Must say this is a great forum and wish I had found this prior to purchasing my mattress instead of later when I got sore
I am 175cms tall and weigh about 70kgs, normal male body shape, wider on the shoulder and trim on waist and hips. I had purchased a new mattress with all the bells & whistles expecting to get countless nights of blissful sleep. However, that has been far from reality unfortunately. I am not sure what kind of information I need to provide, but the specifications of the mattress are in this link:
I am a side and back sleeper and have been experiencing some upper back/ shoulder pains, more specifically between the right shoulder blade. I have tried changing the pillows, using heavier, lighter and even double pillows to see if it would help fix the problem with no successful outcomes. I have also tried a mattress topper assuming the firmness of the bed maybe causing these aches, but even this hasn’t worked either.
I understand it takes a while to get used to a new mattress, but it’s been over a month and am starting to wonder if these aches would ever end. After enduring several nights of restless sleep and waking up sore I must be honest, my patience is wearing out on me.
Is there anyone else on this forum who has experienced anything similar and managed to find a solution? Would really appreciate any input any of you might be able to offer.
I’m sorry to hear that your mattress isn’t working out as well as you hoped for.
Unfortunately all the “bells and whistles” generally have more to do with marketing than with how well you will sleep on a mattress.
Unfortunately it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or any “symptoms” they experience so a mattress that would be “perfect” for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on.
Having said that … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.
There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.
These posts are the “tools” that can help with the analysis, detective work, or trial and error that may be necessary to help you learn your body’s language and “translate” what your body is trying to tell you so you can identify the types of changes that have the best chance of reducing or eliminating any “symptoms” you are experiencing (at least to the degree that any symptoms are from your mattress rather than the result of any other circumstances or pre-existing issues you may have that aren’t connected to a mattress).
If the store where you purchased your mattress has an exchange or return policy then the simplest solution would probably be to exchange your mattress for a different one that would be a better match for you in terms of PPP … hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial.
It’s certainly possible that your mattress is too firm for you and isn’t allowing your shoulders to sink into the mattress enough to relieve pressure and if this is the case then some of the suggestions in post #2 here may also be helpful. The most common solution for a mattress that is too firm would be adding a suitable topper.
If you believe that your mattress is too soft then it can be more difficult to “fix” but there are also some suggestions in post #4 here that may be helpful for a mattress that is too soft as well. I would make sure to try your mattress on the floor to see if it makes a difference in your symptoms or sleeping experience so you can confirm that the support system under your mattress isn’t the cause of any symptoms you are experiencing (your support system should provide the same firm support under a mattress as the floor).
Thanks so much Phoenix, your detailed input is very highly appreciated! I have been reading through all the posts you have linked me to and have gained an understanding of the mechanics of it all. I will trial out a few different techniques that have been highlighted in your posts to see if they improve my situation.
I do have one question though, when testing a new setup, like for example a new pillow or mattress topper, how much time should one generally commit to each test before concluding it a success or failure?
I have also contacted the manufacturer to see what recommendations they can offer, hopefully it all points to achieving that dream sleep… Thanks again for all your input, you have a wealth of knowledge and it is very kind of you to dedicate your time towards helping others!
When you first purchase a mattress I would try to sleep on it for a month or so (or a minimum of a couple of weeks if longer isn’t possible unless it’s obvious that the mattress or your pillow is completely unsuitable for you) so that the mattress has a chance to break in and your body has the chance to adjust to a new sleeping surface that is different from what it is used to (see post #3 here).
After the initial few weeks if you are making “fine tuning” changes to your mattress or your pillow I would sleep on each new configuration for a few days at least (or longer if there are clear signs that things are improving) so that you have a chance to identify any clear patterns in your experience because your experience for just a single night or two can often be an anomaly or the result of your body adjusting to the change itself.
