatica.
What Makes The Level Sleep Stand Out
- The Level Sleeps TriSupport system provides some of the best lumbar support we have ever experienced.
- The zoning makes the mattress a great fit for back sleepers and side sleepers with lower back pain.
- The mattress has been clinically proven to maintain proper neutral spinal alignment.
Read the full Level Sleep mattress review
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Top 6 Mattresses For Low Back Pain
- Best Mattress For Pressure Relief : Purple Hybrid Premier 3
Purple makes some of the most unique beds that you will ever encounter. They arent for everyone, but if you end up liking Purple, it has a number of advantages that you wont get with other beds.
For example, Purple beds are soft and firm at the same time. They are also some of the best cooling mattresses since they allow for a tremendous amount of airflow. And all of this is because the top layer on the Purple Hybrid beds and the Original Purple is a proprietary material called Hyper-Elastic Polymer. Its laid out in a grid format that reduces surface area, promoting airflow and providing support and pressure relief simultaneously.
Its difficult to fully explain the feel of these beds, but theyre somewhere between medium-soft and medium-firm, depending on the sleeper and the model.
Why we picked this bed We selected Purple for this best bed for the sciatica list for many reasons, including its ability to make you feel like your buoyant, on top of a supportive yet pressure-relieving bed. If no foam mattress has worked for you in the past, Purple might be worth a try. It offers a comfortable experience many people really enjoy, including Owen and Matt on our team who sleep on it themselves.
The Casper Wave mattress is unique in its Zoned Support System, which, in more basic terms, means that the bed is constructed to provide more support and more pressure relief in the appropriate areas.
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Side Sleeper
Can Mattress Accessories Help With Sciatic Nerve Pain
Although the mattress can have a big impact on sciatica symptoms, bedding accessories such as toppers, or pillows for head or body support can also help you reduce symptoms and manage sciatic pain.
Mattress toppers are placed on top of an existing mattress to make a mattress feel softer or firmer. Adjusting the feel of your sleep surface can lead to more sciatic pain relief if your current mattress does not provide enough contouring. Since most people with sciatica require a slightly softer bed to alleviate symptoms, a topper can be used during flare-ups and stored the rest of the time
Pillows can also alleviate sciatic pain, provided sleepers choose the right model.. A pillow that feels too thick or too thin can interfere with spinal alignment, especially for people whose sciatic pain originates in the back. Choosing the right pillow thickness or loft is dependent on sleep position. Side sleepers generally require the highest loft, while back sleepers tend to find mid-loft pillows most comfortable. Stomach sleeping is not ideal for people with sciatica, but those who sleep in this position should choose a low-loft pillow.
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Whats The Best Type Of Mattress For Sciatica Sufferers
A good quality mattress can help reduce your sciatic pain at night to make sure you get a good nights sleep.
For most people, a firm or medium-firm mattress will be best, particularly if you sleep on your back. Research finds that side sleepers may find a slightly softer mattress more comfortable, but it still needs to offer support along the whole length of your spine.
Sleeping on your front isnt generally recommended for sciatica patients, but if you cant sleep comfortably in another position then choose a firm mattress that keeps your body aligned.
Memory Foam or Innerspring?
The material a mattress is made from is less important than the level of support and comfort it provides. Memory foam mattresses are a popular choice for sciatica sufferers due to its ability to mold to the contours of your body and support a neutral spine position.
Another advantage of memory foam over innerspring mattresses is that theyre naturally better at isolating motion. If you toss and turn, the memory foam absorbs the impact, meaning your sleeping partner is less likely to be disturbed.
Some people prefer the bounce of a traditional spring mattress, particularly in hot climates where the heat retention properties of memory foam can leave you sweating. A hybrid mattress with a foam layer on top of a spring base may be a good compromise if youre looking for the best of both worlds.
Testing Your Mattress
Test If Your Mattress Is Firm Enough
If you arent sure if your mattress is providing enough support, you can test its firmness in some cheap and easy ways :
- Put your mattress on the floor. FYI this might not be a great long term solution because mold or mildew might grow on the bottom of the mattress, and the mattress might get dirtier this way.
- Stick a sheet of plywood between the mattress and your bed frame. Again, maybe not a great long term solution cause of mold/mildew, but at least it keeps your mattress cleaner than putting it on the floor.
- Sleep on the floor. Some people on Reddit swear by this. Personally, this is too uncomfortable for me to do over the course of the night.
If any of the above methods helps you sleep better after a night or two, then a firmer mattress would probably help.
If you dont sleep better, then your mattress could be too firm. But rather than buy a softer mattress, you can get a mattress topper, which is much cheaper .
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Can Sciatica Be Caused By A Bad Mattress
Yes, sciatica can be caused by a bad mattress. Sciatica is often caused by poor posture during the night. Most of us spend anywhere from 6 to 9 hours in bed every day. Just as proper posture is important during the day, so is good body alignment during the night.
Both sleeping position and a bad mattress can lead to poor body alignment, and with it, sciatic nerve pain. This typically happens when the lower back is curved or the hips are poorly aligned. You want your spine to be supported in a neutral position, and your hips should be lined up in the same plane.
