Which Mattress Do You Buy?
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is which mattress should I buy? There are all sorts of mattresses out there to choose from so where do you begin? Several types of mattresses work and it depends on you and what you can sleep on. There are some general rules that will help you get a mattress that will provide you a good night sleep and help you wake up pain free. These rules are based on 11 years of experience working with patients and buying mattresses myself.
#1 You need to be prepared to spend some money. If you don’t buy a mattress that is valued over 1,200 dollars generally its no good. The more you spend the more support you get out of your mattress. When you buy a regular box spring mattress for over 1,200 it will generally be taller then the average mattress that you buy for under 1,000 dollars due to the bigger coil springs. So, be prepared to buy new sheets. In general it doesn’t matter what brand you get if you are willing to spend over 1,200 dollars. My favorite is Stearns & Foster. Patient’s picks over the years have been Sealy Posturepedic, Stearns & Foster, and Tempur-Pedic.
#2 You need support. You don’t need to buy the firmest mattress buy one that supplies support. When you lay on your mattress it should feel like its pushing your spine up. You need to try out every potential mattress by lying on it for awhile.
#3 Avoid pillow tops. Over the years patients with back problems do not do well with pillow tops. You are better off not getting one.
#4 If you get hot easily and don’t like to when you sleep you probably don’t want to get a foam mattress. Foam mattresses retain heat.
#5 When buying a mattress make sure the company you are buying from gives you a couple of months to try out your bed. It takes about 6 weeks to see if your spine is going to respond well to your new mattress.
#6 Try laying on a foam mattress before buying one. Lots of patients have returned their foam mattress because the foam is so different to a regular mattress. If you have been sleeping on a regular mattress for “x” amount of years it might be hard to adjust to a whole new feel.
#7 Avoid waterbeds and air mattresses. Patients with back problems have not done well with these type of mattresses.
#8 Get your back adjusted while adapting to your new mattress.
The keys to remember are you need to spend some money on your new mattress to get the support you need. Try before you buy and then have a good return policy (2 to 3 months). Get adjusted!!!