The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recommends your mattress should support your body weight evenly, without gaps between your mattress and your body. However, there is no "one size fits all" type of bed, and choosing the best bed for your back depends on your preferences and condition. You may need to change beds if you gain or lose a lot of weight, become pregnant or change sleeping partners. If you sleep with a partner, an adjustable mattress may be best for your back because you can each select a firmness level. A bed that is too firm can increase pressure on parts of your body, decreasing your quality of sleep and making you wake up sore. Too-soft beds don't support your back properly, and your spine won't be aligned and rested as you sleep, cautions J. Talbot Sellers, D.O., of the spine-health website. A 2008 study performed by Harvard researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that people who could customise their mattress firmness to suit them slept better and experienced less back pain and soreness.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders states that people with back pain should sleep on their sides on a firm surface. Sellers stresses that since choosing the best bed for your back is a matter of personal preference, you should test a mattress in the store. Buy from a store that has a return policy if you're not comfortable sleeping on it after two or three weeks. Ron Miller, PT, writing on the spine-health website, suggests that adjustable beds—also called semi-Fowler beds—can be very comfortable for people with back problems such as spinal stenosis or osteoarthritis in the spine, or after back surgery. Similar to some hospital beds, you can raise or lower an adjustable bed so your upper body is raised to 30 to 45 degrees. Put a pillow under the backs of your knees to keep them slightly bent and your spine at a natural curve and take pressure off your lower back. The Better Sleep Council suggests other options to a traditional box spring mattress. Futons are often quite firm, as well as being affordable and versatile since they can function as both a sofa and a bed.
Inflatable air mattresses can be filled to your comfort level, as soft or as firm as you like. Foam mattresses come in a variety of styles, from memory foam which molds itself to your body as you sleep, to layered or textured foam. Water beds are now designed to look and feel more like a traditional mattress, providing better support and insulation compared to the sloshing waterbeds of the 1970s. Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week Mattresses & Back Pain The Best Mattress for Large Heavy Side Sleepers Recommended Mattresses for Children How to Alleviate Hip Pain in Pregnancy by Sleeping on the Side Are Memory Foam Mattresses Good for Your Back? How to Lengthen Your Spine With Sleeping Positions What Firmness of Mattress Is Best for a Toddler?
How Do I Know What Type of Mattress Is Best for Me? Exercises After ACDF Surgery for a Stiff Back With Lower Back Pain Hip Problems After Pregnancy Exercises Exercise & Lack of Sleep The Effects of Sleeping on Your Back While Pregnant Sleeping Positions to Reduce Back & Hip Aches Causes, Risk Factors and Prevention of Back Pain Ways to Incline While You Sleep With a Back Wedge Baby and Bed Bug Bites What Ages Are Toddler Beds Designed For? Leg Strengthing Exercises After Being Bedridden Bed Wetting and Child AbuseWe will spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, so it makes sense to spend time, thought and money on which mattress we buy. The right one, say Deane Halfpenny – a consultant in musculoskeletal pain medicine – and osteopath Rehana Kapadia, can ensure you are not only more comfortable, but healthier, too. Kapadia recommends investing time trying them out. “Some people just go into the shop and press them to see how they feel, ” she says, “but I would say you should lie down for 20 minutes on each one.
If you just hop on and off, it’s hard to imagine how you will feel after an eight-hour sleep.” Halfpenny agrees and says spending as much as you can afford on a bed is a good long-term investment in your health – especially when they typically last between seven and 10 years. “In sleep studies where you observe patients through the night, you see how much we all move when we sleep. But if you are uncomfortable, you move constantly and your sleep is not as restful as it should be. “Undisturbed sleep is important because of the fluctuating hormones that are released when we sleep. Disturbed sleep disrupts these patterns. Our bodies are constantly breaking down and rebuilding, and restorative sleep allows your muscles to relax and improves blood flow – [especially] to the discs in your back, which normally have poor blood flow. If your muscles are tense, you won’t get that restorative blood flow.” Kapadia advises choosing a mattress that is supportive as well as comfortable.
