Firm Or Soft Mattress For Bad Back

Pros of a soft mattress.

Firm or soft mattress for bad back.

What s firm enough but not too firm is different for everyone. Soft mattresses can reduce back pain and help aging individuals deal with joint pain and problems 2. Soft mattresses can be a better option for people who sleep on their side especially in a fetal position. But one survey of 268 people with low back pain found that those who slept on very hard mattresses had the poorest sleep quality.

If a mattress is too firm or too squishy it won t support your spine at your neck or lower back the way it needs to. The mattress is flippable with both a soft and firm side but back pain sufferers will likely feel the most comfortable on the firm side. In the past doctors often recommended very firm mattresses. There was no difference in sleep quality between those who used medium firm and firm mattresses.

Back sleepers need a solid medium firm mattress and should aim for around a 6 to 7 on. A danish study finds more people with back pain prefer soft beds to hard ones. While it is important not to have an overly firm mattress for a bad back it is equally important that it is not too soft to support your body weight. The best mattress for a bad back is of medium firm density.

An overly soft mattress will not support the body properly at all allowing it to sink into the mattress too much. Firm vs soft in an effort to confirm that hard mattresses exert a positive effect on the sleep of people with chronic low back pain as is commonly believed participants in a study tested bedding with varying degrees of firmness. No more tossing and turning no more thrashing no more. When seeking the best bed for lower back pain a commonality among the millions of people plagued by chronic back pain is their preference for a mattress with a medium to firm feel.

With a too soft mattress your lumbar region may not get necessary support leaving you with morning time achiness after sleeping with your spine unaligned. Side sleepers need a slightly softer mattress and can look for something in the 5 5 to 6 5 range for firmness. But experts tell webmd no bed type is best for all backs.