Ratings > Mattresses and Bad Back Problems Unbiased Comparisons Based on 22,478 Owner Experiences Some mattresses perform significantly better than others in preventing / relieving pain, including back, hip and shoulder pain. Before discussing which are best, three interrelated terms are important to understand: support, conforming ability, and firmness. Support refers to how well a mattress keeps the sleeper's body on a flat and level plane. Owner experience data shows that support is a key factor in preventing and alleviating pain, especially back pain. Support can be undermined by excessive softness and excessive firmness – but it is most often undermined by sagging of the mattress. Sagging is the top complaint of mattress owners overall with at least 30% reporting a significant problem. Sagging occurs when part of a mattress, usually the middle, becomes compressed and lower than the rest. Sagging often puts a person's spine into an unnatural position – especially for side and stomach sleepers.
Consequently, mattress owner experience data shows a clear connection between sagging and pain, especially back pain. The greater the sagging depth the more likely it is that sagging will cause a person to have discomfort or pain in bed and possibly out of bed. * especially for side and / or stomach sleepers. It should be noted that despite the fact that back pain for many people may occur with less than 1.5 inches of sagging depth, many mattress warranties cover sagging only if it has a depth greater than 1.5 inches. Conforming ability refers to how well a mattress conforms or molds to the contours and curves of a person's body. A mattress has good conforming ability if all of one's body is supported equally by the mattress. A lack of conforming ability means there are gaps in support. The result can be that at least one part of the body – such as the lower back – is placed in an unsupported, unnatural and therefore stressed position which can cause pain.
A lack of conforming ability also often results in some parts of the body – namely shoulders and hips of side sleepers – feeling more pressure than other parts because of unequal support. Such pressure can be a source of significant discomfort. Having the right firmness is an important factor in preventing / relieving pain. Learn more: Mattress Firmness Guide & Comparison. The graph below shows the pain-relieving ability of the different mattress types based on actual owner experiences. The types that are better at reducing (back, hip and shoulder) pain are more supportive, less likely to sag and more likely to have effective conforming ability. Keep in mind that the chart represents what is often but not always the case; model or individual mattress may go against these findings somewhat. Sagging and loss of support (barring mechanical breakdown) is usually less of a problem with airbeds compared to most other bed types. And the air chambers inside an airbed provide at least fair conforming ability and allow for adjustable firmness / support to suit personal preference and sleep position.
Airbeds, however, with little or no comfort layer can be too firm on hips and or shoulders of small- to average-sized side sleepers. While memory foam mattresses can develop problems (sagging, excessive softness, and loss of support) these problems tend to not be as common or serious as they can be with innerspring-based mattresses (memory foam's main competition). Memory foam also provides good conforming ability for average- to large-sized people. Firmness levels tend to be mostly medium to medium-firm. Smaller-sized people may experience excessive pressure points as they tend to not exert adequate pressure on the mattress to benefit from the foam's conforming ability. Latex can develop body impressions and soften to some extent, but these problems tend to not cause widespread pain problems. Latex often conforms moderately to the body. Firmness tends to be medium to firm (but soft varieties are available). Hybrid mattresses often provide above-average support, but such support breaks down for at least 18% of owners within three years due to sagging.
Conforming ability tends to be good if at least two inches of memory foam is present. A variety of firmnesses are available. While waterbeds are often highly conforming, their support is questionable. At least 15% of owners claim that their waterbed causes back pain because of poor support. Firmness can be adjusted somewhat by adding or removing water. Innerspring mattresses often provide at least fair support, but such support breaks down for at least 20% of owners within three years due to sagging. Models with a significant comfort layer often provide fair conforming ability, while models with a minimal comfort layer often provide poor conforming ability especially for small- to average-sized people. Futon mattresses offer mostly fair support and conforming ability. Futons tend to be more firm than soft. While mattress support, mattress conforming ability, and mattress firmness are crucial factors for preventing / relieving pain, they are not the only factors. One's choice of pillow is important as well.
If your pillow – specifically its loft or height – is not compatible with your mattress – specifically its firmness level – then neck, upper spine, head and shoulder discomfort or pain are possible. See our pillow loft guide and calculators to learn how much loft may be best for you.We all have our habits when it comes to sleeping, but the position we sleep in will always fall in one of three categories: back, side or stomach. And while some people switch positions more often than others, there’s usually one predominant position during the night (which may be different than the position you prefer to fall asleep in!). It’s this predominant position that should guide you when you’re shopping for a new mattress. So, below are a few things to think about for all types of sleeper. It goes without saying that people who sleep on their backs are more susceptible to pain in the spine and the back in general. This is because of the amount of strain your spine undergoes when you lie down.
It might seem like that old spring mattress you’ve had for many years feels great when you first lay your head to rest, but as the night wears on the pressure on your spine increases. The first step towards solving this problem is understanding that, as a back sleeper, you will need more support than someone who say, sleeps on their side. For this reason, if you’re on the market for a new mattress (and of course I recommend memory foam), it’s wise to look for a model that’s medium firm or slightly more plush than most. However, going too plush can also pose it’s problems because you need more support for your spine than people who sleep in a different position do. It may all start to sound very confusing and I understand how you feel. After all, it wasn’t that long ago I was in the same situation. You do have to think about how heavy you are, what you do and don’t find comfortable, and the fact you may need to consider motion transfer if you share your bed with someone else.
Choosing a new mattress can be a journey in itself, but if you understand that, as a back sleeper, it’s your spine that needs a little extra help, this should narrow down the choice (if only a little). If you sleep on your side, you may be happy to know this is one of the healthiest positions. Sleeping in this position, for one thing, will help reduce acid reflux. This is why your doctor might tell you sleeping on your side is better for you if you’re pregnant. It also means the blood can circulate better and it reduces the amount of pressure on your lungs. If you have a partner that snores, the chances are this is at its worst when they sleep on their back. For the most part a snoring partner can be pretty much silenced by helping them to turn on their side. However, it’s not all “plain sailing” if you sleep on your side. If you have a traditional spring mattress for instance, this won’t help in terms of pressure points across your body. This is why a memory foam mattress can do wonders for your posture even if you do sleep on your side.
The main problem side sleepers will come across are aches and pains in the shoulders and hips. If you make sure your mattress will adequately cradle these parts of your body you won’t wake up feeling like you’ve aged 10 years overnight. Of course, the thickness, type of memory foam and density you choose is entirely up to you. In fact, I would say this is a very personal decision. Just bear in mind that if you generally sleep on your side, it’s worth looking into medium to soft memory foam mattresses specifically designed to support hips, shoulders and to a certain degree the spine, as these are the areas where the most pressure is experienced when you sleep. This might seem like the most comfortable position for you, but this is actually one of the unhealthiest ways to drop off overnight. The main reason for this is the majority of our weight falls on the torso area, and when you sleep on your stomach you’re actually putting an awful lot of pressure on your spine because of this.
But since the last thing you will probably want to hear is that you should change your sleeping position, it’s important you know what can be done to help alleviate the strain on your spine. The first thing to consider is how well your current mattress is supporting you. If you find you suffer from more aches and pains in your back when you wake up in the morning, your mattress could be the culprit. Coil spring mattresses are probably the last thing you should sleep on because they’re not designed to support the pressure points across the body (let alone help align your spine). So if your mattress is a number of years old, then for the sake of your physical health it might be time to change. The best type of mattress for someone who sleeps on their stomach is not too firm, yet not too soft. If you go too soft, the spine will arch as you sleep and this can be very painful the next morning. If you have a mattress that’s too firm this won’t let your spine fall into its natural curve and will also cause you problems.