Why Is Sleep Important For Pain
Sleep is a fundamental biological need that affects all aspects of health, including pain. Research indicates that sleep and pain have a bidirectional relationship, meaning that each influences the other.
Getting good sleep has been found to reduce perceived daily pain levels of chronic pain sufferers. Quality sleep may reduce anxiety, stress, and other negative emotions that can exacerbate pain.
In addition, being in pain can make it harder to sleep. Physical discomfort may prevent falling asleep or lead to nighttime awakenings. Worries about pain can spread to sleep, complicating a persons ability to get consistent rest.
The fact that sleep and pain are so interlinked means that taking steps to sleep better, including choosing an optimal mattress, can provide a welcome means of pain relief. That pain reduction can facilitate even better sleep, fueling a positive cycle of nightly rest and decreased pain.
What Kind Of Mattress Is Best For Sciatica Pain
The best type of mattress for sciatica pain could be either a memory foam mattress or a latex mattress. Both types can absorb pressure while reducing motion transfer, making for a stable experience in which pressure is lifted from the spine and absorbed or evenly dispersed across the surface of the mattress.
Best Memory Foam Mattress For Back Pain
If a dull constant ache or a sudden shooting back pain keeps you from a good nights sleep, youre not alone. Theover 80 percent of Americans experience back pain at some
If a dull constant ache or a sudden shooting back pain keeps you from a good nights sleep, youre not alone. TheNational Institute of Health reportsVerified SourceNational Library of Medicine Worlds largest medical library, making biomedical data and information more accessible.View sourceover 80 percent of Americans experience back pain at some point in their lives. It often leads to lost workdays as well. Since you spend one-third of your life in bed, your mattress can go a long way in preventing or alleviating back problems.
Usually, a strained spine causes back pain. To prevent aches and pains, its best to maintain a healthy posture, even while sleeping. Memory foam mattresseswith their signature body-conforming and pressure-relieving featurescan maintain proper spinal alignment. But choosing the right firmness level suitable for your body type is crucial.
In this article, we discuss the best memory foam mattresses for back pain and help you decide which firmness level is right for your sleep position.
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Best Memory Foam Mattress For Sciatica: Zoma Mattress
The Zoma Mattress is a budget-friendly memory foam mattress built to support athletes. Consisting of only three layers of memory foam, its simple design and flexible nature allows it to be used with a variety of frames and bed bases, without sacrificing support to vital pressure points.
Warranty
A thick, high-density foam base anchors the Zoma Mattress, providing an excellent platform to build and rest upon. This bottom layer absorbs most of the bodys pressure, allowing the uppermost two layers to contour to the sleeper and provide comfort and relief to common pressure areas, such as the head, shoulders, and hips.
This mattress has a firmness level of medium, which is the ideal level for back and side sleepers. The dense, supportive layers of memory foam in the Zoma Mattress absorb pressure, reducing motion transfer between partners.
Interested customers should be aware that each Zoma Mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.
Is A Firm Mattress Better For Your Back
Firm mattresses prevent sagging and misalignment in the spinal column. For this reason, they have long been the doctor-recommended way to eliminate back pain and help to keep backs strong and healthy, so discomfort doesnt occur.
However, its important to recognize that firm is a relative term. Not everyone will feel the same level of support from the same mattress. So, although firm is still likely the best way to go to keep back pain at bay, not all firm mattresses are created equal. Still, its good to try a few out first to see whats right for you.
Some doctors recommend using a medium or medium-firm mattress because they allow your body to sink in enough to eliminate pressure points. That is without letting it sink too much that your spine twists or bends, causing you more discomfort.
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Dont Assume A Firm Mattress Is Better
Many people with chronic pain have repeatedly been told they need to sleep on a firm mattress to reduce pain.
Although there isnt a large body of research on the subject of chronic pain and mattresses, one 2015 study indicated that a hard mattress may not always be the best choice when trying to improve your sleep quality and decrease pain.
During the study, more than 300 people with low back pain slept on mattresses that were categorized as either medium-firm or firm.
Following the completion of the 90-day study, participants who had slept on medium-firm mattresses reported less pain while lying in bed and during waking hours than those who had slept on the firm mattresses.
Even though you might have been told to sleep on a firm or hard mattress, this may not be the best choice for all people with chronic pain. The firmness you choose is ultimately based on your preference, but you can also use your typical sleep position as a guide.
Can Your Sleep Position Make Your Back Pain Worse
Did you know that different sleeping positions require different types of cushioning, contouring, and mattress firmness levels to avoid worsening back pain? Whether youre traditionally a side sleeper, back sleeper, or stomach sleeper, there’s a type of mattress that will best fit your sleeping style so you can avoid back pain.
