Tossing and turning or sleeping in an odd position can cause little aches and pains that fade quickly. If you're experiencing a more pronounced level of back, neck, or shoulder pain upon waking — especially if the pain occurs on a nightly basis — then it's a telltale sign that your mattress is too firm for your needs.
A mattress that's too firm will put too much pressure on your joints, especially if you sleep on your side or your back. That's why if you want to reduce your back pain in bed, you need a mattress that offers support but also contours your body to relieve pressure and relieve pain.
If you've just gotten a new bed, it will likely get softer over time. Your bed will have a firmer feel at first, but usually will soften up after 30 to 60 days of sleeping on it.
A too-hard mattress forces your spine into an unnatural position and creates pressure points. Your mattress should have some give to keep your spine neutral.
Firm mattresses can be bad for side sleepers, especially ones under 150 pounds. If your mattress firmness is too hard, it might not have enough give and cushioning for your pressure points. Lack of pressure relief can disrupt your sleep and cause pain and even numbness and tingling in your extremities.
Sleepers weighing less than 130 pounds put less pressure on a mattress and require more cushioning, so they often prefer a softer bed. People over 230 pounds typically need firmer support and denser comfort layers.
Your Mattress is new
Our body often takes some time to adjust to a new sleep surface. If you are experiencing back discomfort after switching to a new mattress, the possibility of the new mattress causing lower back pain is high. You just need to give your body some time to adapt to it.
A brand new mattress will often be firmer – sometimes much firmer – than it will become over time after the “break in” period. This firmness is caused by the foam layers. As you continue to sleep on your mattress, the pressure from your body will relax the foam and mold it more and more into your sleeping form.
When searching for a mattress, look for one that's not too firm or too soft. If the mattress is too firm, it will push on your pressure points and cause misalignment. 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.
Body weight
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.
What Types of Mattresses Do Hotels Use? Many hotels have their own philosophy when it comes to mattresses. Typically, the mattresses used in hotel rooms are medium-firm. This is because medium-firm mattresses can accommodate all three sleep positions.
A little patience and practical use should help your new mattress get to 100%. As a general rule, the breaking-in phase of new mattresses can take anywhere from 30 to 90 days, and how seamless that transition feels may depend on what your previous mattress was like.
Most mattresses take 30-90 nights to break in, which is why many manufacturers let you return a mattress for free within that period if you're not sleeping comfortably. Breaking in a new mattress is key to making it more comfortable. There are other ways you can make a new mattress more comfortable, too.
Stretch When you Wake Up
Morning back pain can often be relieved by stretching right before you get out of bed. While you're lying on your back, reach your arms over your head and reach your feet in the opposite direction. Hold this position for as long as you comfortably can, then bring your knees to your chest.
While a softer mattress is recommended for people who sleep on their stomach or side, older people actually need a firmer mattress. Softer mattresses are also harder for older adults to get up from, so it's recommended that older sleepers get at least a medium-firm mattress.
Is a softer mattress better for older people? Softer mattresses are better for older people, but you don't want them too soft. We recommend medium-soft. Medium-soft mattresses have plusher (thicker) layers of cushioning than medium mattresses but still maintain a good level of support.
Side sleepers – Side sleepers need a firmer pillow with medium loft to support their cervical spine at rest. Pillows that are too thick or too thin will disrupt the natural curvature of their neck, and can lead to cramps and pain over time.
Severe discomfort, particularly at night, significant weight loss that wasn't intentional, or worsening pain while lying on your back are all warning signs of a spinal tumour or cancer, especially in those under the age of 18.
The main cause of back pain in bed is poor posture, either from how a person sits at work or how they sleep at night. Between the vertebrae in the spine are intervertebral discs, which rehydrate at night (this is why we are taller in the morning, and part of the reason that the elderly lose height as they get older).
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.
Medium Soft to Medium Firm (4-6 out of 10)
Mattresses that rate between 4 and 6 on the firmness scale fall into the average range that most individuals prefer. They have broad appeal across weight groups, and they may be especially appropriate for partners with different position preferences and/or body types.