Having trouble sleeping or waking up with aches and pains? Those ailments could be the result of a bad mattress.
Donna Arand, clinical director of the Kettering Hospital Sleep Disorder Center states what constitutes a good night’s rest is an uninterrupted seven to eight hours of sleep with only several major body movements per hour.
That good night’s rest is directly related to what one’s resting on.
“Having a mattress that supports the body and doesn’t create undue pressure points that cause you to move around or roll over waking up a lot is beneficial to getting a good night’s sleep and waking up refreshed ,” said Arand.
Jean-Pierre Mobasser of the Indianapolis Neurosurgical Group agrees a good night’s rest on a good mattress is key to a productive day, yet the sleeping surface is key for those who have back problems. Sleeping on an inadequate mattress won’t cause back problems, but can cause muscular aches and pains due to abnormal muscle stretching.
The spine may be affected temporarily but won’t cause major damage; it’ll be more of a pain issue.
While a good mattress can aid in certain health issues, Mobasser states there is no such thing as the perfect mattress. People sleep differently, therefore require a different type of mattress.
He finds that two types of mattresses work best for side and back sleepers; a memory foam mattress or a pillow top mattress.
“The memory foam mattress allows those points of contact, like the hip and shoulder, to sink in but also fill in the gaps between and keep the spine in alignment,” said Mobasser.
“With the pillow-top, you’d want a somewhat firm mattress with a thick pillow top. You’ve got the firm mattress underneath so there’s no sagging but you have the pillow-top to fill in those gaps and cushion the points of contact.”
Mobasser recommends those types of mattresses yet choosing the right mattress is relative to the sleeper. The important factors are what’s right for the spine, has give but doesn’t sag and what gives the sleeper a good night’s rest.
Arand stands behind a firm mattress, especially for those with medical problems, but believes the pillow also makes a big difference in sleep quality. Depending on sleep position, a firm or soft pillow may be best but should provide support to the head and aid in spine alignment.
Experts can’t pinpoint a time frame on when mattresses should be changed due to the quality of the mattress and the sleepers’ size and weight.
They do suggest, however that if a troubled or achy sleeper is in the market for a new mattress to stick to the method of laying on it in the store. They also suggest that shoppers do their research and get the best mattress their money can buy.
“I hate to use price as an indicator because that doesn’t always apply, but a higher quality mattress is going to last longer because you won’t have problems like sagging,” said Mobasser.
Shoppers should be prepared to try out multiple mattresses in a reputable store. Shoppers should also find out what they can lose if they decide the mattress isn’t conducive to their sleep pattern.
“Think about the fact that you sleep roughly eight hours a night. That’s a third of the day, which is 33 percent of your life. If you spend 33 percent of your life on this mattress, it’s probably worth the extra money to buy a good one. There’s nothing else you’re going to get as much use out of,” added Mobasser.
