Back pain can severely disrupt sleep and negatively impact overall well-being. Understanding how your mattress influences your sleep quality is crucial in managing or relieving back pain.
The Burden of Back Pain
Back pain is a pervasive issue affecting the daily lives of countless individuals. Studies indicate that up to 80% of the population will experience some form of back pain during their lives. An unsuitable mattress can exacerbate this pain, leading to sleepless nights and reduced overall health.
2024’s Global Sleep Census research found that 1 in 2 people have woken up experiencing back pain. Are you one of them? Back pain is one of the most common issues that cause insufficient sleep. Even younger generations (aged 25 to 34 years old) also suffer from back pain.
Your mattress may be the culprit of back pain. Let’s assess whether your mattress is contributing to your back pain.
Poor Quality Mattress
The layers of a mattress work together to support your spine’s shape. The comfort layers should contour for proper spinal alignment without excessive sinking.
Similarly, the support core should provide a stable base for the body’s heavier parts, keeping the spine level. If you wake up with lower back pain, it could be due to a low-quality, unsupportive mattress without lower back lumbar support.
Old Mattress
Your mattress may begin to lose its structure, firmness, and support, affecting the quality of your sleep over the years. The Global Sleep Census reports that 2 in 5 people with a mattress over 10 years old wake up with back pain. Therefore, checking if your mattress is due for a change is essential.
Improper Mattress Comfort Preference:
You might need a more ergonomic design if you have mismatched your sleep habits and mattress comfort preferences. If your mattress is too firm, plush, or lacks support, it could be causing discomfort.
Start by determining whether you need a plush or firm mattress based on your unique sleep needs. This step helps you find a mattress that offers the proper support, ensuring better sleep quality.
Is a Firm Mattress the Best?
Contrary to popular belief that firm mattresses provide lower back lumbar support, a firm mattress is not always the best solution for back pain. Proper support is what matters.
Our bodies are not straight lines; they have curves. The right mattress firmness should support your back and align the spine correctly while accommodating your arches.
Is a Firm Mattress Really the Best?
Contrary to popular belief, a firm mattress is not always the best solution for back pain. True support is what matters. Our bodies are not straight lines; they have curves. The right mattress firmness should support your back and align the spine correctly while accommodating your arches.
Correct Alignment
No Support from Mattress
The Science Behind Back Pain and Sleep
Understanding the relationship between sleep and back pain can help you make more informed decisions. Poor sleep can exacerbate back pain without the lack of proper lumbar support, creating a vicious cycle. A well-supported spine ensures adequate rest and recovery during sleep.
If your mattress firmness causes spinal misalignment, it may not be right for you. Consider the following:
- If your mattress is too soft, your hips sink lower than your shoulders.
- If your mattress is too firm, your hips and shoulders stay flat on the surface.
- If your mattress is right, it contours to your body shape and keeps your spine aligned.
In conclusion, a good mattress should be just right, not too firm but not too soft.
The right mattress to alleviate back pain – Sealy Posturepedic
Every Sealy mattress is built on specific Posturepedic principles and support criteria set by the Orthopaedic Advisory Board (OAB).
Sealy Posturepedic, crafted with AlignSupport® and ComfortCore® technologies, perfectly balances comfort and support. This perfect balance aids in maintaining proper spinal alignment, potentially reducing back pain.
Tested and Trusted – Collaborate with the Orthopaedic Advisory Board (OAB) from the Queensland University of Technology Biomechanics and Spine Research Group (BSRG) to ensure our products are consistently comfortable, supportive, and durable.
AlignSupport® – Titanium coils that naturally and firmly provide sufficient weight support to ensure your body maintains its natural alignment and allow better sleep posture.
ComfortCore® Premium – The unique comfort layer quickly conforms to your body shape for enhanced pressure relief in any sleeping position.
UniCased® XT – Breakthrough edge support system provides a stable, wider sleep surface and minimizes motion transfers for a blissful night’s sleep.
SmarTex®️ and Ice-Touch™️ – Cool and regulate your sleep climate while maintaining a clean and hygienic surface.
You can learn more about our Research and Development, which we develop and patent, carefully tested technology.
We recommend trying our Mattress Selector Tool to understand your sleeping needs and buying criteria before heading to our stores.
You should spend 10-15 minutes trying in person, ideally in the position you usually sleep in. So, feel free to visit our store to see, feel and try.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice.
Source: Sealy Global Sleep Census conducted by Quantum Market Research (QMR) through an independent research questionnaire of 20,000 participants across Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Taiwan.