Typically, excess sagging caused by an overly soft, unsupportive mattress is the biggest mattress-specific contributor. Patients with any type of lower back pain need a supportive mattress to facilitate good body alignment throughout the night.
Buying Guide Finding A Bed That Alleviates Sciatica Symptoms
Sciatica is a medical condition characterized by chronic pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which travels down the lower back, hips, buttocks, and legs. Most people with sciatica experience pain most prominently on one side of their body, although both sides may be affected.
In addition to chronic pain, sciatica patients routinely experience numbness and weakness on their affected side. More serious complications include loss of bladder and bowel function.
As with chronic back pain and other painful disorders like scoliosis, choosing the right mattress can significantly improve sleep quality and duration for people with sciatica. According to customer and owner experiences, people with sciatica typically prefer mattresses made of materials like memory foam and/or latex that conform closely and provide above-average pressure relief.
Additionally, mattresses that isolate motion and produce little to no noise are often most suitable for people with sciatica that need to frequently visit the bathroom during the night.
This guide will explore common causes and symptoms of sciatica, discuss unique sleep considerations linked to the condition, and provide some tips for mattress buyers.
Best Mattresses for Sciatica: Buyers Guide
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Closing Thoughts For Back Pain Sufferers
Back pain is debilitating. Its even worse when your back hurts just after you wake up and you have to deal with it for the rest of the day. Relieve your back pain with a good mattress topper then, which will support your body completely and help you sleep well. You just have to make sure that you dont lose any sleep picking one out! Make sure to weigh the pros and cons of each topper, and consider things like the material it’s made out of and the thickness.
Gabe is the newest member of The Sleep Shop team. If you like the design of The Sleep Shop, give Gabe a thumbs up. Hes a digital marketing and design guru and the brains behind the design and SEO of The Sleep Shop. He also wont say no to testing a ton of mattresses either, and helps on almost every mattress review.
Support And Pressure Relief
Many people automatically assume that in order for a mattress to be supportive, it has to be very firm. However, firm mattresses dont offer good pressure relief, leading many people to believe they can either get support or pressure relief in their mattress, but not both.
Thankfully, this is not the case. The support comes from the construction of the core of the mattress and has very little to do with the upper layers. Conversely, the pressure relief is mostly the result of how soft or firm the upper layers are. This means you can actually get a soft or medium-firm mattress that still offers a high level of support.
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Can I Return A Mattress I Bought Online
A. Online mattress retailers make it very easy to return mattresses, with many companies coming to pick up returns for free. Most also offer an in-home trial period between 60 and 365 days when you can test the mattress to see if you like it, and if not, you can return it for a full money back refund.
Tips For Stomach Sleepers
You might think that sleeping on your stomach can actually cause low back pain and/or sciatica. But Bob and Brad dont think its as much of an issue. They say that the bigger problem for stomach sleepers is neck pain from twisting their head. Regardless, you wouldnt be reading this unless you were experiencing pain!
If you think your bed might be sagging, Bob and Brad say you can put a pillow beneath your stomach to try to even out the surface. Of course, if thats the case, I think getting a new mattress would probably the better long term solution for your low back pain.
You could also try sleeping on your back .
Finally, Ive seen some resources suggest placing a flat pillow or a folded up towel underneath your hips. The idea is that this adds a slight curve to your low back that more closely resembles the curve of the neutral spine position. Im not sure how this plays out if you are in the midst of severe low back pain. So test it out cautiously .
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Can A New Mattress Cause Back Pain
It is imperative to note that a new quality mattress is always firm, strong and robust thus will offer optimal support for your joints and pressure points. Whats more, you wont be tossing and turning all night because of the solid and straight built of your new mattress. A new mattress helps conforms to your bodys shape an alignment to offer optimal support. In this regard, its not possible for a new mattress to cause any form of back pain, whether lower or upper. to see a list of few exclusive mattresses for back pain.
How Does Sciatica Affect Sleep
The sciatic nerves originate in the lower back and run through the buttocks, back of the legs, and soles of the feet down to the toes. Sciatica is the result of a problem with the sciatic nerves, most often a pinched or irritated nerve caused by a herniated disc. Risk factors for sciatica include poor posture, injury, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, arthritis, or bone spurs.
Sciatica is often described as a radiating pain that starts in the lower back and travels down the back of the legs and sometimes the feet. It can present as numbness, tingling, throbbing, heat, inflammation, sharp pain, aching, or even muscle spasms in the areas affected by the sciatic nerve. These symptoms can be mild or severe, acute or chronic, and they often occur only on one side of the body. Patients may find some relief with anti-inflammatory drugs or by applying ice, but for severe cases, surgery is sometimes required.
Many people with sciatica find it difficult to find a comfortable sleep position. Lying down can put pressure on the hips and lumbar area, leading many people to experience flare-ups when trying to sleep or upon waking up after lying in the same position all night. People with sciatica require a mattress that can distribute body weight and support the lower back in order to help take pressure off the sciatic nerves.
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