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Do I Need A Firm Mattress

Who Should Sleep On A Firmer Bed

Plank by Brooklyn Bedding Mattress Review – Do You Need Firm Support?

One of the first things that you want to consider is what kind of sleepers benefit the most from a good firm option. If you usually sleep on your back or your stomach you may fall into that category. At the same time, if you are heavier regarding weight, youd also likely benefit a lot from a hard mattress that is stiffer than what a side sleeper needs.

For those of you who like to sleep on your backs firm, elevated support in the lower back region will work at keeping your spine in proper alignment, preventing sagging in the mattress that may lead to lower back pain.

For More Info:Best Bed for Stomach Sleepers

Advantages Of A Firm Mattress

For those not experiencing troublesome back pain, a firm mattress is will generally be more comfortable. When sleeping on a firmer surface, the bones absorb most of the pressure, meaning there is less stress on muscles, veins and arteries. Muscles are less strained, and circulation is improved.

A firm mattress also keeps your lower back from collapsing, which could allow for more oxygen intake while sleeping. Less sagging can mean the weight of the body is distributed evenly, which means no one part of the body is bearing the brunt of the pressure.

Firm mattresses are generally better for those who sleep on their back, because they provide a more stable and even surface. Stomach sleepers tend to fare better on a firmer mattress, too.

What If You Choose The Wrong Firmness

Discomfort while sleeping on a new bed can signal one of two things: either the firmness level of the bed isnt right for you, or you have not gone through a full break-in period with your bed.

If you have slept on the bed for longer than the breaking in period and you are still experiencing discomfort, there may be options to adjust the beds firmness level to better suit your needs. To assess whether your bed is too soft or too firm, you can observe cues from your body. Certain sensations and pains can tell you what the problem is, and what you need to do to improve your comfort.

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What Mattress Do You Feel Most Comfortable On

This question may seem like a very obvious one to consider when choosing a mattress, but its more complicated than you think. Most people go years before getting a new mattress, and during this time, your body will inevitably change with age. For this reason, its important to test mattresses in a store to find one that fits your unique needs. This can save you time and hassle in the long run.

When testing a mattress, lie in the position you most often sleep in for several minutes. It takes your body time to adjust to a position, and pressure points will not become apparent to you unless you take the time to lie down for a while. Once youve tested the mattress for several minutes, pay attention to how your body feels.

  • Do you feel like you need to move around to get comfortable?
  • Does any part of your body feel stress or pressure?
  • If lying on your back, are your feet crossed?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you havent found your perfect mattress.

Heres the thing about finding your perfect mattress:

If you want more assistance, contact our Sleep Experts via live chat or visit your nearest BedMart mattress store location to get a 3 minute body profile using our exclusive smartMATCH technology.

Should You Sleep On A Firm Mattress

Lexington Firm Mattress

While mattresses with a firm feel provide comfort and support to a range of sleepers, this firmness level doesnt work for everyone.

Stomach and back sleepers often require a firm mattress to achieve good spinal alignment. However, firm beds dont provide much contouring or pressure relief, so side sleepers often prefer plusher models.

Durability is a significant benefit of firm beds. Soft beds may weaken and collapse over time, but firm mattresses stand up well under weight, even for people weighing more than 230 pounds.

Firm Mattress
  • Often sleeps cooler than a soft bed
  • May not provide enough cushioning for side sleepers or people under 130 pounds
  • Lacks conformity to ease pressure points
  • Typically not recommended for people with certain conditions affecting the lower back, such as scoliosis or arthritis

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Making The Final Decision

Finding a comfortable mattress should be much easier once youve chosen a firmness level that suits your needs. When shopping in retail locations, keep in mind that a showroom shopping experience might not necessarily be a good indicator for which firmness level you require, because floor model mattresses are often already broken in and will feel softer than a brand new mattress. New mattresses, particularly ones made with high density foam, can take up to 30 days to break-in. On the other hand, shopping for a mattress with a good online retailer will provide you with a sleep trial, a break-in period, and any additional information youll need to find a mattress that youll love for years.

Firmness And Pillow Loft

Pillows play an important role in mattress firmness preferences. Pillow loft, or pillow thickness, can greatly affect the feel of a mattress. The thickness of a pillow is measured using the term loft. Low-loft pillows measure less than 3 inches thick, medium-loft pillows measure 3 to 5 inches thick, and high-loft pillows measure more than 5 inches thick. A good rule-of-thumb when choosing pillows for a mattress: the lower the firmness setting, the lower the pillow loft.