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Does My Pillow Matter
While a better mattress certainly can help with back pain and proper spinal alignment, it isnt the only factor. When paired with the proper pillow, the duo could help reduce back pain and contribute to a healthier sleep experience by properly elevating the neck and shoulders for better support.
Read More:Our Best Pillows Guide
What Is The Right Firmness
Theres no one-firmness-fits-all rule for side sleepers. Each of us will have varying preferences and needs based on our individual conditions.
The rule of thumb for side sleepers is a mattress not tougher than a moderate or medium firm.
A very firm mattress fails to support the neck and hips of a side sleeper. What happens is that the pressure points and gaps between the body and mattress linger. Accumulatively, this will cause more than a mild shoulder pain. Its one reason why you should get the best mattress for side sleepers with shoulder pain.
When you stick to a moderate firm, the material of the mattress will fill the gaps by sinking according to the weight of the body. So can you also opt for a softer one? Again, this depends on your comfort level. If you dont mind waking up in a pit that seems to swallow you, you can probably give a soft mattress a go.
Last note about softer mattresses: Very soft mattresses dont offer much motion control. So if youre sleeping with someone thats notorious for tossing and turning, youre doomed to have sleepless nights.
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Which Firmness Levels Are Best
When choosing the best type of mattress for back pain, its no surprise that firmness levels are one of the most important factors.
Choosing between a firm or soft mattress for back pain is a big decision. Lets look at the different levels of firmness you can find in mattresses and who might benefit from them.
Why A Great Bed Is Important
Your choice of a good mattress can have a significant impact on your aching. Arthritis sufferers need a great and appropriate mattress more than regular people as it can directly impact their actual condition. This is something that you ought to take into proper consideration.
Keep in mind that you spend an approximation of one-third of your life sleeping. Your rest is absolutely critical if you are to combat this particular condition, as well as many others, and it is a vital component for your entire well-being. Taking your time to find a quality mattress might definitely be worth it.
If you are elderly and you struggle with arthritis, regardless of which type of it, all of the above is particularly true. As an arthritis sufferer, you need to make sure that your bed conforms to your body type in a beneficial manner.
This is something very important: Your mattress should relieve the pressure on important body parts such as hips and shoulders, neck, thighs, lower back and much more. These are also the most common points which cause arthritis and joint pain.
Want to learn more? Check out our complete Mattress Buying Guide.
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Why We Get Back Problems
About 80% of sleepers are likely to come across some type of lower back pain throughout their lifetime. Of course, it goes without saying that not everyone is actually affected in the same way by these issues.
However, this doesnt mean that you should stay uninformed about them. Some have the potential to get worse over time.
There are two types of back pain that are commonly observed: Acute pain that lasts for less than about six weeks and chronic pain which is less frequent but longer lasting. This is according to the reputable Mayo Clinic. The breakdown is followed by serious research and studies carried over periods of time and a lot of back pain sufferers.
With this in mind, there are also different causes for back pain . Here are a few common ones and some tips on how to prevent them.
Which Type Of Mattress Is Best For Shoulder Pain
Categorizing mattresses provides a way to understand mattress construction and compare and contrast performance. Figuring out which type best suits your needs can simplify mattress shopping and guide you toward a top choice.
Mattresses that are built in a certain way will share some characteristics, but they wont all be the same. Within each type, there is notable variation based on exactly how any specific model is built.
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Additional Sleeping Accessories For Sleepers With Back Pain
Besides a mattress, other accessories can play a part in making your bed conducive to quality, pain-free sleep. Upgrading your pillows and your bed base can be done as a lower-cost way of improving your sleeping surface, or you can purchase these along with a new mattress as part of a complete overhaul.
Pillows
Pillows play an important role in preventing and reducing back and neck pain. Pillows that provide proper support to the neck can improve spinal alignment because the spine extends into the neck . In addition to supporting the head, pillows can be strategically placed to provide cushioning and comfort to other parts of the body.
Numerous factors affect which pillow can best help any individual fight neck and back pain. The amount of loft of your pillow should fit your personal preference and body shape. The right loft level is also largely determined by the firmness of your mattress and your sleeping position, as outlined in the following tables.
| Sleeping Position |
|---|
| Medium Firm Firm | High |
To reduce back pain, pillows can be used to support other parts of the body besides just the head and neck.
Bed Platforms and Bases
The base of the bed can contribute to a supportive overall sleeping surface for people with back pain.
