Help to a Newbie on a mattress!!!

[phoenix]

Hi Thrasher,

Granted, it’s only been a few days, but as of right now, I am not 100% sold on this mattress. Perhaps I am speaking too soon. I am getting up in the morning, lower and upper back sore. And, is the soreness I am feeling all a part of the adaptation process to this better bed?

Yes … it can take some time to adjust to a new sleeping surface … especially if it’s significantly different from your old mattress so the minimum amount of time I would give any new mattress whenever possible is at least a couple of weeks (and preferably a little longer). If your sleeping alignment is different from your old mattress then there can be some discomfort at first even if your alignment is better because your body can be uncomfortable with change … even if it’s an improvement. The key is whether your symptoms or discomfort improve over the first few weeks or whether they stay the same (or get worse).

I feel like it needs to be a little softer, but in being softer, am I sacrificing the support I have long since needed?

The deeper layers of the mattress are the “support layers” and the upper layers are the “comfort layers”. If the comfort layers are too thin or too firm then you may not be sinking in enough to relieve pressure and the support underneath some parts of your body that needs it may be worse than if the comfort layers were softer or thicker because a mattress that is too firm may not “fill in the gaps” and provide enough support under the more recessed parts of the body profile. For example a floor is very firm but doesn’t provide any support under the lumbar curve or the waist even though it provides great “support” under the pelvis or shoulders.

There is more about “primary support”, “secondary support”, and “pressure relief” and the relationship between them in post #4 here and more about some of the symptoms of pain or discomfort that someone may experience on a mattress in post #2 here. The goal is always good spinal alignment which means having the “right” amount of support under each part of the body … not just a firmer mattress. While a mattress that is too soft overall can certainly lead to back issues … so can a mattress that is too firm which can also also result in the spine sagging out of alignment.

I haven’t noticed waking up as much as I was previously either, but when I do wake up, I am not thinking, “Wow, this bed is soooo comfortable…”

Since you don’t feel the mattress when you are sleeping (and this is when it needs to do its job) … the “ideal” when you wake up is “wow … I slept well”

Phoenix