Another client came in after a horrible night (again) on his memory foam mattress. He did the “2 o’clock fling” and spent the rest of the night in pain moving between the floor and the mattress. So here’s the deal with mattresses. First, as much as “space shuttle technology” is interesting I haven’t found it practical in the bedroom.
A good, quality, independent coil spring mattress is still your best bet. Medium firm — if you want extra “chushyness” then add a pillow top. The pillow top is not necessary but may help with shoulder and hip comfort if you’re a side sleeper.
According to the Better Sleep Council of Canada, by the time your mattress is 10 years old, the material has deteriorated by 75%. They have more interesting facts at http://bettersleep.ca/ Many times it’s just time for a new mattress.
A good summary article on what to look for in a mattress is in Canadian Living.
The only thing that is wrong in the Canadian Living article is they infer that it is OK to sleep on your stomach. That is the #1 way to guarantee early onset spinal arthritis in your neck and destroy the natural curve that you need for spinal cord health. Don’t go shopping for a mattress that can help you feel “more comfortable” on your stomach. Correct the problem that I talk about in the rest of this article.
Many Canadian’s spend thousands of dollars on mattresses and still suffer sleep loss?? If your spine is out of alignment (subluxated) your nervous system will complain and you will not sleep well. Trying to compensate for a subluxated spine with an extra cushy mattress top, two or three pillows or other sleep “contraptions” you are only covering up the real problem. Adapting your “environment” to fit your poor posture will not give the nerves relief. As long as they are “stressed” you will be stressed too and you will not sleep well.
Spending thousands of dollars on bed products only to ignore the problem is frustrating at best, but ultimately dangerous for your long term health. If you’ve been left wondering why after a couple of weeks on your “super new mattress” your old problems are still there, then you need to get your spine checked for subluxations.
One of the most consistent results we get when someone starts corrective care is that they begin to sleep better. That’s because we are getting to the root of the problem, getting the pressure off your nerves.
You will get what you pay for in a mattress but don’t sacrifice your spinal health. This is one of those situations where you need to do both. Get a good quality mattress AND get adjusted, solve the problem once and for all! And sleep peacefully knowing your nerve system is functioning at 100%.
