Let's say you've had a long day at work or college; all you want to do is go home and get cozy in your bed. Your goal for the night is to get enough sleep to recuperate from the day and ready your body for the next. However, many times the goal becomes impossible to achieve. The reason could be anything from lifestyle choices like drinking coffee in the evening to a bad mattress. Ultimately, bad decisions and such reasons affect your health.
You might have questions like- can a bad mattress cause back pain and body aches, or what are bad mattress symptoms? Below are answers to them and other questions, like symptoms of sleeping on a bad mattress.
1. Dust mites can trigger allergies.
Dust mites, if you've never heard about them, are similar to ticks and spiders. The significant difference is that dust mites are microscopic creatures. They live in humid weather conditions and consume dead human skin present in the dust around the house, especially bed. It doesn't matter how tidy you try to keep your home; dust mites create a space for them. They can turn minute dirty spots into their homes as they're filthy creatures and easily find such areas.
People who have dust mites allergies are sensitive to decaying bodies and feces. They multiply faster around humid and warm places like mattresses, bedding, and upholstered furniture. Also, such people are primarily allergic to dust too. When sensitive people get in touch with debris, they experience allergic reactions like continuous sneezing, coughing, running nose, and itchy eyes.
If you already have asthma, dust mites can also trigger symptoms like chest pain, breath shortness, wheezing and coughing. The presence of dust mites under the bed can cause restless nights. Along with sleepless nights, you could also suffer from symptoms as mentioned above.
The most significant problem with dust mites is that you can't eradicate them. However, there are ways and techniques almost to reduce their existence from your bedroom. For example, get an allergy-proof cover to put around your mattress made of tightly woven fabric. The cover creates a wall and stops the dust mites from reaching you. The dead skin shredded by your skin won't get them, preventing them from consuming it and reproducing. Also, because of the gap, they can't trigger asthma or allergies in your body.
2. A bad mattress can cause back pain.
When it's about sleeping comfortably, proper spine support is very crucial and non-negotiable. Our spinal system has interlocking bones, known as vertebrae, with natural curves. Even a minute pull or push in that interlocking system due to a saggy or old mattress can cause a lot of pain. The soft mattress puts pressure on ligaments that connect the spine to other body parts.
Sagging of the mattress leads to a bending of the spine, causing discomfort and restless sleep durations. However, lower back pain has become one of the most common problems Americans go through. According to a National Institutes of Health survey, around 80% of US adults experience lower back pain. There could be several reasons behind the pain, but it's not good as age increases.
If you also wake up with a sore back and other muscles, it's about time to change the mattress. If you don't feel like changing your mattress, the temporary solution is getting a mattress topper. This will add extra support until you're ready to get a new mattress and throw out the older one.
3. A lumpy mattress can cause neck pain.
It's vital to keep your head aligned with the trunk while sleeping. It's not wise to tip your head forward or backward in sleep as it can cause physical health problems. This is where your pillow comes into play and provides the necessary support. However, a lumpy or saggy mattress can disrupt your body and create unwanted issues. Thus, Sleep Science experts advise sleeping on a mattress or topper with no dips or bumps. You can use one or two pillows to support your neck but make sure your head and trunk are in comfortable alignment.
4. A super-firm mattress can cause joint pain.
While sleeping, we rest our whole body on a surface for hours. Thus, it's vital that the surface provides the comfort and support our body needs. If the mattress you're sleeping on is super-firm, it could create pressure. Your body parts like shoulder, back, hips, and joints won't have enough support leading to aches and other significant issues like sleep deprivation.
However, if you bought such a mattress by mistake and can't return it, get a mattress topper. A super-firm mattress can't provide the softness, and plush mattress toppers are manufactured to give that comfort and support. Thus, they're the perfect companion if you don't like sleeping on your current firm mattress.
5. Bad Mattress can cause sweats.
Many people in the morning find their bodies wet in sweats. Several reasons can cause night sweats and lead to other problems. The reason behind sweating could be anything from anxiety to medications. Sometimes, there's no other reason than feeling hot for sweating so much in sleep. If you sweat regularly and it's not because of drugs or anxiety, the problem is your mattress, and it's time to get a new one.
You must be thinking, "How does a mattress contribute to sweating?" it depends on the material used in the manufacturing of the mattress. When sleeping on material like dense foam that hugs the body, the heat released from the body gets trapped. The released heat gets stuck on the body in the form of sweat. You can fix this problem with light pajamas made of linen or cotton. However, the best thing to do against night sweat is to get a cooling mattress.
How to Get Rid of a Bad Mattress?
The best way of getting rid of a bad mattress is getting a new mattress and throwing or exchanging the current one out. If you're around Northern California, the best place for you to do this is Mancini's Sleepworld. The mattress store brand is present in 35 locations, and their sleep consultants are also very helpful.
Also, their latest SleepMatch technology can quickly help you in finding the ideal mattress. The technology takes inputs depending on your preferences, runs the data against thousands of parameters, and provides perfect solution options in the form of mattresses. You can also try out SleepMatch by calling to make an appointment at the nearest select Mancini's Sleepworld store.