Do you ever wake up feeling like a truck ran over you during the
night? Do you toss and turn and have a hard time getting
comfortable?
Do you ever wake up feeling like a truck ran over you during the night? Do you toss and turn and have a hard time getting comfortable?
Sleeping should feel relaxing and rejuvenating, not like a battle. If you aren’t comfortable at night, you might benefit from a different mattress, a mattress topper or an adjustment in your sleeping positions.
The old advice on mattresses was “the firmer, the better.” But we’ve since learned that a super-firm mattress doesn’t always provide the needed support for the body’s contours. Conversely, a too-soft mattress may fail to maintain proper spinal alignment.
Though choices can be confusing, we are fortunate that there are now mattresses and pillow tops (also known as overlays or toppers) that can provide adequate softness or firmness, as well as ventilation and resiliency to satisfy a host of needs.
You may need a softer mattress or pillow top if you feel a gap between your waist and the mattress, if your waist sinks down to reach the mattress, or you experience uncomfortable pressure points. If your body caves in as if it were in a hammock, you probably need a firmer mattress.
If you easily feel hot or sweaty at night you may benefit from breathability, such as that afforded by egg crate and pellet toppers, or a wool mattress pad. For those pressure points, you may feel better with smooth memory foam.
Another strategy that can aid sleeping comfort is adjusting your sleeping position. Simply placing a pillow between your knees and ankles while on your side can help prevent unwanted twisting and sagging of the spine. Supporting the “uphill” arm with an additional pillow can improve shoulder, arm and upper back comfort.
Make sure that the pillow under your head supports your neck in a neutral position to prevent waking up with a stiff neck. If you have a flat upper back, you may need a smaller pillow or just a small towel roll under your neck when lying on your back. If yours is a deep curve, you may do better with a thicker pillow or more than one pillow. When you turn onto your side, you may need to adjust the contour or number of pillows to stay in good alignment.
Those with low back pain sometimes do well with a towel roll wrapped around or tucked against the waist. When on your back, you may also use a foam wedge to support the legs in a bent-knee position, being careful to maintain circulation behind the knees.
Some people with back pain require frequent movement to prevent pain. If you are one of these people, you may benefit from one of the more resilient flotation mattresses filled with either fluid or air. According to physical therapist Eileen Vollowitz of Back Designs, a proper selection would be “a flotation mattress that also provides adequate contouring for good body alignment.” To accomplish this, “air bed cores must not be too thick; water bed construction must be of the cylinder type.”
I encourage you to conduct your own research, including spending at least 20 minutes on a mattress if you’re seriously considering buying it. After all, you spend about a third of your life in bed – so make the most of it and sleep smart.
