Hi there,
I’m in desperate need of some mattress advice. Wife and I were sleeping on an old beauty rest mattress for quite some time (at least 6-8 years). We decided to upgrade back in December and went with a Tempurpedic cloud. Wife’s parents had this mattress in their guest room and we’d sleep on it when we’d visit. We found it very comfortable but would wake up with some minor lower back pain. We attributed it to sleeping on an unfamiliar mattress that wasn’t broken in.
We tried the Tempurpedic for around 60 days and I had lower back pain the entire time, which progressively got worse. We returned the mattress and replaced it with a Saatva Classic (luxury firm). Unfortunately, I had similar lower back pain and we returned it after a few months… Wife has not had any issues with either mattress.
We just purchased a Wink Bed (firm) to try out. It seemed to be better than the past two at first but I woke up this morning with horrible lower back pain to the point where I couldn’t stay in bed anymore. At this point, I’m at a loss for what to even try.
Any suggestions?
Hi MarinaraBoss.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum. 
Sorry to hear that you are experiencing lower back pain on multiple mattresses, even after an adequate break in period.
To steal some words directly from Phoenix…
While there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to predict which mattress would be the best match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) based on specs or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here) … if your back issues are being caused or aggravated by your mattress (which seems to be somewhat likely because it goes away when you have been up for a while) the odds are high that you could find a mattress that will be a much better “match” for you.
The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you with how to make the most suitable choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
There is also more about the most common “symptoms” that people may experience on a mattress in post #2 here that may help you identify why the mattresses you have chosen weren’t working well for you. The most common cause of lower back pain is an alignment issue from a mattress that either has a support core that is too soft or comfort layers (or toppers) that are too thick/soft for your body type or sleeping positions but a mattress that is too firm and doesn’t provide good support under the recessed parts of your body (such as the small of your back) can also lead to lower back pain.
The most important “requirement” for any mattress purchase regardless of any back issues is always to make sure that it provides good alignment in all your sleeping positions.
There is more about primary and secondary support and their relationship to pressure relief and firmness in post #4 here and in post #2 here that may help you visualize what good support and alignment “looks like”.
There is also more about the different ways to buy a mattress and how to minimize the risks involved in each of them if you aren’t confident that a particular mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP in post #2 here that may also be helpful.
Would you also be willing to disclose your height/weight and sleeping position(s)? This is useful information for us in helping to determine where things could be going wrong.
Looking forward to your reply.
NikkiTMU
Thanks so much for the detailed reply. I’ll be sure to read through all the resources you provided. I’m 6’2 and 190 pounds.
Hi MarinaraBoss.
I think you’ll find those resources useful in some self diagnosis of your pain. Based on your BMI and what little I know about the Saatva and Wink Bed you’ve been sleeping on, it sounds like the mattresses are a bit too firm for your sleeping profile.
Are you a side sleeper?
NikkiTMU
I alternate between back and side. I’ve noticed with the WinkBed that I’m having a lot of discomfort/stiffness in my upper back as well. Any thoughts on a good brand to look into trying next?
Hi MarinaraBoss.
If it’s true that the WinkBed is too firm, a topper may be an adequate solution to get you the comfort and support you need. To me, it sounds like you’re not sinking deeply enough into the mattress layers. As a combo sleeper, it is usually wise to choose a comfort layer that is a little thinner than your “deepest” sleeping position would normally require (typically side sleeping) and then choose a support layer underneath that helps you to sink in a little extra when you need it. A middle layer or “transition layer” can be especially useful for those who sleep in multiple positions and it can help you to sink in enough to help with pressure relief and also help keep you from sinking down too far and causing back issues. Innerspring designs that are more conforming like pocket coils or offset coils or different foams that are softer on top and become firmer faster when they are compressed (such as latex) also make very good choices here.
I would suggest trying to troubleshoot with a 2" topper to see if any of your pressure points are relieved. There is an excellent post about toppers, including a few posts that it links to, in post #2 here.
NikkiTMU
I really like soft and bright furniture.
Once I also thought about what kind of mattress I should buy and so on. But then I bought a grey sleigh bed, on the advice of my friends, and this bed does not need a mattress. And for several months now, I have been sleeping on this bed, and my back feels great. Before buying this thing, I thought I had problems with my spine, and I often went to the doctors about it. But it turned out that I had issues with my back muscles, and I needed to sleep on a comfortable bed, as well as swim. That’s what I’m doing now, and my back feels great! I haven’t felt so good in a long time!