“What is the best mattress for me?”
I often am asked this question especially amongst those who are suffering with back pain.
Sometimes the cause of morning back stiffness or chronic lower back pain is the bed you sleep in. Sometimes it doesn’t have to do with your bed but with the condition that is troubling you.
What to consider for the best mattress for you?
Research has looked at the affect of changing mattress types on the quality of sleep, as well as, the affect on lower back pain.
Sadly, there is no definitive answer as to what is the best mattress but this is what I found:
- Lower back pain is more prominent in those who use cheaper mattresses.
- Despite similar quality mattresses the amount of spinal twisting or bending in the thoracic spine varies significantly.
- Foam or innerspring? It doesn’t matter. The quality of sleep is unaffected.
- Adjustable air beds and custom bedding systems reduce back pain and improve sleep quality.
- Using a mattress of medium firmness improves pain, disability and sleep quality. But there is some question whether this is true for heavier individuals.
Conclusion
At this point in time it seems that a mattress of medium firmness and of medium or high quality material may be best but there will be some variation in comfort depending on the individual. A customized mattress may be the best option but likely the most expensive.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8655046/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2697581/
https://sleep.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41606-022-00073-x
Originally posted on May 17, 2022 @ 4:39 pm
