Back pain can make it hard to sleep. Some people with back pain fall asleep just fine, only waking several hours later unable to get more rest because of how much they hurt. Others toss and turn, trying to find a comfortable position where nothing hurts. No matter how your back pain influences your sleep, it’s important that you understand how your mattress can help or hurt the situation.
Aligning Your Spine
When you lie on your mattress at night, you want it to support your spine in a neutral position, which means that your no part of your back is twisted, torqued, or turned in any way that puts pressure on your spine. If you’re not in a neutral position, your back may eventually hurt.
Think about it this way: if you hold your wrist at a funny angle, you’re fine for a few minutes. After that, though, it gets extremely uncomfortable. The same is true for your spine on your mattress. You may or may not feel it when your spine is unsupported. If you’ve gotten used to sleeping on an old mattress, that may feel normal to you now.
If you’re not sure how your bed measures up, you can try to lie down in your normal sleeping position. Have someone take a photograph of your spine. Look at the photo and see if your back is generally in a straight line, or if your mattress is sagging on the job somewhere. If it is, you’ll want to find one that works better for your back.
Choosing the Best Mattress for Your Back Pain
Different back pain sufferers have different mattress needs. In general, you want to avoid a mattress that is too soft, because it lets your body fold in on itself in uncomfortable ways. The majority of people with back pain seem to do better on medium-firm mattresses. These keep the body from folding without putting too much pressure on it the other way, either.
When you’re looking for a mattress, do your best to try it out before you buy it. You may want to check into a hotel that advertises that they have a certain type of mattress. Most beds also come with trial periods. You’ll have to purchase the mattress, but you’ll have a set number of days where you can sleep on it to test it out. If it doesn’t work for you, let the company know, and they’ll help you get rid of the mattress and give you your money back.
You may have to try several mattresses before you find one that works for you. While this takes some time and energy on your part, it’s all worthwhile when you are sleeping all night and waking up without pain.
Back pain can be anything from a nagging frustration to something that stops your life completely. However, there are things you can do to improve your situation. When you get a mattress that supports your spine, you may find that your back pain diminishes.
Thanks to our friends at The Sleep Help institute for this guest blog! Find out more about them by visiting their site at this link
