Obviously, when we sleep that is when our bodies recover. So it’s important when we lay down to sleep at night that we get a decent night’s rest, hopefully at least six hours. Sadly our mattress limits us from getting that type of sleep. If you have low back pains or low back problems and neck problems it compounds that problem.
The first thing I tell my patients is that you need a firm mattress.
It needs to provide quite a bit of support. I don’t like pillow top mattresses. They break down within six months. When you don’t get the support you need you can have increased irritation on your low back on the joints on the discs and on the nerves.
When we wake up we have a tendency to hurt more in the mornings. Is there a time when your back hurts more in the morning or in the evening? If it hurts more in the morning, my first question is how is your mattress. It should be switched out every eight to ten years.
Try to get down on the floor on the carpet and sleep one night. Patients wake up and say, “I feel great.” The floor doesn’t give and it provides some bit of support. I’m not suggesting we start sleeping on the floor but it opens patient’s eyes to “I need a new mattress.”
It’s very important that we stay neutral when we sleep .Try to keep your neck neutral and in line with the rest your spine. We don’t want you laterally flexed to one side or the other. Always sleep on your back with your head supported and something under your knees or on your side with a pillow between your knees and get your head nice and level and supported with the rest of your spine and always, at all costs, stay off of your stomach.
