Poor quality mattress The softness of a mattress depends on your personal judgment of what is comfortable, but ideally, your head, shoulders, buttocks and heels should be aligned. If your mattress is so soft that it sinks at your hips, this could be a cause for your body aches.
If you're waking up with aches and pains in places like your lower back, neck, and shoulders, it's possible that your mattress is not providing the support you need while sleeping. It could be that your mattress is too soft, that you're sleeping on a component that makes you hot, or any other variety of factors.
Aches and Pains: Waking up with aches and pains may be due to the comfort layers in your mattress breaking down, causing pressure points when you sink onto the firmer support core. Poor Sleep: Tossing and turning on an uncomfortable mattress may result in poor sleep quality, even if you're not consciously aware of it.
Though they can seem more comfortable and luxurious, a soft mattress can actually cause back problems for back and stomach sleepers, and those of a heavier weight. Soft mattresses can also be problematic for bed sharers. The heavier partner may sink further in, making the sleep surface unbalanced.
Aches and pains after a night's rest can be due to a variety of reasons, including an old mattress, a heavy workout the previous day, or even a recent injury. If that's the case, there may not be much you can do to change the morning aches. However, there could be other underlying health reasons you're unaware of, too!
The most common symptom of a bed that's too soft is a stiff and sore lower back. This usually happens first thing in the morning, after you've been in bed for a prolonged period of time.
Generally speaking, heavier people prefer firmer mattresses. Soft foams may sink in too much for comfort and adequate support. Conversely, lighter sleepers may sink in less and find firm beds to be uncomfortably hard, so they generally prefer soft to medium firm options.
As a general rule, a soft mattress is not suitable for back pain. The best mattress for back pain is both responsive, supportive, and designed to be medium-firm. A soft bed lacks support, leading to muscle tension and back pain.
Based on Your Sleep Position
Side sleepers typically benefit from softer mattresses because they cradle the hips and shoulders to help maintain spinal alignment. Back and stomach sleepers need less contouring and receive better spinal support from firmer beds with stable surfaces that prevent sinkage.
Is a soft mattress bad for your back? It is if it's so soft that it doesn't support your spine. If you sink into the mattress so that your hips are lower than your shoulders, your mattress may be too soft and could be contributing to back pain. Keep in mind that weight is a factor when it comes to mattress firmness.
If your mattress is too hard then it might not be very comfortable for you and could be causing back and joint pains. It could also be affecting your posture if you don't think your spine is being properly supported. Overall, you might not be getting a good night's sleep which could be impacting your day to day life.
Spending too much time in bed can lead to feeling achy, especially for people with back problems. The lack of movement, lying down in one position for too long, or even a bad mattress can all lead to more pain.
However, orthopedic experts are of the opinion that mattresses that are too soft, disrupts the normal curve of your spine. It allows your lower back to cave into the bed while the upper part of the back curves out. This leaves the entire body unbalanced and makes you even more vulnerable to back pain and hip pain.
Medium-firm mattresses seem to be the best option for avoiding back pain. They provide enough firmness to support the body's weight and maintain proper spine alignment.
A soft mattress is often the most comfortable option for side sleepers, people who weigh less than 130 pounds, and those with frequent shoulder, back, or hip pain.
Side sleepers do best with a mattress that is a medium to medium firm feel, which is a 5-6 firmness on our scale. Lighter weight side sleepers may go as soft as a 4 firmness with ultra light weight side sleepers going as low as a 3. Heavier side sleepers may go as high as a 7 firmness, though not more than that.
According to sleep experts, a mattress with less cushioning is more likely to support a neutral-spine position during sleep. When you sleep on a firm mattress with minimal cushioning, your bones bear most of the pressure. This frees up your muscles and allows the arteries and veins to relax.
If the bed is too soft, it will allow your body to sink into the bed, causing bad posture while you sleep, which can also result in neck or back pain.
The answer is likely due to a few different factors. It could be that levels of the anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol are naturally lower at night; plus, staying still in one position might cause joints to stiffen up. Another explanation: The way you experience the same pain may actually change in the wee hours.
If you suffer from muscular pain, the best sleep position will really depend on where your pain is concentrated. Generally speaking, though, lying on your back or side is preferable. You'll notice that, regardless of where your aches and pains are concentrated, it is not advised that you sleep on your front.
Morning body aches can be caused by a lack of good quality sleep, which deprives your body's tissues and cells of repair time. An effective way to improve sleep is with exercise, which tires the body and reduces stress, helping to improve both the quality of your sleep, and the amount of sleep that you get each night.