Is Memory Foam Bad For Your Back
Overly soft and pliable memory foam can be bad for your back, which is why its typically best to invest in a medium-firm memory foam mattress, and not a medium-soft or soft model.
While dense support foam can withstand weight, pressure, and consistent usage, soft foams tend to sink and develop significant sags over time, creating misalignments along the spinal column.
Is Spinal Alignment The Most Important Factor
Spinal alignment is certainly important, but its not the only factor when it comes to sleeping with back pain. Pressure relief is also important for helping you reduce pain and get to sleep. However, its important to find a material that relieves pressure while still allowing movement.
If you find youre waking up stiff and sore but feel better after you get moving, you could be dealing with swelling or inflammation in the joints or muscle tissue. While this can occur in almost any type of injury, its usually a sign that the injury isnt getting motion, especially while you sleep.
When it comes to spinal injuries or misalignments, most chiropractors and physical therapists will treat the issue by aligning the spine and increasing motion to reduce inflammation and swelling. If you can move around easily when you sleep, either to reposition or rollover, your body may be able to help aid in that process.
Best Cooling Mattress For Hot Sleepers With Lower Back Pain
Birch Natural Mattress
- Type: hybrid
- Height: 11 inches
If you deal with dual issues of sweaty sleep and lower back pain, consider the nontoxic Birch mattress. Its made with natural materials like organic cotton, organic wool, and OEKO-TEX, eco-INSTITUT, and Rainforest Alliance certified latex for maximum breathability and support.
The mattress offers superior airflow and temperature regulation, plus pressure relief and contouring, thanks to a mix of foam layers and individually wrapped coils.
Birch offers a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping, and a 25-year warranty.
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Finest Memory Foam Mattress
Nectar Sleep is among the globes fastest-growing sleep business. Nectar ensures suitable sleep through optimal degrees of firmness, coolness, breathability, and comfort with our mattress models, pillows and also other resting items.
The Nectar mattress model is an all-foam bed in a box mattress which contains numerous layers of high-grade memory foam.
This medium-firm mattress model offers that quicksand-like comfy experience numerous people relate to memory foam.
It is excellent for light to medium weight side and also back sleepers, looking stress relief as well as general comfort and also support.
Mattress Type: Memory foam
Client Ranking: 4.8 out of 5
Firmness: Medium
Test Period for Returns: 365 nights
To get:
Country Living has been a household name for years..
Now, they have actually developed their own mattress model line Country Living Sleep.
The Country Living Napa is their most lavish line of mattresses. 16 thick and offering 7 layers, the Napa is likewise offered in three firmness levels.
Being recognized for resting cool as well as having wonderful side support, the Napa gains our elect the best deluxe mattress.
Mattress Kind: Hybrid Best Mattress Type For Lower Back Pain
Client Score: 4.8 out of 5
Firmness: Select your preferred firmness degree, from soft to firm
Test Duration for Returns: 18 months
To buy:
Discovering The Truth About Your Mattress
You may be in love with your bed, but that doesnt mean it is in love with you back. Research has discovered numerous signs which indicate that a persons bed is to blame for their back soreness, especially in the morning. Pay close attention to how you or your partner behaves throughout the night. If you have any of the following sleep-disturbing signs, it may be time to replace your mattress.
- You wake up frequently during the night for no apparent reason.
- You toss and turn a lot or cant get comfortable.
- You feel increased pressure on parts of your body when laying in certain positions.
- You feel swallowed up by your bed.
- Your bed feels flat and unforgiving on the curves of your body.
- Your waking back pain goes away after about 20-30 minutes.
Back pain can be caused by several things, but if your bed is to blame then it should be very easy to tell. Your back pain may not be caused by something serious. In fact, studies show that about 56% of people who sleep on a medium-to-firm mattress have less back pain in the morning than their softer-mattress-having counterparts.
In general, sleep experts advise people to get a new bed ever 8 to 10 years. It may be that your mattress has served you well for a very long time.
However, it may also be time to replace it for something better if its causing you pain.
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The Zoma Hybrid Is Designed To Encourage Uninterrupted Restorative Sleep If You’re A Hot Sleeper A Chronic Pain Sufferer Or Want A Bouncy Bed The Zoma Hybrid Might Be The Perfect Mattress For You Plus Its Medium Feel Is Perfect For Side Sleepers That Need More Contouring Around Their Hips And Shoulders
A Zoma Hybrid is 12 inches tall and has four layers encased in an AirCloth cover:
- 2 inches of gel memory foam
- 2 inches of Reactiv foam
- 7 inches of pocketed coils
- 1 inch of sturdy base foam
The gel memory foam promotes a cool and cushioning sleep surface, limiting heat retention and pressure points that can disturb your rest. Reactiv foam ensures your body doesn’t sink in too deep but still feels cradled.