Some people opt for an adjustable bed, which allows for the upper and lower body to be raised at various angles. Many adjustable bed frames also include a heat or massage feature that can be a nice bonus for back pain sufferers.
Mattress Toppers Can Delay The Purchase Of A New Mattress
Instead of buying a hugely expensive mattress when your old one begins to wear out, in some cases, mattress toppers can buy you some more time. One of these toppers will add support and life to your mattress and prevent you from hurting your back by sleeping on a worn-down mattress. Youll probably feel like youre sleeping on a whole new mattress, especially since your topper will be nice and clean.
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What Makes The Winkbed Stand Out
- The WinkBed Luxury Firm model offers the balance of comfort and support back pain sufferers are looking for.
- The mattress is zoned and provides extra lumbar support.
- The WinkBed is an extremely durable mattress that will offer comfort and support for years to come.
Read the full WinkBed mattress review
Is A Latex Mattress Good For Back Pain
A latex mattress is often considered great for back pain because of its effective springy action that can provide relief throughout the night and into the morning. They rate well among people with back problems, and as you can see from the comparison table above, we also included a latex mattress.
At least 33% of owners claim that their all-latex option provides some type of relief in various parts of the body including the neck, shoulders, and hips.
The premium, spongy material gently pushes into the body, which instantly maximizes natural body contouring and ensures full body contact. This, in turn, provides great pressure point relief and spinal alignment.
Overall, this is a highly recommended type of mattress for those with symptoms of back pain in the morning or who generally require an orthopedic mattress.
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How Old Is Your Mattress
Dr. Perry warns that mattress springs break down over time, which makes your bed softer. This can aggravate a patients back, he says.
Based on this, does it makes sense for you to get a new mattress, or can you reduce pain and stiffness with your old one? While this is likely to vary among individuals, medical research may help shed some light on the question:
A study in Applied Ergonomics measured the comfort and quality of sleep for 27 patients with low back pain and stiffness. The participants recorded their sleep comfort and quality in their own beds for 21 days and then with a prescribed bedding system, which they used for 12 weeks. The study found that the participants showed progressive improvement in back pain and stiffness on the new mattresses and their quality of sleep improved significantly.
Q: Is A Soft Or A Firm Mattress Better For Lower Back Pain
A: The answer might surprise you: Neither! The right firmness level allows the spine to rest in its natural “S” curve. While a too-soft mattress may not offer enough support, an overly hard mattress may also shift the spine out of alignment. Too-firm mattresses can press the pelvis too far forward while back sleeping, and place too much stress on the hips and shoulders while side sleeping. Studies show that the wisest choice is a medium-firm to firm level that balances support and comfort. Very firm or very soft mattresses can reduce your sleep quality and create more lower back pain.
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Advantages Of Mattress Toppers For Back Pain
You might think that your mattress is enough, but a good mattress topper can help people who suffer from chronic back pain and hip painall you have to do is lie down and experience the pressure relief. You wont be losing any sleep over the cost of your topper either, since these are much less expensive compared to a whole memory foam mattress.
While mattress toppers won’t replace a bad mattress, they can can absolutely help when you have a decent mattress of any size, but just need a little extra. They provide a comfort layer and vary in thickness. They also offer a general cover for your bed. Here are some of the advantages of going with a mattress topper.
How Does Back Pain Impact Sleep
The spine is responsible for more movement in the body than you may realize. It connects up with all your major muscles, which means that chronic back pain is something that can easily impact your daily life and sleep quality.
Many scientific studies reveal that chronic back pain often results in very poor sleep, which can ultimately make you feel even worse during your waking hours.
Specifically, back pain acts as an uncomfortable distraction when youre trying to fall asleep. As painful pressure points press into the mattress, it can make it challenging to find a comfortable sleeping position . And, if youre currently on medication for back pain, the side effects can impact sleep as well.
Back pain may even make you wake up more throughout the night. This lack of sleep will make your back feel even more painfuland this is something that can, unfortunately, take a toll on your mental health.
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Best Flippable Mattress For Lower Back Pain
Idle Sleep Idle Hybrid Mattress
- Price: $$
- Type: hybrid
- Height: 13 inches
With its combination of supportive coils and cooling, CertiPUR-US certified foam, the Idle Hybrid is designed for comfort and longevity. The flippable design means limited sag and twice the life span.
Youll also have the option of choosing a different firmness level on either side, so you can enjoy the right support every night even if your preferences change down the line.
Idle Sleep offers a generous 18-month trial period with free shipping and returns, plus a lifetime warranty.
