Find a Mattress to Optimize Sleep & Minimize Pain

How to find a mattress that optimizes sleep and minimizes pain

Quality sleep is one of the most valuable possessions a person can have. What most of us wouldn’t give to have a consistent night’s sleep on a regular basis.

Sleep is impacted by a number of different factors. It can be affected by your environment (i.e. light, temperature, and noise). It can be impacted by your health—stress, pain, and injury. But most importantly, sleep is impacted by what you are sleeping on.

Your mattress is the tool used to achieve your best sleep possible. To get a good night’s sleep regularly, it’s necessary to sleep on a structure that supports your body, keeps your spine in alignment, and reduces pressure on your joints.

When you sleep, you lose all musculoskeletal functions, leaving you at the mercy of your mattress. This begs the question: are you in good hands?

When it comes to finding a good mattress, you’ll want to find one that optimizes sleep and minimizes pain.

Low back pain is familiar to many Americans. In fact, a study by the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine found that 80% of Americans will experience an episode of low back pain at some point in their lives.

If you crave a good night’s sleep, you need to make sure your mattress isn’t the source of your pain.

To start, consider the condition of your current mattress.

Most mattresses should be replaced every seven to 10 years. Even if your mattress has held up over time, it has been soiled with thousands of dust mites, dead skin cells and, drops of your own sweat. Gross, we know.

Regardless of the health hazards, the truth is if your mattress is over ten years old, it’s internal structure is most likely in decline.

If your bed has become squeaky, a sag has begun to form, or you are waking up with aches and pains, it might be time to go shopping.

Next, consider what type of sleeper you are.

We are all different sleepers; therefore, we all have different needs in a mattress.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers typically fare better with a firmer mattress. Laying on mattress that is too soft can sometimes ‘hammock’ a person causing a pinch point in the lower-lumbar spine. This unnatural position will put undue stress on several areas of your body, including your lower back. Your lumbar spine has a natural curve which can be decreased by sleeping on a mattress that does not offer the proper support.

With this in mind, back sleepers should check out the original Puffy Memory Foam Mattress.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers are the most common types of sleepers. They are better off with a softer, more plush mattress that will conform to the natural curves of the human body. A softer mattress allows the heavier areas of your body, like your hips and shoulders, to be cradled by the mattress which provides pressure relief. This keeps your joints pain free. Not to mention, you’ll need a structurally sound mattress to keep your spine in proper alignment. You’ll want your shoulders and hips to sink while your midsection and legs rest on top of the mattress without undue stress on your body.

Side sleepers, we think you’ll love the Puffy Lux. That’s because it provides exceptional pressure relief, which is important for those that sleep on their side. In fact, the Puffy Lux is recommended by Mattress Advisor as one of the best mattresses for side sleepers!

Stomach Sleepers

Unfortunately, sleeping on your stomach is generally not recommended, especially if you already have back or joint issues.

Sleeping on your stomach causes you to hyperextend your back and puts pressure on the knees. Hyperextension can strain the ligaments in the back of your spine. Additionally, this position forces you to crank your neck to one side, causing tightness.

If you must sleep on your stomach, you’ll want a mattress that’s slightly soft at the top, yet firm enough to support your spine.

That being said, check out the Puffy Lux if you are a stomach sleeper.

Finally, understand what you should be looking for.

The most important qualities in a mattress when is comes to pain management are pressure relief, spine alignment, support, and firmness.

Pressure relief

When shopping for a mattress, you’ll want a mattress that relieves pressure in the hips, thighs, and shoulders. A mattress that puts pressure on your joints can result in aches and pains.

Spine alignment

To reduce pain, it’s vital to have a supportive mattress that keeps your spine in proper alignment. This means your spine should be straight from your tailbone to the base of your neck. Without a mattress that keeps your spine in a neutral position, you will experience a host of issues including low back pain, neck pain, muscle tightness, and uneven hips.

Support

Additionally, you’ll want to find something that evenly supports your body weight. Support in a mattress refers to the weight the foundation can hold to support your body properly, and it has a big effect on pain management. When a mattress loses support, which happens over time, it will begin to sag. This can throw your spine out of alignment.

Firmness

Firmness and support are two different things. Firmness is how firm or soft the mattress feels. Phrased another way, it’s the pushback you feel from your mattress at certain pressure points. Firm mattresses used to be recommended for low back pain, but it turns out, it’s less about the firmness of your mattress and more about the support it provides.

Why the Puffy mattress is great for pain management

The best mattress type for low back pain is memory foam, making a Puffy mattress the perfect choice.

Memory foam mattresses are known for their lumbar support, pressure relief and contouring ability. This type of mattress is best for individuals experiencing low back pain due to its ability to cradle pressure points and keep the spine in proper alignment.

Due to its contouring abilities and body-adapting Plush Dual Cloud Foam, the Puffy mattress is a great choice when it comes to finding a mattress the optimizes sleep and minimizes pain.

If you want to learn more about either of the Puffy mattresses, hop on over to Mattress Advisor to read our review of the Puffy and Puffy Lux.