What to Do When Your Mattress Is Too Soft or Too Firm Why Mattress Firmness Matters Remember the story of Goldilocks and the beds? She tried three different beds, trying to find one that wasn’t too hard or too soft, but “just right.” Turns out, she was really on to something. Of course, “just right” bed firmness is a subjective thing about which opinions will vary wildly, and—as we saw with Goldilocks—most people would have to lie down on the bed before they could even say what “just right” means for them. So how do you find your “just right” when it comes to mattresses—and what can you do if you realize that the mattress you have doesn’t fit the bill? First, let’s take a moment to drive home why you should care about the firmness of your mattress. The short answer can be distilled down to one word: alignment. Diving little deeper on that, your spine needs to be aligned while you sleep. Lying in an unaligned position for eight hours a day, every day, can contribute to serious back pain as well as negatively affect your sleep quality.
Mattress firmness, in turn, plays a big role in determining how aligned you are. What’s Better, a Firm Mattress or a Soft Mattress? Firmer mattresses provide more resistance for your body, which can help support you but can also apply too much pressure to certain points of your body, leading to painful pressure points or unaligned positions caused by your body compensation for any local discomfort. A soft plush mattress, on the other hand, can cause your spine to collapse into the mattress, which leads to its own alignment issues. Ultimately, there’s no straightforward answer about how to choose a mattress or whether a firm mattress is better or worse than a soft one. Spend some time doing a little research and a thorough mattress comparison before making a decision. Each person’s preference will vary based on a multitude of factors, including height, weight, age, and whether or not you have back pain or other health considerations. Your sleeping position will also play a role:
Side sleepers tend to need softer mattresses that don’t put too much pressure on the shoulders or hips. Back sleepers are better off with a medium firm mattress that supports the low back without pushing too much on the spine. Stomach sleepers require a firmer surface that prevents the body from sinking into the mattress and collapsing the spine. To make it all even more complex, your firmness needs may very over time as injuries, pregnancy, or weight fluctuations change your sleep needs. How to Deal with a Too-Soft or Too-Firm Mattress If you come to the realization that your mattress is too firm or too soft, the best thing to do is to buy a new mattress. Of course, finances or other circumstances don’t always allow for that. In a pinch, here are some makeshift solutions for remedying your current mattress firmness: If your mattress is too soft, try slipping some plywood boards between the mattress and the box spring or the bed frame. This will add some extra support.
Try a mattress pad or mattress topper. Pillow-material mattress toppers can help soften a too-firm mattress, while thick pads or firm mattress toppers can add some more support.Some mattress materials, like ones made from 100% memory foam, can become softer in warmer rooms, so try adjusting your thermostat to see if it makes your mattress more to your liking. If your mattress is too soft and it’s two-sided, try flipping it. The unused side will often be firmer. A better solution for finding your best mattress is to choose an adjustable latex mattress. As we outlined above, everyone requires different levels of firmness—and what’s more, you need different levels of mattress firmness for different parts of your body, and all these needs are subject to change throughout your life. Because of these variables, choosing one level of firmness for your whole mattress just doesn’t make sense. That’s where adjustable mattresses come to the rescue. In the case of Reverie, each of our latex mattresses is composed of individual DreamCell™ foam springs that come in three levels of firmness: firm, medium, and soft.
Our Sleep Specialists help customers determine the precise configuration of these DreamCells to best support each area of their body—so their shoulders can rest on a soft surface while their low back presses against a firm one, for instance. In addition, these DreamCell™ foam springs can be easily reconfigured at any time (we’re talking under 20 minutes) to respond to any changing sleep needs. The individual natural latex cells also allow for different firmness levels on each side of the bed, meaning back sleepers and side sleepers can rest side-by-side, each with the support he or she needs. Now we can’t speak for Goldilocks, but that sounds “just right” to us.Back pain is an all-too-common complaint. In fact, eight out of 10 Americans will have back pain at some point during their lifetime. Back pain is a primary reason why people visit their doctor and miss work. If you’re one of the millions of Americans suffering, you may be wondering, “What is the best mattress for back pain?”
The National Sleep Foundation notes that a good mattress will last about 10 years, so if you’re sleeping on an old, saggy mattress, the answer could be yes. Still, before you run out and buy a new mattress, you should do your homework. Consider not only what brand and type of mattress to buy, but also what really may be at the heart of your pain. If your back pain wakes you up in the middle of the night or is worse when you first rise in the morning, your mattress could be the culprit, or at least contributing to your discomfort. If you can’t recall the last time you replaced your mattress and/or you almost get swallowed up by the growing sinkhole in the middle, it’s probably time to buy a new one. Mattresses also collect dust mites, fungus and other germs that can aggravate allergies and impact your sleep quality. Keep in mind: there is no such thing as a universal best mattress for back pain. The right sleeping surface will vary from person to person. The body also changes over time, so a mattress that once gave you satisfying beauty rest may no longer do so in the long run.
