Mattress | Chapel Hill Chiropractic Center

Is Your Mattress at Fault?

What do you sleep on at night? What kind of mattress? Is it a waterbed? Air mattress? Traditional box spring and mattress? Memory foam mattress? How well do you sleep? Do you think that your mattress affects the quality of your sleep in any way?

These are questions we frequently ask of our patients who come in complaining about sleep difficulties or constant fatigue. The proper amount of sleep and the quality of your sleep is a critical component to your overall good health. Therefore, the type of mattress you sleep on can affect the quality of your sleep, leaving you irritable, tired and susceptible to ill health.

Let’s look at a few types of mattresses and the effects each may have on your spine and overall health:

Traditional box spring/mattress combination

The box spring is the foundation for the mattress in this type of bed. It can affect the life of the mattress because it supports the weight of the mattress and whoever is lying on top of it! It is best to buy box springs and mattresses in matched sets.

Innerspring mattresses generally offer better support, but typically sag in the middle. It is best to flip and rotate the mattress periodically.
As to firmness, just as in the children’s tale, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” a mattress shouldn’t be too firm because it won’t provide balanced spine support. A mattress that is too soft sags and doesn’t provide any spine support.

Mattresses and box springs don’t last forever and should probably be replaced approximately every 10 years. However, many people don’t heed this advice, forgetting that an older mattress lacks the necessary support to rest tired muscles, joints and bones!

Waterbeds

A popular bed in the 70’s and 80’s, waterbeds seem to have lost some of their popularity.

There are those who believe that a waterbed “wraps around” your spine, giving it support where needed. Proponents of waterbeds suggest that they lessen stress on a sleeping body because a person’s weight is more evenly distributed and the movement of the water eliminates pressure on bony body parts (shoulders, hips, and spine).

Heaters that warm the water to therapeutic temperatures can soothe achy muscles in the neck and back and the absence of bed bugs make waterbeds attractive to many.

Memory Foam Mattresses

Originally developed for the space program, these mattresses are growing rapidly in popularity. Like waterbeds, memory foam mattresses spread pressure over a larger body surface, reducing stress on bony parts.

Hospitals use memory foam for long-term treatment patients because it reduces the incidence of bedsores.

Because memory foam mattresses differ substantially in the quality of the material used to make them, their response to temperature, durability and life span, it is a good idea to compare brands carefully before purchasing one.

Have mattress questions?

Please feel free to consult with us when you come in for your next adjustment if you are in the market for a new mattress. We will be happy to speak with you about the type of mattress we recommend and why.

Just remember…your mattress can make all the difference in the world on how well you sleep, how long you sleep and how you greet the day!