If you suffer from back pain, then you know how difficult it can be to get a great night’s sleep. It’s bad enough that your back hurts during the day. But when it starts aching while you’re trying to sleep, it makes the night miserable.
Unfortunately, your mattress may actually be making your back problems even worse. If you’re constantly waking up with cricks in your back and tossing and turning throughout the night, your bad back might not be the only culprit. These are surefire signs that your mattress isn’t providing enough support in the areas where you need it most and purchasing a new mattress is something you should consider.
Tips On Mattresses For Your Bad Back
Back pain can have a wide range of causes. Acute back pain can be due to poor posture, strains, falls and injuries, just to name a few. Chronic back pain, lasting more than six weeks, can be due to more severe diseases and conditions, such as:
- Osteoarthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated disc
- Scoliosis
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
Only a medical professional can determine the cause of your back pain, as well as the right solutions. But regardless of your condition, you’ll want to make sure that your mattress isn’t exacerbating the problem.
Buying a high-quality mattress is crucial to getting the full-body support you need to enjoy deep, restful sleep and wake up ache-free every morning.
Here are 4 features to consider:
- Individually Wrapped or Pocketed Coils
For decades, most innerspring mattresses were made with a connected framework of coil springs. The problem was: when you sat down on one side, the entire innerspring moved. So if your sleep partner tossed at night, you’d feel it too. Today, mattresses like the Oxford from Englander use wrapped coils for more individualized support. The coils conform to your body, providing more support to the areas that need it and eliminating pressure points. Additionally, this helps to greatly reduce motion between sleeping partners. - Zoned Lumbar Support
Because the middle of your body is the heaviest, it needs more support to keep your muscles happy and your spine properly aligned. Mattress manufacturers have solved this by dividing the mattress into “zones” – areas where the coils or the comfort foams provide varying levels of support. An example of this can be found in Englander’s Manchester mattress. The center third of the innerspring is reinforced for added lumbar support and overall durability. - The Firmness (or softness) That Your Back Needs
People who suffer from back pain often prefer a somewhat firm mattress, especially if they sleep on their stomach. But they also need a mattress that’s soft enough to contour to their bodies, especially if they sleep on their side or back. Ultimately, each person has their own unique needs and preferences. When shopping, always confirm where a mattress falls on the firmness/softness scale. And don’t assume that back sufferers like yourself can’t enjoy an ultra-cozy mattress like a Pillow Top or Euro Top. A high-quality pillow top will be plush on top while still offering all the support your back needs. - Memory Foam
Memory foam is known for its superior pressure-point relief and even weight distribution. These benefits can go a long way to making your back feel better in bed. Consider a mattress like the Rushmore, which is designed with a high-density foam core, instead of an innerspring, and topped with gel-infused memory foam for the ultimate in body-conforming comfort.