It’s common knowledge that we need an average of eight hours of quality sleep per night. Less known is that your mattress may be the reason that you’re not achieving this goal.
When you’re resting on an inadequate mattress, you experience pain. Due to this, you find yourself tossing and turning, making it impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position. This, as opposed to restorative sleep, leaves you frustrated and fatigued and results in even more pain the next day.
Even with a checklist of the best mattresses for back pain, buying just any mattress may not resolve your problem. You must find one that’s right for you and your body. To find a proper bed, you first need to look at the root of your problems.
How Can a Mattress Negatively Affect a Good Night’s Sleep?
There aren’t many things that beat the feeling of burrowing into your mattress after an exhausting day. Quite often, though, your bed ends up being the cause of inadequate sleep, affecting your well-being. Below are the most common reasons why this happens.
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A Lack of Support May Cause Back Pain
Sleeping in a way that supports the natural curves in your back is essential. Even a slight push or pull on your spinal column can pressure the tendons and ligaments that connect your spine to muscles and other bones.
An estimated 80 percent of adults experience back pain. Being sore when you wake up is a telltale sign that your mattress plays a contributing role. If this is the case, it’s vital to invest in a bed that provides adequate spinal reinforcement.
Neck Pain Resulting from a Sagging or Lumpy Mattresses
Although your pillows may play a contributing role in neck pain, mattresses with lumpy or sagging parts can put your body in a disproportionate position to your head. This may result in severe neck pain.
Joint Pain Resulting from Your Mattress Being Too Firm
When you go to sleep, you’re releasing your entire body weight onto the bed’s surface. It’s vital to ensure that your mattress has the right amount of firmness. If not, you may be putting excessive pressure on your hips, shoulders, side, back, and knees, which can lead to aches and pains.
Allergies Related to Dust Mites
Dust mites are microscopic creatures that feed off of dead human skin, typically found in household dust. They thrive in warm, humid spots such as your mattress and upholstered furniture. People allergic to these bugs and those that have asthma are often affected. Symptoms include:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Itchy eyes
- Runny nose
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Chest pain
Although it’s impossible to keep your house free of dust mites, there are many things that you can do to keep their numbers to a minimum. This includes putting an allergy-proof cover over your mattress and regularly washing your bedding.
Sleep Deprivation
Any of the issues mentioned above can cause disrupted sleep, and possibly even long-term sleep deprivation. Consistent fatigue isn’t only known to affect your well-being negatively but is also linked to many chronic diseases, such as type two diabetes and obesity. It also leaves you drained of energy, making each day a struggle.
What to Keep in Mind When You’re Shopping for a New Bed
By now, it should be clear that a proper mattress is vital to a good night’s rest. Below is some advice to assist you in making the right choice.
Keep Firmness in Mind
As mentioned earlier, a mattress that’s too firm may cause joint pain. That said, choosing a bed comes down to what feels best for your body. Typically, though, your sleep position is a good indication of the firmness that’ll best suit your purpose.
- A topper or softer mattress usually works well for side sleepers.
- For people that prefer to sleep on their stomachs, a medium or hard mattress is often the best choice.
- Since back sleepers tend to spread their weight over a larger surface, and firmness should be suitable.
Rotate Your Mattress
Although there are no set guidelines on rotating your mattress, manufacturers generally suggest that you do this at least once every three months. Doing this will ensure its longevity and that it wears evenly over time. To help you determine when it’s time to reposition your bed, ask the following questions:
- How comfortable is it when you’re sleeping?
- Is it beginning to sag?
- Are you in pain when you wake up?
Choose a Non-Toxic Mattress
Some mattresses contain many toxic ingredients and may give off strong chemical odors. This can be harmful, especially to people with autoimmune disorders, and may promote various pains.
Non-toxic mattresses, on the other hand, are made from natural products such as cotton and bamboo. This ensures that the emission of harmful chemicals is either neutralized or kept to a minimum.
Choose to Sleep Well
Before you spend money on a new bed, it might be a good idea to test how your body will react to a firmer surface. An affordable way to do this is by putting a piece of plywood under your mattress or putting it flat on the ground.
Waking up sore and aching is generally a sign that your mattress is mismatched to your body and needs replacing. Although there’s no evidence to suggest that an adequate bed will help you live longer, it’ll optimize your sleep.
