Your Mattress’s Role in Your Spinal Health
Your choice of mattress can play a big role in the overall health of your spine. A high-quality mattress made with premium natural materials will provide you with support and conformity as you sleep, leading to healthier joints and better spinal alignment. On the flip side, a lower-quality mattress – or simply the wrong mattress for your body type and shape – can lead to muscle and joint issues and ongoing back pain.
How do I know that my mattress is the wrong one for my back?
One of the most common culprits when it comes to back pain is sleeping on a mattress that is too old and has lost its support and resilience. Some signs that it might be time to replace your mattress include: ridging or bowing in the middle, body impressions beyond normal wear and tear, dis-colouration, sagging, and lack of support. If your mattress is showing any of these signs of excess wear, it could be causing you back pain, and it’s probably time to consider a replacement.
Common Sleep Disruptions Caused by Back Pain
Not only can the wrong mattress cause back pain, that pain can then lead to tossing and turning, restless sleeping, and difficulty finding a comfortable sleeping position. This combination of discomfort and interrupted sleep can translate into chronic joint and muscle problems during the day as well as partner disturbance through the night.
Choosing the Optimum Firmness
There is no one-firmness-fits-all solution that works for everyone. A very small person on a mattress that is too firm can experience back pain, just as a larger person can who is sleeping on a mattress that is too soft.
The best way to select the right firmness for your needs is to try potential options by testing them in your preferred sleep position. The right mattress should conform to your body profile with equal support on all of your joints. If you can easily slip your hand under your midriff when lying on your back, you know it’s too firm, but you also want your hip and shoulder to be able to deflect and move into the bed without too much resistance.
Back Sleepers
Your firmness choice is more about comfort and support than sleeping position – if you have selected the right mattress for your body type and shape, you should be able to sleep on it comfortably in any preferred position. That said, back-sleepers sometimes find that a slightly firmer fit is more supportive for their spine.
Side of Softness
It’s very rare that a Dreamwool customer comes back to us saying that their mattress is too soft. Nine times out of 10, it’s because their mattress is feeling too firm. This is usually because of one of a few common reasons:
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They tried it for a few minutes in the shop, not realising how much firmer it might feel after a full night’s sleep.
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It’s getting older and the comfort layers are wearing down and losing volume.
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Their body or sleep preferences have changed, which is often the case with older sleepers, who might gradually find themselves better suited to a softer style than was comfortable in their younger years.
Partner Comfort and Support
You probably wouldn’t try to swap your clothes with your partner; you shouldn’t assume that your mattress preferences and needs are interchangeable either. If you and your partner are different sizes and shapes, you’ll have different comfort needs. The best way to ensure both partners get a great night’s sleep is to choose a split king mattress, where you can select different firmness and comfort settings for each partner. Failing that, your best bet is to select the largest bed you can, so that you have more room to stretch out without disturbing each other.
Doing Right By Your Back
A luxury Dreamwool mattress can support your back, give you a better quality of sleep, and provide a higher standard of overall health and well-being. Come in for a chat today and learn how you can experience the sleep of a lifetime.