If yes, this is NOT normal! You should be waking up each morning feeling rested and relaxed. If this is not the case, chances are that either your mattress and/or your pillow is past its use by date. The body is really self-explanatory – we just need to listen to it. If you are waking up with a stiff or sore lower back or hips, then your mattress is possibly too soft. If your neck and shoulders feel tight, or you are waking upwith headaches, then your pillow is probably not the best for your sleeping position. Remember- stiffness is just as much of an indicator as pain.
There are some general rules to follow when looking to purchase either a mattress or pillow.
New Mattress
1. No Pillow Top
These are great for the first year but with time that soft fluffy layer loses its integrity and you end up having a 3-5cm dip in your mattress. Not good. If you do like that soft top layer, then buy a secondary topper so when this is dead, you can throw it out and retain the mattress.
2. Firm yet comfortable
Soft beds do not support the back – your mattress should not feel like a cloud. And there certainly such thing as too firm. It must be comfortable but supportive.
3. You need to spend $1000-$2000
Cost does not guarantee quality – I would prefer you to spend less and buy a new mattress every 5 years, than holding onto a bad mattress because you spent $5000 on it. Do not buy a mattress that comes in a box that you’ve never lay on!
4. Don’t listen to the sales assistants
When they talk about ‘posture-this’, ‘osteo-that’, ‘chiro-this’, this is marketing dribble and doesn’t guarantee the quality of the bed. Never lie on their magical beds that will tell you the ‘perfect mattress for you’; funnily enough they’ll suggest one of the more expensive mattresses.
5. Go for Spring
These have stood the test of time so stick with what’s tried and tested. Memory foam, air, water, latex etc. are all newer technologies and are still having some of their problems ironed out of their design.
New Pillow
Side Sleeper: Latex or memory Foam, Medium Height, Medium Feel
Stomach Sleeper: The flattest pillow available
Side and Back Sleeper: Contour, Latex or memory Foam, Medium Height, Medium Feel
Back Sleeper: Latex or memory Foam, Low Height, Medium Feel
We do stock a terrific Memory Foam Pillow ($99) which has 4 different height options and is a genuinely great pillow for side and back sleepers. We also stock this pillow in travel size ($54) and it rolls up to sit nicely in a suitcase!
This is just to be taken as a guide so please do not go and buy a new mattress based on this information. It serves only to highlight general trends. If you do have concerns about your mattress or pillow, please book in for an osteopathic consultation and I can help you work out what is causing you pain. The main take home message is that you should not be waking up sore.
For more information, book online for a consultation and treatment.
