Here's how to find a mattress that comfortably fits your body's curves and supports this ideal alignment.Type: Memory foam | Firmness: Relaxed firm or firm | Delivery: Free white glove delivery | Trial: 365 nights (one year) | Warranty: Lifetime However, Lees notes, "Side sleepers tend to have more pressure on their shoulders and hips, and usually need a slightly softer mattress to accommodate that extra pressure," so finding a middle ground is key. "A mattress that is too firm may cause shoulder and hip pain, as well as change the spinal alignment," he notes, pointing to a 2011 study in the journal 1 Ergonomics 1 that found that mattresses that are too soft or saggy can negatively affect side sleepers' sleep quality. However, Lees says that most side sleepers will want to look for one that is supportive but not too firm. While kids can basically sleep anywhere, Koth notes that as we get older and develop muscle tension and various aches and pains, we'll need to find a sleep solution that's more customized to our unique needs.įactors like weight, gender, and sleep environment can all influence the type of mattress you'll find most comfortable. This tends to become more common with age. The wrong mattress may cause you to toss and turn in the middle of the night, aggravate existing pain, and potentially cause new discomforts to form. Waking up refreshed and pain-free is a good sign that your mattress is helping you sleep deeply. "Finding the right mattress is essential because we spend one-third of our lives in bed," Park tells mindbodygreen. Tracking down your perfect mattress can take a fair amount of time and money, but Joshua Park, DPT, an Olympic physical therapist and the founder of MOCEAN, says it's well worth it since sleep plays such a vital role in overall health. While this mattress doesn't have as many eco-credentials as the others on the list, we appreciate that its spring coils are made from recycled material. However, those looking to avoid highly processed foams will want to skip past this one. The mattress comes with a 120-night trial period. Those who don't have back pain find it a pleasant sleeping experience too, thanks to a foam layer treated with a special gel to reduce motion transfer and increase breathability. It's a popular pick among those preparing for or recovering from back surgery. The WinkBed comes in one soft and three firmer designs-all of which seem to help reviewers who note back problems and pain. It's been named the best bed for back pain sufferers by many third-party sites including Wirecutter and the Sleep Foundation. It's a hybrid bed (innerspring and a poly foam) that has a "lumbar" layer in the middle for added support along the back region. The WinkBed was designed with back pain in mind. Without a little bit of muscle contraction to stabilize you, you actually lose some of the support that your body needs."įrom head to toe, experts say side sleepers should aim for the following alignment when sleeping: "It might feel good, but your body has to do absolutely no work. "If you have too soft of a mattress, regardless of your sleep position, your body kind of gets absorbed into that," physical therapist and founder of Aletha Health Christine Koth, PT says. If it's really soft, your shoulders and hips may sink too far into your mattress and throw off that ever-important alignment, which can irritate your joints and ligaments and contribute to low back pain. If your mattress is super firm and doesn't have enough give, you might wake up with shoulders and hips that feel sore or stiff in the morning. But picture the shape of someone sleeping on their side: The widest parts of their body, their shoulders and hips, will naturally want to sink deeper into a mattress. The key to restful, restorative sleep is to keep your spine, neck, and shoulders all in good alignment. However, the sleeping position also comes with some potential downsides. chiropractor Kevin Lees, D.C., of The Joint Corp, explains that sleeping on one's side provides relief from back pain and may reduce one's risk of breathing problems like sleep apnea, while Park notes that it tends to promote good circulation. Side sleeping is the most common sleep position, and experts agree that it's typically also the healthiest.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |