Do you wake up with pain and stiffness in your lower back?  I did, too.  But I was only 30 years old at the time!

I thought it was me but when I got a new mattress, like magic, I was ‘cured.’

Sometimes your mattress is too soft for you.  If it’s more like a hammock, that’s too soft and your muscles can be strained when you lay in the deep pocket.

If your mattress is too hard, it doesn’t allow your bones to comfortably ‘drop’ into place.  That causes pressure on bones, joints and the muscles crossing them.

Most back pain boils down to muscles being unhappy, one way or another.

If a new mattress is not in your budget, perhaps you can get a memory foam topper.  Memory foam mattresses may be quite expensive but a 2″ topper might do the trick.

And here’s another trick for those memory foam toppers:  Buy a queen size and fold it in half.  Then it is thicker under you.  I have used 2 toppers folded in half on the floor and it makes a perfectly wonderful bed for me.

And that’s what it’s all about:  a perfectly wonderful bed for YOU.

I have read that there may be chemicals which off-gas from memory foam.  At first, they do have an odor.  You may wish to let your foam mattress or pad off-gas somewhere away from you before you start using it or sleep in a well ventilated area.

An interesting thing about the memory foam is that it’s softer in warm weather and somewhat harder in cold temperatures.

How to buy a mattress:

If you go to a store that sells mattresses, plan on taking your time and trying out several before you buy.  There are many types with different levels of firmness and padding.  Some have memory foam tops built in.

And don’t be shy!

Don’t just pat the mattress with your hand or sit on the edge.

Kick off your shoes and lay down.  Stay there for, oh, maybe 15 minutes per mattress.  Try it on your back or in your usual sleeping position.

I watched a woman spend a good half-hour trying out just one mattress in a store in many different positions.  That’s the way to do it!  🙂

Sleeping on your back is the most pain-free position for most people with low back pain.  Some people have the most comfort with a pillow tucked under their knees.

Other people find they have less lower back pain by sleeping on their side with an appropriately-sized pillow or padding for their head, ribs and between their knees.

You spend about 1/3 of your life in bed so get the best mattress you can.

A new mattress may be the ‘cure’ you need for getting rid of your low back pain. 🙂

Update:  A few weeks ago, I went to a hotel and thought maybe the mattress was too firm for me.  I should have asked for a different room and mattress but I “thought it would be okay.”

It wasn’t okay.  My back was hurting within two hours and it was a miserable night.

Moral:  Beds matter.  Beds can cause low back pain.  Get the most comfortable mattress for your body that you can afford or create.

Remember, a new mattress worked for me and my morning back pain.  Getting a new mattress or padding the one you have may just be the ticket to help you get rid of the morning pain in your lower back.