Tips for choosing the best mattress for pain-free nights

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Tips for choosing the best mattress for pain-free nights

Jun 01, 2021

We’re all supposed to get about 8 hours of sleep per night, right? If you’re dealing with a chronic illness, you may require more sleep to feel functional and rested the next morning.

When we sleep, our body has a chance to repair itself, creating muscle tissue and releasing important hormones.

But whether you describe your chronic pain as stabbing, jabbing, aching, throbbing, burning, or something else entirely, sometimes it seems impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position.

Tossing and turning each night instead of getting restorative sleep can leave you uncomfortable, wide-eyed, frustrated — and in even more pain the next day.

Ultimately, a vicious cycle is born. A lack of sleep increases chronic pain, and chronic pain reduces your ability to obtain necessary sleep. Some doctors even think that fibromyalgia might be linked to sleep disorders.

In chronic illness communities, we categorize the chronic pain-poor sleep pattern as “painsomnia,” or the inability to get quality sleep due to the presence of pain. But there are some things those with chronic pain can do to break the cycle of uncomfortable, sleepless nights.

A mattress can make or break a good night’s sleep. Start by focusing on buying the right one for you and your body.

 

Don't assume a firm mattress is better

Many people with chronic pain have repeatedly been told they need to sleep on a firm mattress to reduce pain.

Although there isn’t a large body of research on the subject of chronic pain and mattresses, one 2015 study indicated that a hard mattress may not always be the best choice when trying to improve your sleep quality and decrease pain.

During the study, more than 300 people with low back pain slept on mattresses that were categorized as either “medium-firm” or “firm.”

Following the completion of the 90-day study, participants who had slept on medium-firm mattresses reported less pain while lying in bed and during waking hours than those who had slept on the firm mattresses.

Even though you might have been told to sleep on a firm or hard mattress, this may not be the best choice for all people with chronic pain. The firmness you choose is ultimately based on your preference, but you can also use your typical sleep position as a guide.
 

Tips on choosing the right firmness by sleep style

  • Side sleepers: A softer mattress or topper often works well. This puts less pressure on your one shoulder, arm, and hip.
  • Stomach sleepers: Medium or firm works well, so your hips and pelvis don’t sink below your shoulders, which can strain your spine.
  • Back sleepers: Any firmness works since your weight is distributed over a larger surface area.
  • Weight: Generally, the more weight you have, the firmer you want your mattress to be.
  • Preference: Ultimately, choosing firmness comes down to what feels best for your body.
     

Best Mattress For Chronic Pain

DPM™ Mattresses and Pillows are 100% custom fit.

With its patented Point-To-Point® Relief System, DPM is able to systematically configure its mattress to fit a user's height, weight, and sleeping position such that all pressure points can be relieved. Using our proprietary Point-To-Point® Sensor, we are able to detect the pressure points of the body and customized the mattress to suit the user. ON THE SPOT!

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