If Sandi Toksvig and Alan Davies found themselves with nothing to talk about one week, they could fill a whole episode of QI discussing mattresses. Admittedly it would not be a ratings-winner and they are currently on series N rather than M, but there are numerous myths and misconceptions about the mattress market. For example, how many springs would you expect to find in a 1000 pocket spring single mattress? It's certainly not 1000 (it's more like half that as the number relates to how many you'd fit on a much bigger mattress). One of the most enduring myths is that people with a bad back should have a very firm bed. I'm not a chiropractor but after starting to read mattress guides online I realised pretty quickly that it's not that simple. According to both the British Chiropractic Association and the Sleep Council, what you actually need is a 'supportive' bed. For some people, that will be a firm bed but for other people it will actually be quite a soft bed. The key to getting a mattress that will look after your back is finding one that creates a nice straight spine when you are lying on your side.
With a firm mattress, an 8 stone jockey will not sink into the bed enough so the spine will end up curvy (resembling a frowny face was how one guide described it). Similarly, an 18 stone wrestler will be swallowed up by a soft mattress and would need something firmer to help keep their spine straight. You can achieve that straight spine with a memory foam, pocket sprung or latex mattress. Several bed comparison websites conclude that a good quality memory foam or latex mattress has the potential to offer superior support, although you can certainly look after your back with a decent pocket sprung mattress. The firm mattress myth is confused further because some manufacturers offer a mattress which they describe as 'orthopedic'. It sounds kind of scientific and medical, much like those shampoo adverts with diagrams of hair strands. However, what it usually means in the mattress market is that it is extra firm but there's no blanket rule (pun intended) that it will be the best option for your back.
And here's another weird quirk of the mattress market - no-one has ever decided what 'firm' or 'soft' actually means. One company's 'soft' could be the same as another company's 'medium' mattress, in much the same way that a medium t-shirt from one shop might be a large t-shirt in another. That's terribly confusing for the mattress buyer, particularly if you buy something online. Your options are either to buy from a bed shop where they may not stock that award-winning mattress which you've read about, or to buy online and hope that it is the right level of firmness for you. Some higher end mattresses offer a free return after a month or two of sleeping but I'm rather too British and would be reluctant to return it unless it had completely fallen apart. The best advice I've found online after many (many) hours of reading is to put your hand flat underneath your back whilst lying on the bed. If there's no gap, it's too soft. If there's a huge gap then the bed is too hard for you.
Personally, I'd like to see bed companies offering something more useful, such as a rating which explains that 'this bed is ideal for people who weigh 10-12 stone' if such a thing is achievable. Until then, we'll have to settle for awkward trips to the bed shop where we attempt to work out if our spine is straight. This blog originally appeared in The Best Mattresses GuideEveryone suffers from a bad night’s sleep once in a while, but a few nights of troublesome sleep can not only make you tired and put a dampener on your mood, it can also trigger back pain as well. Splashing out on a good mattress can be a costly business and because of that it isn’t an investment which most of us make very often. But when you’re sleeping on an old mattress with dodgy springs, or a bed which has started to dip in the middle, the truth is that it won’t be supporting your body and could be contributing to a mix of problems. House of Bath’s bedding expert Jennifer Crossley says: “Check your mattress, pillow and bedding is giving you the right support.
Having a mattress which is unsuitable for you will end up giving you back and neck problems, and cause a fitful night’s sleep,” she says. [Related story: How to choose the right bed for you: a bed buyer’s guide] “You should get someone to help you check your mattress is right for you. It should support you almost without the need for a pillow, your head and neck should rest in-line with your spine, with your head resting no more than five centimetres above the mattress.” If you have a back problem which has been going on for a significant time then try a firmer mattress with a thick mattress topper which will give you the support and softness you need. A good place to start is by choosing a pocket spring mattress when are known for giving maximum comfort. When the problem is linked to arthritis - or an inverted disc where you get aching back pain but you’re not suffering from any stiffness - a medium supported mattress will work really well, especially if teamed with a comfortable mattress topper.
The general advice is to spend as much as you can afford on a new mattress as a more expensive mattress will have better quality springs and will last in the long run. Prices can start from as little as £99 for a John Lewis Basic Double Open Mattress and go up to nearly £7,000 for a Vi-Spring Salcombe Superb Mattress which has been upholstered with British fleece wool. [Related story: Sleep myths busted - we separate the snooze facts from fiction] It’s also worth investigating different types of mattress toppers as these can stop the springs from pressing into your back and causing extra discomfort, it’s a cheaper option that splurging on a brand new mattress, too. If you’re in doubt about your back pain then do speak your GP as it’s worth remembering that apart from a mattress which is past it’s sell-by date, other factors like medication, irregular sleep patterns, caffeine, alcohol, smoking and stress can also trigger an unsettled night’s sleep.Why not share it with your friends by clicking the orange plus sign?