|
It's so true, what they say about comfort being an individual thing. I've had my SleepEZ bed for almost a month now, and I'm finding I'm not who I thought I was! I thought I liked a firm, supportive mattress, with a little bit of cush. I thought I needed a firm mattress because I sometimes sleep on my back and I'd heard firm is better for that. I thought too much cushiness would do horrific and irreversible damage to my back. I thought that since I am not tiny, I needed a firmer surface to hold me. So, when I ordered my bed, I was a bit worried that one each of firm/medium/soft layers would not work for me, but I went with it anyway. I've tried every conceivable combination of these layers, including using only two at a time. The soft ones felt great to me, but I kept thinking "I'm gonna regret this, it's going to destry my back!" I called SleepEZ and told Shaun I thought I needed to exchange the soft or medium layer for a F or XF. He was worried that an exchange would not make a difference in the way it felt, and asked me to try one more thing, only two layers, soft over firm. The first night of that was great! I woke on my back in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and was able to get right back to sleep. The next night was OK. The next several days I had horrible mid/lower back pain. So I went back to medium over soft over firm and I have slept so great the last week and wake painfree (pretty much). I can't really sleep on my back this way, but I guess that's OK. I'm keeping notes about this journey This message was modified Jun 17, 2010 by cynicaljones
|
now, and will also try the other config. that felt good to me, soft over firm over medium. But I've got a question: is there any reason I should expect to experience back pain or even some kind of damage after some time with a soft mattress? Would I gain anything by exchanging the medium for a F or XF, or should I just keep it the way it is?|
You're mostly a side sleeper, right? Generally softer is better for side sleeping and firmer for stomach sleepers, with back sleepers falling between the two extremes. Just had an idea. I haven't tried this, but it might be worth a shot. Could you have another person observe you lying on your side. They could hold a yardstick along your back/neck/head and see how close to straight everything is. Doubt it would be perfect, but I've seen enough illustrations of the "ideal side sleeping position" to know that theoretically your spine should be aligned. (I'll probably have my wife do this with me and vice versa.) Here are a couple articles that talk about sleep positions and considerations: Whole Living: Sleep On It and Neck Pain Support Blog: Which Sleeping Position Is the Best for You? I recently started PT and I asked her how big a pillow I should put between my legs to keep my hips aligned. She measured me and said about 6"... right in the six to eight inch range suggested in the first article. |
| If it is not causing pain, I don't think you are doing any damage. Pianoman is right in that the key thing is how you spine is aligned in your normal sleeping position. Too soft, and your hips will sink in too much, and you probably will wake up with a sore back. Too firm, and your hips are pushed up too much, and you might get a sore back as well. Or you might toss and turn due to pressure points. Of course it will vary depending on what sleeping position you are in. I don't think anything will be perfect for all kinds of different positions. So, if you have something that is comfortable in your dominant sleeping position and you are waking up pain free, I would just stick with it. |
|
One of my all time favorite expressions is, "What Works for You?" And that's the name of that tune, and you can take it all away to the bank! That's why you want to buy your mattress from a very reputable dealer who will allow you Unlimited exchanges of layers. And at the end of your trial period, if all else fails, you can return it and get your money back. Some of us have to go through quite a trial period to find what it is that actually works for us. You can read my extensive thread, "I just bought a FloBeds" and read all about it. Good Luck! |
|
pianoman wrote: Just had an idea. I haven't tried this, but it might be worth a shot. Could you have another person observe you lying on your side. They could hold a yardstick along your back/neck/head and see how close to straight everything is. Doubt it would be perfect, but I've seen enough illustrations of the "ideal side sleeping position" to know that theoretically your spine should be aligned. (I'll probably have my wife do this with me and vice versa.) |
| Well, he says my spine looks straight enough to him. |
|
cynicaljones wrote: That's a really good idea, pianoman. I'll have my husband do this for me tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion. Just checked out my wife tonight—er... that is, her spinal alignment (ahem! I also finally took out some of the shredded MF from my DIY pillow. Should be easier to adjust now. This message was modified Jun 20, 2010 by pianoman
|
). Looked pretty good but was a little saggy in the midback between the shoulders and the hips. Head seemed a bit elevated, too. I'll have her look at my alignment tomorrow.|
pianoman wrote:
Just checked out my wife tonight—er... that is, her spinal alignment (ahem! I also finally took out some of the shredded MF from my DIY pillow. Should be easier to adjust now. |
|
DianeK wrote: Is your wife having any back stiffness or pain in the morning? Also, too firm or thick of a pillow can elevate the head enough to make the back appeared curved. No, she's had no complaints whatsoever about the new mattress. When our mattress search began several months ago at the retail stores, her big concern was pain in the hip when sleeping on her side (she's primarily a side sleeper). Evidently this has been alleviated with the new mattress. I personally think her pillow looks a bit high. It's a MF contour pillow, so she could rotate it 180° and use the slightly shorter side under her head and neck. I'll suggest she try that. |
| I always say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" |