The table below features a detailed breakdown of the optimal pillow loft for different firmness settings:

Firmness Range
Good to Very Good

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Pairing The Right Pillow With Firm Mattress

We know the firmest of mattresses is not for everyonebut if youve already hopped on board to adopting the firmest, flattest and healthiest way to sleep, you really need to think about how you should accessorize your new Plank mattress. The first thing your mind should jump to is your pillow .

Sleep experts often say that the pillow makes the bedwhich is just an insiders way of saying that, when it comes to quality sleep, your pillow is ultra-important. You can find the perfect mattress for your sleep style that provides just the right balance of comfort and support but, if youre sleeping on the wrong pillow, you might continue to experience pain and stiffness in the morning.

Since pillows play an important role in maintaining proper spinal alignment and support, its important to understand how your sleep position affects which pillow is best for youand since youre all already doing that firm mattress thing, we assume youre either sleeping on your stomach or back. Here, then, are some of the most common pillows that function great with the Plank:

Once youve decided a firm mattress is your perfect match, be sure to check out Brooklyn Bedding to get the right pillow to seal the ultimate sleep deal.

Proper Distribution Of Body Weight

Want to Be Paid to Sleep? Apply to Be Mattress Firm’s Next Snoozetern!

With a firm mattress, the weight of the body will be distributed properly. A too soft mattress can cause heavier parts of the body to sink into the bed. This can lead to too much pressure on the joints, nerves and muscles. The longer one sleeps on the softer bed the more of a chance the pain resulting will get worse. A firm mattress places the body on top. This allows weightier parts to not sink in and the body to be evenly supported and contoured.

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What Is Better A Firm Or Extra Firm Mattress

Extra-firm mattresses are rather uncommon because most people dont need such a firm bed to support their body.

Usually, firm mattresses provide more than enough support for most sleepers. However, if youre very large, an extra firm bed may work well because you put more pressure on it and need more support.

More Vulnerable To Sagging

Some soft mattresses can wear down quicker than firm mattresses because they arent as sturdy and durable. The soft comfort layers can flatten, grow lumpy, and develop sags. So, the bed will need to be repaired or replaced sooner than if you had a firmer mattress.

However, a high-quality mattress with a durable support core can last up to 10 years, no mattress how soft it is.

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Using A Firm Mattress

A firm mattress is good for your back. If your current mattress is rather soft, you may want to try a firmer mattress instead. Perhaps its too soft or sagging, thus creating an uneven surface whilst lying down.

If youre concerned about the firmness of the mattress, its possible to find one that has medium-firm or even firm support. But dont worry too much about finding something super hard as it is usually not preferred by most people anyway.

Proper Spinal Alignment

If you have lower back issues, the correct support is essential. The right mattress should provide good spinal support and keep your spine in natural alignment, no matter the sleep position.

Firm mattresses provide more support to your spine, especially when you sleep on your side or back. They can relieve pain in both your hips and shoulders because they keep the spine aligned properly. When you sleep on your side, a firm mattress will not bend or collapse under your weight. This helps reduce the pressure points around the hips and shoulders which may otherwise leave you with numbness in your hands or feet.

If you have pain around the shoulders that doesnt seem to be going away, perhaps try one of these top-rated mattresses for shoulder pain based on our expert recommendations.

Better Sleep Quality

Sleeping Positions

Mattress Type

What Is Mattress Firmness

Do I Need an Extra Firm Mattress?

Firmness refers to the initial feel of a mattress when you lie down. Mattress companies typically designate where their products fall on a firmness scale of 1 to 10 . Think of it as a spectrum of softness and firmness with variability in-between. Mattress firmness can also be conveyed in three simple categories: soft, medium, and firm.

Its important to understand that firmness and support are not synonymous. Support refers to how the mattress encourages proper spinal alignment. Support and comfort arent mutually exclusive, either. A mattress can be soft while offering excellent support. A firm mattress can be counterproductive, creating too many pressure points. Firm mattresses can also prove to be extremely comfortable, with soft comfort layers resting atop a supportive, durable core construction.

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Suitable For Lightweight Sleepers

Whether resting on their side, back, or stomach, lighter individuals , will naturally experience very little sinking. If these individuals sleep on a firm mattress, tension can build-up near the pressure pointscreating pain and stiffness. Lightweight sleepers need a soft bed that will quickly respond to their body weight for adequate contouring.

Intellibed Signature Matrix Grand

Somehow both firm and soft, the Intellibed Signature Matrix Grand is really the best of both worlds. Squeezed between latex and foam layers, this hybrid mattress features a Gel Matrix, an elastic gel that flexes and moves to contour to your shape and evenly distribute body weight. I don’t know how Intellibed does it, but the firmness of the mattress provides ample support to keep your spine in proper alignment, while the softness allows the right amount of give to alleviate pressure without sagging.

