Minor lower back stiffness on mattress

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
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I bought an Engineered Sleep Today mattress and overall it’s a good mattress. I’ve had some good nights on it, but other nights I experience minor lower back stiffness. Thankfully it doesn’t linger after I get up. I’m mostly a back and side sleeper.

According to ES, the Today mattress has a 1" 50ILD Base Foam, 6" Pocketed Coils, 1.25" 1.8lb Polyurethane foam, and a quilted layer consisting of 1" of 3lb Memory Foam with 0.75" 1.8lb polyurethane foam.

I suspect the stiffness might be from the small memory foam layer, or the quilting pattern. Has anyone had a similar experience and found a remedy for this? Would a topper or a pad help in this scenario?

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Gary,

I recommend having someone take a photo of your posture while lying on your side with your current pillow. While you’re feeling lower back stiffness, it’s possible that your pillow might be the culprit, affecting your overall alignment. Even a pillow that’s 1–1.5” too high or too low can cause significant issues with your neck, shoulders, and back, as your spine alignment is interconnected. A firmer mattress, in particular, often requires a loftier pillow to maintain proper alignment.

Additionally, try placing a thinner pillow between your knees. This helps rotate your body slightly, relieving strain on your lower back by improving leg positioning and alignment. Testing each change (pillow adjustments and knee pillow) individually can give you a better idea of what’s specifically causing the discomfort.

Before opting for a topper, evaluate whether these smaller adjustments make a difference. Keep in mind that a mattress topper will add height to the mattress, which could require further pillow adjustments. Depending on the type of pillow (e.g., memory foam, down, or polyester) and the fill (e.g., shredded foam, down feathers, or synthetic materials), it may compress or adapt differently, which could help achieve the right height.

As a temporary measure, if you have a wool or down comforter, you can fold it in half lengthwise and place it under your sheet to mimic the effect of a topper. This will give you a sense of whether a bit more cushioning would help without committing to a full topper yet.

Additionally, if you notice some misalignment in the picture of your posture, have someone check under the bed to be certain your slats are not too far apart and none are bowing with you one the mattress after than half hour.

Let me know how it goes!
Maverick

Oh, I forgot to mention, if you have not had the mattress too long, there may simply be an adjustment curve to the new mattress as your body is just not used to it yet. The above steps will help get you to your comfort zone faster, so you do not have to remain with pain while adjusting.