Stress free mattress shopping

By -

So you want to get a better night's rest?

Stress Free Mattress Shopping
by Chelsey Brown, SPT
USC DPT Class of 2017


image source: http://sleepdelivered.com/best-mattress-for-back-pain-buy-online/
"I am not sleeping well; maybe it’s my position, my mattress or even my pillow?  I want something healthy for my back but I am overwhelmed by the information."  
Does this sound like you?

Then you have come to the right place.

We are going to spend the next few paragraphs outlining 1) why a good mattress is needed, 2) the levels of firmness and 3) the pros and cons of different mattress types to equip you for a more informed mattress-shopping extravaganza.
Why a good mattress? :
Let’s first think about the benefits of having a good mattress.  They can be expensive but they are also a crucial foundation to facilitate your sleep and restfulness. 

As your MD, PT or friends have probably told you, we all have natural spine curvature.  So, finding a mattress that supports our natural curves is better in order to reduce muscle tension, joint pain, and malalignment when we awake in the morning. 

A mattress that is too firm or too soft will either push on bony contact points or not allow us to have support for these curves. 
If you are waking up with pain, and it takes a while to get rid of it. It may be time to switch out your mattress. Testing the mattress within the store is beneficial, however it can only give you a brief understanding of the possible benefits.  

Helpful hint:  Take your own pillow to the store so you can get a better understanding of how it would actually feel to be laying on it. Some stores will even let you try the mattress for 30 days.
But all of these types--it's so overwhelming! 

It’s no hidden fact that going to your local mattress store can be quite overwhelming. There are many different levels of firmness:  soft-soft, soft-medium, soft-firm, medium-soft, firm-medium; gel, foam, hybrids etc.  It’s like a foreign language. So let’s break it down, in order to help you get the most out of your mattress and sleep.

Firmness is relative and highly based on comfort levels; however, we PTs lean toward favoring the firmer mattress.  The more firm mattress will facilitate getting in and out, improve overall bed mobility and will typically offer a little more support throughout sleep.  So don’t be shy, lay on them, roll on them and when the customer service gives you a funny look, you can look back and shout “steam roller.”



Types:
The Classic Spring mattress:

 Measured by firmness; typically you’ll want to stay closer to a more firm mattress. What is it: coil springs.  Coil counts range, but anything around 350-400 is adequate and will give you the best bang for your buck.  Anything more than 390 is not more beneficial.
image source: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/08/finding-a-back-friendly-mattress-6-tips/


Foam mattress:

Foam mattresses are ranged by densities: more firm will be more comfortable for most people and easier to get in and out of AND they offer the support you need for the natural curves in your back. These may not be the best if you have a heat sensitivity; the contouring to your body shape and more contact can make it a little warmer. Another option is getting a spring mattress and a foam topper.

Latex mattress:

A latex mattress is the most expensive material on the mattress market.  However, they typically have the best reviews especially if you’ve added more and more birthdays to your life. The material is natural and usually offers a firmer surface easier for getting in and out and provides a “push back” support. You can also get a latex topper which is good for relief of back pain and provides similar comfort and support of a foam mattress without the heat.
Air Mattress:
An air mattress may be beneficial for those of you sleeping next to the one that you love but you may not love their preferential sleeping firmness. These mattresses can come in all shapes and sizes and can be purchased with adjustable settings for each side of the mattress. YES, that means you can make your side firm-firm and they can make their side Soft-Medium. Talk about autonomy within the bed! These beds are really most beneficial if you get them with their own chambers for each side, otherwise you may be battling a teeter-totter effect.

 Adjustable:

THERE IS SUCH A THING! Although more expensive, you can actually get a mattress that changes shape for your comfort and position. This may be beneficial if you are having trouble going from laying down to sitting up or have trouble sleeping flat secondary to sleep apnea, acid reflux, etc. This type of bed can come in all types and typically can offer the position you may need if you want to be in a more supportive upright position.


image source: http://www.capefearbedding.com/reverie-adjustable-beds/
According to consumer reports 2007, mattresses should be switched out every 10-15 years. Yes they are expensive, but, they are an essential component of 8 hours out of your day. And if you multiply that out, it turns out you’re spending approximately 29,200- 43,800 hours on that thing. So find something that will support your body and give you the best night’s rest.

In summary: our top 3 tips for stress-free mattress shopping

  1. Try before you buy and bring your own pillow to the store.
  2. In general, firmer is better and a foam or latex mattress or topper will provide this support. 
  3. Consider an adjustable mattress for changing body needs.

Happy mattress shopping!


Resources:
Leilnahari K, Fatouraee N, Khodalotfi M, Sadeghein MA, Kashani YA. Spine alignment in men during lateral sleep position: experimental study and modeling. Biomedical engineering online. 2011 Nov 30;10(1):103.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2007/12/q-a-how-often-should-i-buy-a-new-mattress/index.htm



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Exercise as Medicine: Don't Forget Your Daily Dose!

By Anonymous -
Exercise is a powerful tool that has been shown in numerous studies to delay the progression of Parkinson’s disease and to even improve existing symptoms. As more research is performed and more sophisticated tools are used to analyze the effects of exercise, it is becoming more and more evident that everyone with PD should be exercising!   In an attempt to help spread the word on the benefits of exercise, we will be presenting a series of blogs that go into detail on this topic. In this initial discussion, we will introduce the top 10 reasons why individuals with Parkinson’s disease should exercise and elaborate on the #1 REASON for individuals to exercise.   Stay tuned to the upcoming blogs as we will be going into more detail and presenting the latest research regarding these 10 benefits of exercise! Here are the TOP 10 reasons why everyone with PD should get moving… 10. Exercise helps your muscles and joints loosen up so you can Move Better 9. Exercise helps yo
Read more

Move better--3 ways to stretch the hip flexors.

By -
Image
Tight hip flexors are everywhere.  But, especially for older adults and people with neurologic disorders, tightness in the hip flexors can really influence movement.  I have had clients who improve their gait speed after a good hip flexor stretch! Most people comment that they can move much more smoothly and with longer strides.  Or, even better, without back pain.   Below are 3 different ways to stretch the hip flexors and between the three of these, you should find one that is doable and feels like a good deep stretch.  Try them out just before you get moving and notice how your movement improves!   Standing hip flexor stretch- -a good one to do on the go, before a walk or other standing exercise. Kneeling hip flexor stretch.  This is my personal favorite because it isolates the muscle so well--less room for cheating. Lying down hip flexor stretch.  This version is great if it is difficult to get in the other positions or you want to do a quick stretch in bed
Read more

Top 5 Reasons to Exercise if you have Parkinson's

By -
Image
The entire [re+active] team got together last week to share our passion about exercise!  About 8000 people were reached throughout Facebook Live videos and our live exercise class.  How awesome is that!?  In our ideal world, many lives would be changed by using exercise as a potent medication to  manage the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.  In order to make the educational videos more accessible--we wanted to put them in one place so you can have easy access.  Let's start with the Top 5 reasons to use exercise as medicine in PD:  #5: Exercise helps with constipation!  I know so many people that are on all kinds of different medications to help with constipation--let's just take the natural remedy--exercise.  Dr. Chelsea Duncan shares about how this helps.  #4: Exercise helps you sleep better.  Yikes--I know that I need this! Dr. Erin Caudill explains about the importance of sleep and how it is improved with exercise.  #3: Exercise gives you energy.  
Read more