| Does your
mattress matter? Just like the
Goldilocks and Three Bears Fable, the young intruder who tried to sleep in
the bear’s bed, found the Papa bear’s bed too hard and the Mama Bear’s bed
too soft. It's important for us to choose a comfortable and healthy bed.
Sub-optimal mattresses may trigger our
spines to misalign, called vertebral subluxations, that cause the back
bones to lock up and irritate nerves. In a study of 22 subjects between
the ages of 25 and 75 with documented disturbed sleep, shoulder pain, low
back pain and spin stiffness of a chronic nature, prescribed bedding
systems reduced back pain 57%, shoulder pain 61% and back stiffness 59%.
Quality of sleep also improved by 61%. (J. Manipulative Physiol. Ther.
2002, 25:88-92)
Extra Firm Mattresses
Not Always the Best
A study published in the November 15,
2003, issue of the Medical Journal Lancet, challenges the common belief
that extra firm mattresses are beneficial for low back pain. A European
study in Spain determined that in a group of 313 adults with backaches,
after 90 days of sleeping on a different firmness of mattress, 95% of the
subjects with medium firm mattress had less pain in bed, upon rising and
disability than subjects with firm mattresses. They also had less daytime
low back pain.
Many people enjoy a feather bed between
themselves and the mattress, however feather allergies may arise. If you
prefer a soft bed, an option may be an egg crate mattress pad to soften a
harder bed.
Bedding Options
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Adjustable Beds: These are like a hospital bed that
adjusts in many different angles and are great for reading in bed or
watching television. However, sleeping with these extreme angles can
create vertebral subluxation. The mattresses in these beds are
usually traditional box spring.
Water Beds:
The newer water beds employ tubes of water covered by cushioning
mattress tops and approximate the more traditional mattress systems.
The old style water beds are a large capsule filled with water and
are not recommended.
Air Beds:
Instead of an inner spring or foam core, the insides are baffles of
air that can be infinitely adjusted from soft to firm, allowing each
person to adjust their side to individual need.
Tempur-Pedic Mattress: This new material was created by
NASA’s Ames Research Center in the 1970’s to protect astronauts from
gravitational forces experienced during lift off. This open celled,
breathable material is temperature sensitive and distributes body
weight evenly.
European
Sleep Works: this company in Berkeley, California
manufactures a bed in the European style. It is made with latex and
other natural materials, box springs and an adjustable wood slat
mechanism that personalizes each side of the bed for individual
needs. |
How to Buy a Mattress
- Consult your chiropractor first
- Purchase new – never used, if possible
- Shop at reputable stores
- Make sure the mattress arrives from
the manufacturer wrapped in plastic
- Expect sales personal to answer all of
your questions. If they can’t, shop somewhere else
- Try out the mattress in the store.
Even better, many stores have a 30 days guarantee where you can return
the mattress if you are not satisfied.
Which size of bed is
right for you?
According to the Better Sleep Council,
full size beds are to be viewed as a single bed only and best for people
under 5 feet, 5 inches tall. For couples, the choice is a queen or king –
which is best? A queen sized bed gives each person 30 inches of personal
space, but a king size bed gives 38 inches to each person. This can be a
big difference for people who move around during the night. A California
king is 36 inches wide, but 4 inches longer than a regular king.
How often should you
replace the mattress?
According to the better Sleep Council,
mattresses should give maximum support and comfort of 8-10 years. It is
also suggested:
- Flip the mattress regularly, end to
end and over, to maintain proper balance
- No jumping on the bed. Beds are not
trampolines
- For young children use a washable pad
with a plastic liner
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