The pocketed coils react individually to every motion, keeping your movements from traveling across the mattress and jolting a partner awake. The base foam supports the coils. Additionally, firm foam surrounds the coils for protection and edge support.
Every Zoma Hybrid ships free and comes with a 100-night sleep trial with a full refund and a 10-year warranty.
Try Changing Up Your Sleeping Position
Changing your sleeping position is one way to try to get back pain relief.
If you are a back or stomach sleeper with a soft mattress and you dont have the budget for a new bed, you can try to switch to a side sleeping position that will receive more support from your existing mattress. In general, experts recommend that stomach sleepers try to adjust to side or back sleeping because its easier to get appropriate support in those positions.
For people with acute pain, temporary changes to your sleeping position may help to reduce stress on already sore or achy parts of your back. For example, people with lumbar pain might try a period of side sleeping to avoid the excess bending of that area that can happen on your stomach or back.
While changing sleeping positions is worth a shot, its often not a long-term solution because the change can be hard to stick with. Some people just cant get comfortable in a different position or they may quickly revert back to their old sleeping position during the night. In these cases, other approaches are more likely to be beneficial over the medium- to long-term.
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Back Pain Pressure Points
If there is an overly vital area to be attentive to when suffering from back pain, its the pressure points that an improper mattress can cause on your body. These points mean that there is extra push back to a specific area. This can cause misalignment throughout your body and your spine.
Once it has moved out of alignment, there is an increased amount of pressure placed on your spine. Thats one of the common causes of back pain. Thinking about it that way may just help you answer the question, Is a firm mattress good for your back? from a whole new angle.
With this said, its essential to ensure that you arent sleeping on a bed that places too much pressure on your spine. This is also true for any major joints. Thats whats going to allow your body to rest in a relaxed state. The chance of pressure points forming along the spine as well as the lower back is diminished dramatically when the appropriate product is picked.
Pressure points are capable of causing long-term deformations and pains along your spine. This isnt something that you can likely afford as it can quickly turn into a chronic condition.
Best Mattresses Recommended By Chiropractors
I am frequently asked by patients what mattresses I recommend for their pain or particular condition. Patients want to know where to find the best mattresses for chronic pain, sciatica, back pain, neck pain, hip pain, shoulder pain, disc issues, muscle spasms, and after spinal surgery.
Nowadays most mattresses are sold online, which makes picking a bed a difficult task. It is a costly purchase that you will spend a lot of time using, so it is important to make an educated decision.
Choosing the wrong mattress could cost you thousands of dollars and many nights of pain and restless sleep. I have some knowledge to share with you to make sure this doesnt happen.
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If You Cant Shop In Person
Its really hard to tell whether a specific mattress is right for you without lying on it first. Firmness, pressure relief, and support are all highly subjective factors, which is why weve always advised trying out a mattress in person prior to purchasing. But we also know that can be easier said than done. So in lieu of our usual try-before-you-buy advice, we recommend that you look for a generous return policy on any mattress youre thinking of buying sight unseen.
With respect to trial periods and return policies, here are your best options of all the mattresses in this guide:
More mattress coverage
$200 off
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,200.
Who its for: The Saatva Classic in Luxury Firm caters to back-pain sufferers who prefer a traditional innerspring mattress with a just-cushy-enough top. Its likely to feel comfortable regardless of your preferred sleep position.
How it feels: Weve been long-term testing our Saatva Classic for more than a year, and it has softened slightly from a stiff medium-firm to a plusher medium-firm.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The 416 support coils in the bottom half of the Saatva Classic are sturdy, but they number only about half those in the pricier WinkBed , another innerspring weve liked in the past. Theyre not individually wrapped, either, which can lead to motion transfer. For that reason, we think the Saatva works best if you sleep alone or dont wake easily when your partner rolls over.
Is A Firm Mattress Better For Back Pain
Many people will tell you that you need a firm mattress to stop back pain, but thats not necessarily true. A mattress thats too firm can also cause spine misalignment by pushing up the shoulders and hips. Instead, look for a medium-firm mattress that offers some cushioning for these key pressure points.
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Are Memory Foam Or Pocket Sprung Mattresses Best For A Bad Back
You might wish to start your search with memory foam and latex mattresses. According to research by the independent sleep website Sleep Like the Dead, these are some of the best mattresses for people who live with back, hip and shoulder pain, because they give plenty of support and they’re less likely to sag.
Memory foam, in particular, has high “conformability”, meaning the mattress moulds to the specific shape of your body that’s exactly what memory foam’s for, after all. This can be a particular benefit for people suffering from pain in their lower backs.