As soon as I settled into the mattress, I could feel the pressure leaving my body. And after a few weeks on it, I was sleeping through the night and waking up free of pain.

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Firmness And Mattress Performance

The firmness setting may be used to determine how a mattress will perform in the long run. Performance factors tied to mattress firmness include the following:

The table below features a summary of pricing and performance expectations for mattresses with different firmness settings:

Firmness Range
Good to Very Good

Is A Firm Mattress Good For Your Back

Opposites Affecting Your Health Hard vs. Firm Mattress Medical Course

Firm mattresses can be a good option for people who have lower back pain. A firmer mattress can offer support that keeps your lower back from sinkingand it can help distribute your weight evenly.

However, a firm mattress isnt always best for back pain. Other factors come into play, like sleep style and body type.

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Sealy Response Performance Elm Avenue Firm

This ultra-firm foam mattress comes with both cool gel foam and air foam for added support. Ranked a 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, Sealy uses its proprietary Posturepedic Technology to target the heaviest parts of your body with reinforced support. Youll also get a 120-night trial with the mattress.

Firm Mattresses: Best For Back & Stomach Sleepers

A firm mattress is usually the best choice if youre a back or stomach sleeper. For stomach sleepers, firm mattresses provide the best spinal alignment by preventing the back from hyper-extending. Back sleepers also benefit from proper spinal alignment. For those with back pain, maintaining proper spinal alignment while sleeping prevents a stiff, achy back during the day.

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When Should You Choose A Firm Mattress

Determining whether a firm mattress is right for you starts by taking your body type, typical sleep position, and personal preferences into account. Here are three times when a firm mattress is a good option:

  • You’re a stomach sleeper. Most stomach sleepers do best on a medium-firm to firm surface, as this allows your body to maintain the best possible alignment while lying face-down. A mattress that’s too soft will pull your spine downward into an exaggerated curve, especially if you carry extra weight around your midsection. Most stomach sleepers will be well suited by a mattress in the 4-7 range on the typical firmness scale. The higher your weight, the higher you should go in that range.
  • You have a bigger body. If you weigh more than 230 pounds, you’ll likely sleep better on a firmer mattress than a softer one. A medium-firm to firm mattress will help keep your spine aligned without sagging. This, in turn, will help prevent low back pain, something larger-bodied people are at higher risk of suffering from.

How Can I Make My Bed More Firm

How to Firm Up a Mattress

You can change the feel of a mattress by adding a topper. Memory foam toppers can be used to add softness or firmness to your bed. At Amerisleep, our Lift Memory Foam Topper comes in two different firmness levelsSupport and Comfort. If you are looking to add firmness to your current mattress, the Support topper has a firmer feel and helps create an even sleeping surface. The Comfort topper offers more cushioning for those looking to add softness to a bed.

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Do I Need An Extra Firm Mattress

Its odd to think that the mattress industry experiences trends, but it does. It wasnt too long ago that waterbeds were in, for example. Lately, many consumers have been gravitating toward firm mattresses and extra firm mattresses. Why is that the case? Because firm and extra firm mattresses are widely recognized for providing some meaningful benefits.

What Type Of Mattress Is Best For People With Low Back Pain

Back pain is one of the top reasons that people begin to lose mobility in middle age. Pain can keep people from engaging in physical activity, making it more difficult for them to maintain a healthy weight and keep up their strength, stamina, and balance as they age. So treating and managing back pain that results from injuries or health problems is crucial for staying on the path of a healthy and active life.

Considering that most people spend roughly a third of their lives lying in bed, choosing the right mattress is essential for managing low back pain. It can make the difference in whether you can sleep at night and function the next day.

In the past, doctors often recommended very firm mattresses. But one survey of 268 people with low back pain found that those who slept on very hard mattresses had the poorest sleep quality. There was no difference in sleep quality between those who used medium-firm and firm mattresses.

Soft mattresses, on the other hand, can also be problematic. While a soft mattress that conforms to your body’s natural curves may help the joints align favorably, you might also sink in so deeply that your joints twist and become painful during the night.

If you want to find out whether a firmer mattress would feel better than the one you’re currently using, try putting a plywood board under your mattress to dampen the movement from the bedsprings, or try placing your mattress on the floor.

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Other Factors To Consider When Choosing A New Mattress

In addition to plushness or firmness, there are other factors youll need to consider when finding the mattress thats best suited to you. Every mattress manufacturer has its own unique method of achieving different degrees of firmness, but there are few specific strategies youll want to be familiar with.

  • What kinds of materials are being used to build each mattress?
  • How has the mattress design been optimized for maximum comfort and support?

Lets take a look at mattress materials and zoning designs to help you make a more informed purchasing decision.

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