“Patients often think they should be getting a firm, orthopedic mattress. But, actually, if your mattress is too firm, you can end up with hyperlordosis, where the arch in your back is exaggerated.” Instead, you should think about a mattress that is soft enough to allow you to sink into it, while firm enough to support you. “It’s about surface area and pressure,” says Halfpenny. “The more of your body that is in contact with the mattress, the less pressure on your shoulders or hips.” Halfpenny says that, if you choose the right mattress, whichever position you sleep in will be comfortable and healthy. She says the optimum position for sleep – to avoid back problems or ligament strain – is on your side with your knees bent. This is because it allows your body – from the back of your head, through your neck, spine and pelvis – to align. “Even without pillows, your neck, spine and pelvis should be in line, so that you aren’t twisted, or turned in on yourself,” she says.
“If you sleep on your front – it doesn’t matter how good the mattress – you will twist your neck and back; your head will be turned to the side and your leg probably twisted up. Even sleeping on your back with your legs straight can put strain on your lower back.” She says that, although many people think they have little control over the positions they adopt in their sleep, it is possible to train yourself to sleep on your side – and doing so is a good idea to avoid long-term back problems. However, because our shoulders and hips are our broadest points, even lying on your side on a too-firm surface can throw this alignment out, says Kapadia. “You can get a lumbar spine sag, meaning your middle will drop into a U shape, stressing the spine ligaments, which can press on your nerves.” So, for eight hours, your ligaments will be working instead of resting. As a result, you can wake up feeling achy instead of rested. “This is why you need a bed that will allow your shoulders and hips to sink in, then your waist and side are supported.”
In fact, Kapadia suggests taking a friend bed-shopping with you to check your alignment as you lie on a bed – or even taking a photograph to show how well you are supported. The worst mattresses, Halfpenny warns, are the old, soft ones, which dip like hammocks in the middle, curving your back. Another tricky issue is buying a mattress for a couple, as each person may have different needs, thanks to their different shapes and weights. “You don’t want one of you to sink in and the other to be bouncing on the top. It’s about surface area and pressure. You need to sink in at first, and then be supported.” Halfpenny says choosing a bed with breathable, natural materials can improve your sleep quality – so that you don’t get too hot and sweaty in the night. But, for those with allergies, Kapadia suggests trying out a bed with natural latex instead. It’s also worth thinking about a bed with a slatted base so that air can circulate, or one with pocket springs to match the mattress.
For older patients, and those who find it hard to get in and out of bed, getting a higher base can also help. If you are on a very tight budget and can’t afford the mattress you want, buying a decent one and adding a mattress topper for extra comfort can help. Finally, don’t forget to think about pillows, say the experts at John Lewis. If you sleep on your side, you might need a firmer one, to fill the space between the side of your head and shoulder. If you are on your back, you need a softer one to keep your neck in line with your spine. Anyone sleeping on their front needs a very flat pillow. But Halfpenny has a final warning: even when you successfully find the perfect bed, your problems might not be over. The pain specialist says he spent more than £4,000 finding the right mattress for himself and his wife, and hours researching it. Although now he can happily sleep for 10 hours at a time, there is one drawback – going on holiday or to visit family is torture. “I just want to get back to my mattress!”
£2,050 in a kingsizeDeane’s top choice Rehana: This is really high end. My body is nicely supported so my lower spine is not being pushed down or up. It can be short-sighted to buy too cheap a mattress – try to buy the best you can afford. Deane: This is fantastic. Not too hard or soft. R: Memory foam like this moulds to your body, but some people find they can get very hot. It’s not very breathable and it retains a lot of heat. If you can’t afford one, you could buy a mattress topper for support.D: This mattress takes time to mould around you, but it’s very supportive. It is firm, but not overly so. R: This is hypoallergenic and has the firmness of a memory foam, but with a bit more bounce. I thought I would like latex but I prefer the other ones.D:I can’t get comfortable – it is far too firm for me. My spine might be in a good position but I don’t feel like I can sink in. £999 in a kingsizeRehana’s top choice R: This is good – the natural fibres breathe better so you don’t get as hot, and it’s very comfortable.