How to Make Mornings Great Again: Mattress Suggestions to Help Ease Back Pain

Waking up shouldn’t be a pain in the neck. Or the back! But it’s not always avoidable. Back pain is hard to diagnose, difficult to cure, and it comes in all forms. No two people, even with the same condition, experience the exact same symptoms or type of pain. And while there are ways to make sleeping more comfortable, there’s no mattress that will cure chronic pain. Be wary of anyone telling you that.

There are mattresses, however, that will feel better to you. And if your back pain has started recently, without an explanation, you might be sleeping on an old or worn out mattress that doesn’t provide enough support.

Find the mattress that fits your personal comfort preferences.

Finding a mattress that supports you properly and suits your personal comfort preference is the most important part of getting better sleep in spite of back pain. Some people with chronic pain prefer a soft mattress; others swear by a firm mattress. That’s one of the many reasons Serta makes a wide variety of mattresses — each person’s comfort preference is unique.

The Better Sleep Council recommends you test a mattress by lying down in your typical sleep position and evaluating the level of support and comfort from that perspective.

Find the right sleep position.

Serta’s adjustable foundations and compatible mattresses can help with managing back pain by allowing you to find your most comfortable sleep position. An adjustable bed allows you to elevate your head and feet, alleviating pressure on your lower back and easing neck and shoulder pain. Because your muscles can relax and don’t have to work through the night, you wake up more relaxed with fewer aches and pains.

Find your perfect sleep position. Shop Serta’s adjustable foundations and compatible mattresses.If you don’t have an adjustable foundation, changing your sleep position or adding pillows in certain places can relieve some types of back pain. Here are a few positions you can try, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic:

1. If you sleep on your side, sleep with a pillow between your knees to relieve pressure on your hips, lower back and legs. Hugging a full-length body pillow with your knees and arms will also help you get into this position.

2. If you sleep on your back, try a pillow under your knees. This is a position that most spas will put you in during a massage.

3. If you sleep on your stomach, put a pillow under your hipbones. You can also try sleeping with a low profile pillow or going without a pillow to avoid pressure on your back and neck.

Create a calming bedtime routine

Back pain can keep you up at night, but sleep is an important contributing factor to health in general and healing specifically. So, how do you get enough sleep in the face of back pain?

Try to create positive associations with your bedroom and your bedtime routine. Develop a nighttime pattern that’s calming and helps you let go of anxiety about getting to sleep or getting enough sleep. Experts recommend meditation, caffeine-free tea, or dim lighting before bed.