When you do decide to replace your mattress, don’t be afraid to act like Goldilocks. Take your time and test things out. Many stores will let you lie down on their mattresses. Be sure to lie down and relax in your normal sleeping position, and yes, go ahead and bring your own pillow from home. Some stores will even let you trial run a mattress and return it if it doesn’t suit your needs. Back pain can often be caused by keeping our bodies in either a forward bend (flexion) or backward bend (extension) too much. This pain may be reduced or eliminated with exercise that counteracts the forward or back-bend position. If your sleeping posture causes your spine to be positioned in the same direction that leads to discomfort during the day, then the position could inflame your pain and wake you during the night. For example, if pain improves during the day by bending backwards, then sleeping in the fetal position, which bends the spine forward, is probably not a good idea. If bending forward is what relieves your pain, you should avoid sleeping on your stomach, as this position causes the spine to bend backwards a little.
For most people, sleeping on their side with a small pillow or roll underneath their waist will keep the spine straight. This is the best sleeping position, as the support at the waist keeps the spine from sagging down toward the mattress. Sleeping with a small pillow or roll beneath the waist is more beneficial for back pain than sleeping with a pillow between the knees. Contrary to what you may have heard, sleeping on your stomach is not necessarily a bad position. If sitting aggravates your pain, and standing and walking decreases your pain, sleeping on your stomach could be helpful. However, if the opposite is true (pain is better with sitting, but worse when standing and walking), the fetal position may be more helpful. Sleeping on your back with pillows under your head, shoulder and knees is another option you may want to try. Most of us spend nearly one-third of our lives lying in bed, so choosing the right mattress can be critical to managing or preventing back pain.
Getting the z’s your body needs depends on a variety of factors—from room temperature to lifestyle habits to daily stress—but to help ensure adequate rest, your mattress is your foundation. If you’ve ever gone mattress shopping, you already know the brands, types and styles available today border on overwhelming. So how do you pick the best mattress for back pain? Your personal preferences should ultimately guide your decision. There is no single mattress brand, style or type that will work for everyone who has (or doesn’t have) back pain. Any mattress that enables somebody to sleep well, pain-free and without stiffness is the right mattress for that person. That being said, here’s a good rule of thumb: the mattress you choose should support your body in a neutral position (where your spine has a slight curvature, and your buttocks, heels, shoulders and head are in proper alignment). The right amount of back support can also help you avoid muscle soreness in the morning.
While there isn’t much clinical data available on mattresses, researchers in Spain studied individuals with long-term back pain and found that those who slept on a medium-to-firm mattress had less back pain than those who slept on a softer mattress. Therefore, a firmer bed could be a better choice for people with back pain, particularly lower back pain. Again, when you’re sleeping, there are no significant external forces on your spine, so although a firmer mattress can give more support, it isn’t necessary to sleep on one if it just doesn’t feel comfortable for you. Support, conformability and firmness. These three terms can help guide you when it comes to pinpointing the mattress that’s right for you. How well does the mattress keep your body on a flat and level plane instead of allowing part of your body to be lower or higher than the rest of your body? Support could be a key factor in preventing and relieving pain, especially back pain. How well does the mattress conform to the contours of your body?
Good conformability means all of your body is supported equally by your mattress. Gaps in support can cause one part of the body, such as the lower spine, to be placed in a stressed and an unnatural position. Medium-firm mattresses tend to be firm enough to provide support, but soft enough to offer conformability and pressure-point relief. They are often the most effective in preventing/reducing overall pain and discomfort. Firm mattresses have support, but not much conformability. Mattresses that are too firm may cause discomfort as a result of severely felt pressure points. Soft mattresses provide good conformability and pressure-point relief, but may lack enough support, which could trigger back pain. To begin answering this question, let’s briefly review the four popular mattress choices: These remain the most widely used mattresses, and firmer versions can be good for people suffering from back pain. Innerspring mattresses offer support through coil springs. On top of the individually enclosed coils you’ll find a broad range of materials added for comfort, including pillow, latex and memory foam.
Remember, more coils doesn’t necessarily equal more comfort. The good news is there are plenty of innerspring mattress choices on the market, ranging in firmness to fluffiness. The choices can and do accommodate nearly every preference and budget. There isn’t a direct correlation between price and comfort; however, it’s wise to steer clear from the cheapest innerspring mattress, as there may not be enough springs and cushion to provide adequate support. Memory foam mattresses are made of layers of different densities of foam. These mattresses respond to weight and temperature, and mold to the specific shape of your body. When your weight shifts throughout the night, memory foam will mold to the shape of your body, reducing pressure points and easing pain. Memory foam mattresses also help absorb the movement from a tossing-and-turning partner. Because they are temperature sensitive (softening and molding with your body heat), some who have purchased them have complained the mattresses make them feel too hot during the night.
Others have also reported the mattresses emit an unpleasant chemical smell. Made from natural or synthetic rubber, latex mattresses provide very firm, bouncy support that’s uniform throughout the bed. Unlike memory foam, latex pushes back, and therefore, may offer added support. A latex mattress (or latex mattress topper) can be great for soothing back pain, as it delivers a unique combination of comfort and support. Latex, however, may not be the right option for you if you don’t like the feel of snoozing on a pretty firm mattress. High-end air beds (such as Sleep Number beds, not the camping versions you blow up for your out-of-town guests during a Thanksgiving visit) look like an innerspring mattress, but use air-filled chambers rather than coils. They are then covered by a foam layer on top. These types of air beds have been routinely used for patients who have spinal-cord injuries and can’t move for long periods. The firmness on each side of these beds can be adjusted to suit individual tastes.