Most of us wonder at some point in our lives, can a mattress cause back pain? A bad mattress can be the cause of fatigue, stress, and general foul mood each morning. You might be hanging on to an old mattress or a bad one simply because of the attachments you’ve formed with it. However, is it worth keeping a mattress that may be causing you back pain?
A mattress is a place to rest each night. It's made up of different parts, materials, and textures to provide you maximum comfort and support your spine as you rest. You feel comfortable when the comfort layers of your mattress sink into a cradle that spreads your weight over it and reduces pressure points.
The core layer of a mattress has support layers that sink down your body to ensure spinal alignment is achieved. This layer ensures you keep straight while sleeping.
Take note that a well-constructed mattress helps keep your mental health in check apart from keeping your posture straight. Despite a mattress helping you with your posture and providing comfort when you sleep, some mattresses aren’t as good enough and may cause you back pain. A mattress that brings you discomfort is bad.
Can a mattress cause back pain?
The following symptoms will help you figure out whether your mattress is bad for you.
Does your mattress seem even?
After using your mattress for some time, it may look uneven. The nature of the materials used wear out causing certain dips especially in the middle of the bed. The dip will cause unnatural body posture that lead to chronic back pain.
Tossing and turning while trying to sleep
If you find yourself all over the bed tossing and turning, this could be a good indicator that your mattress is terrible. Your body, in the process, is trying to find the proper posture. Your spine needs to be in the correct alignment while you sleep. Misalignment of your posture while sleeping may result in your muscles giving you support instead of resting.
Experiencing pains
If you are experiencing neck or back pain in the morning, this is a good symptom that your mattress is not in good condition or has become loose over time.
Bugs hiding in your mattress
Some creatures hide in warm and muggy places, and a mattress is a good example. Innerspring mattresses have spaces that they could nest in, unlike foam mattresses with fewer spaces. They are often a bad sign of a good mattress, and they cause sneezing and other irritations.
Lack of sleep
Your mattress may not be performing its primary function of supporting your spinal alignment; this can be very discomforting and may lead to sleepless nights even after trying the best position to sleep. An average person ought to fall asleep in less than an hour, but if this is not the case, your mattress could have deteriorated making you suffer from lack of sleep.
Waking up tired
You may conclude that you have a bad mattress if you still feel like you haven't slept at all, even after having an adequate sleep of more than six hours; This is caused by your body muscles having to work the whole night to keep your spine inline, denying themselves time to rest. Your bad mattress might hinder your body from reaching the relaxed sleep state to wake up energized.
How do I know if my mattress is bad?
Find out the 7 reasons why your mattress may be causing you back pain:
1. You just acquired a new mattress
When you purchase a new mattress, your body needs to get used to the new bed, which results in your back going through a transitional phase because it was used to the other mattress you used to sleep on. A new supportive mattress may initially cause you back pain because your body is trying to realign your spinal alignment to a neutral position.
2. You have an aged mattress
Nothing lasts forever, not even your mattress. The materials inside the mattress soften or lose tension over the years. As a result, they develop body impressions (also called dips) in the mattress whenever your body applies pressure to the surface of your mattress. Dips that are more than one inch are not regular and may indicate an old mattress. Research has shown that a mattress over 7-10 years old is more likely to cause back pain since they just lack the supportiveness needed.
3. Your mattress is saggy
A saggy mattress sinks deeply down when you need it's support the most, especially at the lower back. Your lower back sagging may result in a crooked spine alignment which eventually brings about back pain. When going for a mattress, choose an ergonomic one that aligns your spine and gives you extra support. Alternatively, you may try hacks to fix the sagging. Rotating the mattress may redistribute the weight and ease your back pain or use a mattress topper that adds an extra layer of comfort and support.
4. The wrong type of mattress
A cozy mattress is very satisfying, but when you've had a hard day, it becomes too soft and tampers with your spine alignment. This becomes the same if too harsh or hard-on for your body mass. You might want to have a mattress that is not too firm or too soft; a medium-firm mattress is the key to finding a neutral resting position that agrees with your spine. A firm mattress pushes shoulders and your lower back out of alignment resulting in backache. On the other hand, if your mattress is too soft, your spine will be forced to drop or sink in because you lack support. Your spine will end up being misaligned in this scenario.
5. Firm mattress
Note that there isn’t one type of mattress that is prime for everyone, personal preference should aid you in this case. Using a firm mattress for back pain may not always be the solution. There are mattresses that suit for upper, middle, and lower back pains. Choosing what feels comfortable is the best choice. The best mattress ought to keep your spine aligned. Helix, a leading company in the production of mattresses, has foam mattresses designed in different densities. These mattresses relieve pressure while forming a cradle to support your body.
6. Lacking better back support
Sometimes you find yourself using a pillow to support your back. A pad provides an incline that reduces pressure off your spine. An adjustable mattress may be good for you to experience restful posture.
7. Cheap mattress
A cheap mattress poses as much harm to your back as an old one would. Cheap mattresses don't usually last and aren't as comfortable. Harmful foams or dangerous chemicals are used to manufacture cheap mattresses, which could pose a risk to your general health.
Which is the best type of mattress for back pain?
Following the above reasons why your mattress is causing you back pain, upgrading your mattress could be the remedy to curb the issue. The prime mattress for your back pain could relieve you by providing enough support to your back; this will help keep your spine alignment neutral so that your muscles rest.
You need a firm mattress for back pain that offers an even surface for your spine to curve naturally. If the mattress sinks too deep you’ll experience back pain. If the mattress is stiff you’ll have muscle cramps. Find a balanced mattress that caters for your needs and potentially sere you for a long time.
More so, it will act as a remedy to curing your back pain. You’ll wake up with a lot of energy as your body muscles took time to rest the whole time you were in your sweet sleep. Most orthopedic surgeons highly recommend memory foam and latex type of mattresses. Memory foam mattresses offer support and are highly cushioned, making them fit for supporting your back.
Conclusion
In this article, you have learned the critical indicators to why your mattress is terrible, reasons why your mattress is causing you back pain, and the best type of mattress for back pain. A bad mattress might be the leading cause of your back pain. You may work out some workarounds to fix a lousy mattress; for example, using mattress toppers for saggy ones is not always a good idea.
Identifying a comfortable mattress may help you solve your back pain from a bad mattress. Upgrading your mattress to the best mattress for back pain is a good remedy for your back. An upgrade to a better one may help you realize better mornings and days since you will have a relaxing sleep. Your muscles get enough rest while asleep and gain energy to get you through the day.
While upgrading your mattress, you will have to consider if the mattress offers support for your back entirely. A firm mattress may be a good suit for back pain but sometimes not, since it can result in spine misalignment by putting pressure on your shoulders and hips. You may consider looking for a medium-firm mattress that will curb pressure points and keep your spine alignment neutral. Even after acquiring the best mattress for your back pain, it does not necessarily end there.
While sleeping, you have to make sure to sleep straight such that your spine is in the correct alignment to be supported by your mattress. It is quite clear now whether can a mattress cause back pain with the number of ways highlighted in this article.