Remember the waterbed craze of the 70s and 80s? Sit ‘n Sleep does. It’s hard to believe that many people actually preferred to be sloshing around on a rocking, roiling wave of water for a third of their lives. But as with all fads those days have passed, and the tide has turned back in favor of a good old-fashioned firm mattress. These days, people seem to be more concerned about their health and less concerned about having the latest in trendy bedroom furniture – especially if that furniture leads to back problems and night after night of restless sleep. So it’s not surprising that more and more Americans are opting for a firmer sleeping surface to carry them comfortably through the night. It used to be that if you wanted a firm mattress, your only choice was an innerspring coil mattress sitting on top of a sturdy box springs. Depending on the mattress, this often required sacrificing comfort in order to get firm support. But with today’s advanced sleep technologies, there are many different types, makes and models of firm mattresses that offer both firmness and comfort.
These include memory foam, memory foam, latex and hybrid mattresses. Firm is Good for You! People who have migrated to a firm mattress can usually offer a long list of reasons for doing so. But chiropractors, doctors and other medical professionals also tout the benefits of spending seven or eight hours a night resting on a firm mattress. Getting the Right Firmness for You Believe it or not, a mattress that is too firm can also cause sleep and health problems. The mattress needs to support your body in a neutral position, one in which your spine has a nice curvature and your buttocks, heels, shoulders, and head are supported in proper alignment. If your mattress is too firm, it will push on those key pressure points and actually take you out of alignment. Conversely, if the mattress is too soft, those pressure points won’t be properly supported, so your whole body flops back. So it’s important to get the right level of firmness for your body. According to sleep experts, a mattress with less cushioning is more likely to support a neutral-spine position during sleep.
When you sleep on a firm mattress with minimal cushioning, your bones bear most of the pressure. This frees up your muscles and allows the arteries and veins to relax. This, in turn, improves circulation, which also helps you sleep better. The right mattress also prevents your lower back from collapsing when you lay on it. This stops your airway from becoming constricted, allowing the lungs to inhale more oxygen – another important factor in getting a good night’s sleep. For the best night’s sleep, choose a level of firmness based on the following factors: For example, if you tend to sleep on your side, a surface that provides a lot of pressure relief while conforming to your shape may be the best option. If you sleep on your stomach, a firm top surface will provide the best support and prevent that “smothering” feeling that can occur when you sink down into the mattress. If you tend to sleep on your back, look for a mattress that provides firm support but has a little “give” so your spine stays in proper alignment.
Sit ‘N Sleep: The Mattress Experts These are just some of the reasons to consider a firm mattress. Your particular body type might need a softer mattress, but that’s for you to decide. It may take a while to determine what type of mattress you need, but when it comes to buying your mattress, there’s only one smart choice – Sit ‘N Sleep. Check out our contact page for more info, or call our customer service team at (800) 908-0354. We look forward to serving you, whether you decide on a firm or soft mattress. And remember, our VIP customers save $100 on any purchase of $999 or more!If you suffer from chronic back or neck pain, you know just how difficult it is to get a good night’s sleep. Being in pain, in general, is enough to keep you awake, but back and neck pain can be especially difficult to sleep with. Your sleep position, pillows and mattress type can all have an impact on how well you sleep and how rested you feel upon awakening. If you’ve tried everything else, including seeking help from a physician, to alleviate your back and neck pain, it might be time to try a new mattress.
Are firmer mattresses better for back pain? The short answer is no. If a hard mattress is uncomfortable, then it’s generally not relaxing the muscle of our back and provide the necessary support. Many people wrongly believe that “extra firm mattresses” are the best mattress choices for chronic back pain. There is even an old wives tale that suggests sleeping flat on the floor is best for men with bad backs. In reality, an extra firm mattress is too firm for the average sleeper and may cause circulation issues and not properly support the curves of the human body in different sleep positions. Generally, a medium firmness is best to provide comfort and support to the curve of the human body in all of the positions we sleep in. Also, extra soft mattresses may cause a hammock affect, bowing instead of providing a neutral position to sleep in. If someone is exclusively a back or stomach sleeper and like a hard mattress, then an extra firm mattress may be best. If someone is exclusively a fetal position sleeper and loves the extra soft feel, then an extra soft pillowtop mattress may be best.
Otherwise, choose one with an in-between feel! Have any scientific studies shown a mattress that is best for back pain?The only company that has completed large-scale, scientific studies about their mattresses is Tempur-Pedic. Tempur-Pedic mattresses & adjustable beds have been shown to have a very high owner satisfaction rating. 94% of owners say they’re satisfied over-all with their Tempur-Pedic mattress (Blackstone 2011) and when compared to other companies it is very high indeed. Additionally, Tempur-Pedic mattresses include a trial period to test the mattress at The Bedding Experts. Other companies make ridiculous, unbelievable statements about their products solving back problems, none of which are backed by a real scientific study. Sleep Number, for example, claims that ‘93% experience back pain relief.’ This claim, used today in Sleep Number advertising, is based on a 1996 study of 30 individuals who were provided a Sleep Number adjustable bed to replace their coil mattress.
The researchers reported “that most patients with chronic non-specific back pain will have improved sleep on the [Select Comfort] adjustable bed.” The Sleep Number Beds claims are misleading in the least. So, is there a scientific study that shows a mattress is the best for helping back pain? No, but some mattresses help people sleep better overall, including those with back pain. It’s about finding the one that is comfortable for you that provides pressure relief, support, and is durable. What mattress types does Bedding Experts recommend for people with back pain? Firstly, we recommend consulting with a physician about any back related issues before thinking that a mattress will solve your back problems. The mostly highly recommend bed in America though is…you guessed it: Tempur-Pedic. In general, we recommend pressure-relieving mattresses that support a neutral sleeping position. Tempur-Pedic: Tempur-Pedic mattresses are the most popular mattresses in the world and have a very high consumer satisfaction rating.
Not only do the statistics back up Tempur-Pedic’s claims, but in our personal experience we have had a lot of happy customers that were overjoyed with their Tempur-Pedic mattresses helping their back issues. Tempur-Pedic is also the mostly highly recommend bed in America. Memory Foam: Memory foam is a very similar material to TEMPUR foam and is popular because it conforms to the shape of your body, providing comfort and support throughout the night. The Bedding Experts offers some of the best memory foam brands available today and we often recommend this memory foam mattresses if someone is interested in a pressure-relieving mattress, but don’t like the unique TEMPUR feel. Hybrid Mattresses: For our clients that don’t want to make the leap to an all-foam product and like the support structure and feel of a solid innerspring, but still want the pressure-relieving qualities of memory foam, we recommend a hybrid style Beautyrest or Posturepedic mattress. These products feature a supportive coil system below a comfortable layer of pressure-relieving memory foam.
Proper Alignment for a Better Sleep and a Better Back Besides mattresses that offer a relaxing sleep surface for your back muscles to relax and your posture to be neutral, there are other options that really help with great sleeping posture. Pillows – A pillow that is the right size is the most important. Choosing a pillow really takes two to determine correctly. Have the other person make sure your neck is straight while the curve feel supported. A pillow that is too thick or too thin can put pressure on neck and lower back. We also offer pillow fitting at our Chicago Mattress Stores. Adjustable beds – an adjustable bed can elevate your torso or feet to get the best possible sleeping position, thus reducing strain on your lower back and other parts of your body! This can also be a wonderful product to rest your feet and may be beneficial for those with sleep apnea, chronic heart burn, inflammatory conditions, and other ailments that may benefit from elevation of the legs or torso.