While it seems cats and dogs can sleep in any position (although not usually together as in the picture above), it is very common for people with spinal problems and pain to have problems sleeping. Some people also think that their old mattress is “causing” their low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, etc. This isn’t the case though. There are many people out there who sleep on old worn out, sagging mattresses that have no problem sleeping at all. You have to have a spinal problem present in the back or neck and the old mattress acts as an “aggravating” factor of the spinal problem.
One of the most common questions I get in my practice is whether getting a new mattress will “fix” their spinal problem. The answer is simply…”NO”. It will not “fix” the problem. However, getting a new (good) mattress will eliminate that as one of the aggravating factors for your back. So it may feel as though it “fixed” the back problem. The truth is that it just stopped aggravating it.
But don’t take that the wrong way. A proper mattress is essential for maintaining good “posture” while sleeping. Most of us think of “posture” as how we stand. Posture should be considered regardless of the position we are in. If you are sitting, you would have good sitting posture, if you are lying down you should have good lying or sleeping posture. This is what I will teach you now… what is good “sleep posture” or what I refer to as sleep ergonomics?
People should only be sleeping on their sides or their back. Stomach sleeping is not good for you due to several reasons. Keeping with the topic at hand, there is no way to maintain normal posture when you are sleeping on your stomach. You are forced to turn your head to the side to breathe while lying on your stomach. This is not good for you. Stomach sleepers also tend to “extend” their backs by arching backwards somewhat. Mattresses also tend to “sag” under our heaviest body parts, such as our pelvis region. The head and feet will not sag as much, producing that extended position. This leads to low back pain. People with low back pain usually find that they cannot sleep on their stomachs due to this low back extension.
When lying on your back, to maintain normal posture you need to have your ear, shoulder, hip and ankle all line up in a straight line. Picture what a person with “good” posture looks like while standing from the side. This is what you should try look like while lying on your back. This generally means you need to use a smaller, flatter pillow when you lay on your back. Ideally you should have no pillow at all when on your back. This way your head isn’t being pushed forward into a forward shifted and abnormal position. If your mattress sags it will do so under the hips mostly leading to a “hammock” effect. A mattress needs to be quite supportive to keep the hips flat with the rest of the body. “Soft” mattresses, whether they are made of traditional innersprings and pillow top or it is a fancy foam mattress, will not hold up the hips in most adults as well as a more firm, supportive mattress. Ideally a mattress should be designed to “fit” a person’s body type. Such mattresses are available and Dr. Betz can point you in the right direction for what he has found to be the best option.
When lying on your side (the most common position for sleeping), you need to have a pillow that is sufficiently thick enough to support your head in a neutral position. If you pillow if too thin your head will flop down in a bent position, whereas if it is too think it will push your head into a tilted position the other direction. Either way, this will aggravate existing problems in the neck, shoulders and upper back. If your mattress is saggy under the hip region, it would be like lying in a hammock on your side creating pressure in your back. Pain will likely occur if you have an existing spinal problem.
If your mattress is older than 7 years, it likely needs replaced. In my experience, the spring systems in mattresses will wear out regardless of how expensive they are. Memory foam mattresses, while soft and cozy, will not adequately support the heavier body parts, leading to the sagging hammock effect. While a mattress will generally not “cause” a problem, it will aggravate existing spinal problems.
To have your spine checked today, call Dr. Betz at (208) 321-8484 or email at drjoebetz@gmail.com.