One of the benefits of the more traditional pocket sprung mattresses is that they provide very effective weight distribution which is great for taller or heavier individuals.
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.
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Why Does My Back Hurt On A Memory Foam Mattress
You may feel sore after lying on a memory foam bed because it’s the wrong firmness for you. Remember, side sleepers need mattresses soft enough to conform to the heavier and wider parts of the body. Back and stomach sleepers require a firm mattress to maintain neutral spine alignment.
If your bed is brand new, it may also take your body time to adjust to the feel. Your body’s sleep posture often changes as your mattress wears out and loses support. Your body may need as long as a month to correct its sleeping posture.
If your memory foam mattress is more than a few years old, it might cause a sore back because the foams have lost support. Are there permanent indentations from your body in the bed, or do you tend to roll to the middle of the mattress when you lie down? If so, it’s likely time for a replacement mattress.
Types Of Mattresses For Back Pain
There are several different types of mattresses, and I recommend some over others for combatting back pain. Take a look below to learn more about the main mattress types.
- Foam Mattresses All-foam mattresses rely on high density poly foams to support the sleeper. If you struggle with back problems, I often recommend avoiding all foam mattresses in favor of slightly more supportive innerspring or hybrid mattresses.
- Innerspring Mattresses Innerspring mattresses combine steel coil support with thin comfort foam top layers. Theyre often firm and bouncy, which can work well for back pain .
- Hybrid Mattresses Hybrid mattresses use coil and foam layers to create a supportive, yet comfortable sleeping environment. These beds can vary widely in feel and materials, but are often the type of bed I recommend for sleepers looking for back pain relief.
- Latex Mattresses Latex mattresses are taut, bouncy, and naturally cooling. These beds are very durable and supportive, but are not my first choice for sleepers with bad backs. These folks often need a material that offers more body-contouring. Latex mattresses dont usually offer the right sort of cradling to ease tension, especially at the lower back.
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Best Mattress For Back Pain
According to the American Chiropractic Association, roughly 31 million adults in the U.S. experience frequent or chronic back pain. The condition also accounts for more than 260 million missed workdays each year. Although a wide range of treatments for back pain are available, many people can alleviate their day-to-day symptoms by choosing a more comfortable and supportive mattress.
The best mattress for back pain for any given sleeper depends on a number of factors, including their body type and normal sleep position. Ideally, a mattress should conform to the body, improve spinal alignment, and keep sleepers on an even plane without sagging too much. Due to material and design differences, certain mattress types tend to provide better back pain and pressure relief than others.
Here well explore qualities and features that define the best bed for back pain. Our top mattresses for back pain among models sold today are listed below. Well also explain how to choose a good mattress for back pain based on composition, sleep position, and other variables.
Sleeping Cool And Airflow
There are a handful of design techniques and novel technologies that work to keep modern mattresses cool and sweat-free.
Some memory foam mattresses use open-air internal chambers that allow air to flow through the mattress, keeping it dry and cool. Other use gel-infused foam layers to reduce bacterial growth and pull heat away from sleepers.
Organic mattresses use natural materials such as cotton and wool to regulate mattress temperature and keep the bed breathable.
Smart beds use electric grids and preset information to electronically lower a mattresss temperature. Some models use this feature like an alarm mechanism, lowering the mattresss temperature until the sleeper it too cold to continue sleeping.
Engineers and creative designers will likely continue to create and implement fantastic improvements upon the current cooling and airflow methods used in contemporary mattresses. The future of sleep keeps getting brighter.
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Mattress Features To Look For To Relieve Back Pain
When shopping for a mattress to help relieve back pain, some features are more important than others. With so many products and a bevy of marketing hype, it can be tough to parse out what really matters. Youre most likely to get the most satisfaction out of your purchase by focusing on certain key considerations:
- Mattress Type: the materials and design will play a huge role in the performance of a mattress. The contouring, bounce, firmness, temperature regulation, and motion isolation of a mattress will be different for each mattress type, so it is critical for shoppers to think about their priorities and choose a mattress with components that will best meet their needs.
- Zoned Support: weight from the body is not distributed evenly instead, certain areas tend to require more cushioning. A zoned mattress takes that into account and offers reinforced support in those areas.
- Quality Materials: a mattress made with excellent materials is much more likely to provide the performance, reliability, and durability that people with back pain need.
- Firmness Level: firmness is a key driver of mattress comfort and is largely a matter of personal preference. At the same time, the right firmness level can play a big part in whether a mattress offers sufficient support, and that will depend significantly on a persons body weight and sleeping position.
