Getting a good night’s sleep is important for your health. Restorative sleep not only reduces fatigue and grogginess, it contributes to better concentration, healthy emotional regulation, and a lower risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
But what is the relationship between your mattress and your quality of sleep? Can the type of mattress you choose impact how well you sleep?
Support
Many body functions are only active during sleep, which is why it is vitally important to have quality sleep. Without it, we may not get the energy and motivation necessary to perform at our best during the day. Sleep disturbances can be caused by a variety of factors, including anxiety and certain medical conditions. Often, though, the culprit is a poor mattress or improperly supported pillows. Choosing the right mattresses and pillow can help ensure restful and uninterrupted sleep, which in turn, will lead to better overall health.
While your mattress can last for decades, you should replace it at least every 10 years or so to keep your body and spine healthy. It’s also important to take into account any physical changes that may occur over time, such as weight gain or loss, which can affect how well you sleep.
The most basic and essential component of a mattress is its ability to support the body’s natural alignment while maintaining a comfortable and neutral position. To achieve this, a mattress must distribute body weight evenly and provide enough support to prevent the formation of pressure points. A sleep research on Manchester Evening News suggests that sleep disturbances can significantly impact health and well-being, emphasizing the importance of choosing the right mattress and pillows for optimal sleep quality.
Depending on the type of mattress, this support can be provided by several different layers. The top layer, or comfort layers, are designed to conform to the shape of the user’s body and form a cradle that supports the spine. They can be made from a variety of materials, including memory foam, latex, and fiber, which are all used to relieve pressure on the joints and muscles while encouraging proper spinal alignment.
Another factor in determining a mattress’s level of support is its firmness. While there is some debate over the optimal firmness for a mattress, most experts recommend choosing a medium-firm option. Firmer mattresses can cause the body to over-pronate, or sink in too deeply, which can lead to back pain and other issues. A medium-firm mattress, on the other hand, provides adequate support while allowing the body to conform to it in a natural manner. This can reduce stress on the body, improve posture and ultimately enhance sleep quality.
Pressure Relief
Your mattress plays a critical role in your sleep quality. Its comfort, support and pressure relief all affect your body’s ability to restfully regenerate for a rejuvenating night of rest. If you don’t have the right mattress for your needs, you may suffer from discomfort, aches and pains, and ultimately experience poorer overall health.
Sufficient, quality sleep is one of the pillars of good health along with healthy eating habits and regular exercise. Studies have linked chronic lack of sleep to a variety of serious illnesses including memory and concentration problems, weakened immune system function, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The type of mattress you choose can make a big difference in how well you sleep, but your sleeping habits and schedule also play a part. If you struggle with sleep disorders like insomnia or apnea, this can also affect your quality of rest and can even lead to depression and anxiety. In addition, many people experience pain in the back and neck that can keep them awake throughout the night, or cause waking pain during the day.
A mattress that offers good pressure relief will evenly distribute your weight across the surface and prevent sore spots in common areas such as the shoulders and hips. Mattresses with good pressure relief are typically plusher than firmer options and will incorporate a layer of cushioning such as memory foam, polyfoam or latex. Some models will include a layer of microcoils to provide more responsive contouring than traditional mattresses.
Pressure relief is highly dependent on your body size and sleeping position, so there isn’t a single mattress that performs perfectly for all sleepers. However, some models tend to perform better than others in this area, and you can narrow down your search by considering which factors are most important to you. Mattresses with good pressure relief typically also offer some degree of motion isolation, which can be beneficial if you share your bed with a partner or child who moves around in their sleep. This is a common feature in mattresses that are made with a pocketed or pocket coil spring construction.
Temperature
Your mattress can affect your sleep by maintaining a comfortable temperature during sleep. A well-insulated mattress can maintain your body’s natural temperature to help keep you asleep throughout the night and promote deep sleep. A mattress that is too hot or cold may cause you to wake up during the night, keeping you from reaching a consistent state of deep sleep and leaving your body feeling unwell.
A quality mattress can also support your spine to reduce back pain, which is a common cause of poor sleep. A good mattress supports your spine in a way that promotes the natural curve of your back while distributing weight evenly. A mattress with a soft to medium firmness is ideal for most people and promotes comfort, sleep quality, and spinal alignment.
If your mattress is too soft, it can sag or develop visible indentations over time, which can make you uncomfortable and may lead to poor sleep posture. This can contribute to back and neck pain, as well as other health problems such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
When you’re shopping for a new mattress, look for one that offers a trial period or money-back guarantee to ensure it’s the right fit for your unique sleep needs. If you can, try sleeping on the mattress for at least 15 minutes in your preferred sleep position. And if you’re able to, have a friend or family member sit on the bed while you’re lying down to see how they feel about it.
Sleep is the body’s way of restoring and replenishing energy, boosting mental and physical performance, and enhancing your overall health. Having the right mattress for your sleep style and specific needs can help you rest better and wake up ready to take on the day. But a subpar mattress can leave you with aches and pains, preventing you from getting the quality sleep you need to live your best life. So, invest in a quality mattress to get the most out of your daily life.
Spinal Alignment
A person’s sleep posture has a direct impact on spinal alignment and their comfort level. Spinal misalignment causes pinched nerves that can trigger pain throughout the body. This includes dull, aching pain in the middle and lower back and neck, as well as shooting, sharp pain across the neck, posterior and back. It can also affect musculoskeletal health, causing joint or muscle stiffness and pain. It can also cause circulation issues by blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid plays a critical role in delivering nutrients to the brain and detoxifying the body during sleep.
The right mattress is crucial to a healthy spine, as it maintains the natural curvature of the spine while distributing weight evenly. Ideally, the spine should have a lordotic curve in the cervical and lumbar regions and a kyphotic curve in the thoracic region. The spine’s position and curvature can be altered by different sleeping positions and mattress types, as well as by a person’s body weight.
Choosing the right mattress for your spine is important, but it’s not as easy as it seems. Everyone’s body proportions and comfort preferences are different, and the best mattress type for a specific sleep position depends on your body type, spine support needs and other factors, like snoring or sleep apnea.
For example, if you’re a side sleeper and have snoring or sleep apnea, a firm mattress can cause your shoulders to sink down into the bed and create a painful gap between your shoulder blades. Similarly, if you’re a back sleeper and have scoliosis, a soft mattress can make your hips tilt forward and lead to poor spinal alignment.
The good news is that there’s a way to find the best mattress for your spine and sleeping habits without spending a fortune. Sealy’s Sleep Expert Alison Jones explains that “the key is to find the right sleep system for you, which can be as simple as switching out your mattress.” You can read more about how to choose the best mattress for back pain here.
