Hey guys, I got a queen size serta perfect sleeper mattress about 3 years ago and it is still in great shape. I bought it not really knowing anything about mattresses and wished I would have done some research first. Anyways I’m a night owl and am now really just trying to fix my sleeping habits. My mattress is decent but could be better, I’m starting to get some back and neck pain, I’ve actually always had it here and there but am now just recognizing it more and trying to solve it.
I’m 5’7 and 225 pounds and am just getting back in the gym doing cardio and weight lifting and it’s really starting to tax my body but I tend to get a lot more aches and pains in my back. I find my mattress doesn’t help relieve the pressure points in my back, I always feel restless and toss and turn a lot. I like to watch tv on my back as my tv is in front of my bed but I am a side sleeper. I also have random neck pain here and there and I’m pretty sure my pillow is too high and firm and I need something thinner and softer. I’ve done some research and know I need something softer as far as my mattress goes as I’m a side sleeper and that is what’s reccomended to relieve pressure points and for your body to mold into the mattress properly.
My question is, since my mattress is still fairly new and in good shape can I just get away with a topper or do i need to buy a whole new mattress? Also what are some soft and thin pillows? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!
I’m not clear on the circumstances or underlying reasons for your “symptoms” because it seems that there are many things at work here that that could be part of the cause.
If your workouts are the cause of the back pain then your mattress may not be the issue. If your pain is in your lower back then the most common cause (that is connected to a sleeping system anyway) would be a mattress that is too soft underneath the heavier areas of your body. Issues with pressure points aren’t as common for back sleepers and are much more common for side sleepers and are generally from comfort layers that are too thin or firm (the opposite of back issues). I’m a little confused about why you would be having pressure issues in your back when you sleep on your side unless your back pain is from watching TV on your back before you go to sleep on your side in which case it’s more likely to be an alignment issue than a pressure point issue and may be connected to how you are being supported when you watch TV. Post #2 here has more information about some of the more common sleeping “symptoms” that may help you identify what is happening but it can take some detective work (and sometimes some trial and error) to identify a solution (to the degree that a sleeping system can solve the issue).
After 3 years it’s quite possible that there are some soft spots in your mattress but if you are confident that some extra softness and pressure relief is what you need and your mattress is in good condition and it has no soft spots or sagging then a topper can certainly be helpful. While only your own trial and error and experience can know for certain which specific topper will work best for you on your specific mattress (the “feel” and performance of a topper depends as much on the specifics of what is underneath it as the topper itself), there are some guidelines in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may be helpful.
Side sleepers tend to need thicker and firmer pillows than the other sleeping positions to keep your head and neck in good alignment because the gap between your head/neck and the mattress is larger than the other sleeping positions.
Outside of the basic needs of a pillow (the right thickness for your sleeping position and body type) … they are much more of a preference issue than mattresses so its not really possible to make specific recommendations out of the hundreds/thousands that are on the market but down pillows are among the thinnest/softest. I would keep in mind though that thin/soft wouldn’t be the usual choice for side sleeping. The pillow thread here and the other posts and sources of information it links to may be helpful.