At some point in their lives, approximately 60 to 70% of people in the U.S. will experience lower back pain. That means two-thirds of Americans wake up every day with stiff muscles and aches around the lumbar region because of poor sleeping positions and unsupportive mattresses.
The Relationship Between Posture Support and Regenerative Sleep
Many studies show that people who suffer from back pain don't sleep well. The pain keeps you awake, disrupting your sleep cycle. Instead of spending more time in the essential deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) phases, you spend most of the time wide awake or in light sleep stages.
While better than no rest at all, light sleep doesn't support regenerative sleep, which is the type of sleep that allows us to restore ourselves and be ready to face the day and its challenges.
If you suffer from back pain and don't get enough good sleep, you become more sensitive to pain. Then you might feel even more discomfort during the day. It can be a vicious cycle!
Relieving this cycle of pain and poor sleep might be easier than you think. Having an all-natural latex mattress that supports proper spinal alignment can provide the difference you’re looking for.
Supportive mattresses, such as Essentia's organic foam mattresses, keep your back in a neutral posture so your muscles stop contracting during the night while trying to find a better sleep position.
When you have posture support, your upper body and spine relax. This allows you to get more uninterrupted sleep while enabling the muscles in the back to rest and regenerate.
Sleeping Positions that Provide Regenerative Sleep
Besides having a good latex mattress for back pain, you can also try to adjust your sleeping positions with the aim of putting less pressure on your back. Some of the best sleeping positions recommended for those suffering from back pain are:
Back sleeping.
Sleeping on your bed with a good pillow supporting your head and a natural latex mattress supporting your shoulders and knees is a great way to reduce pressure on your spine. Back sleepers get a good night's rest because their entire body lies flat on the sleeping surface, which helps to relieve back pain.
Side sleeping.
Side sleepers who place a pillow under their waist sleep better than those in other positions. The pillow helps keep the spine aligned and the surrounding muscles relaxed, so you don't wake up every 10 minutes from back pain or stiffness.
Stomach sleeping.
Stomach sleepers get a good night's sleep because their lower backs don't experience any pressure. This sleeping position is best for those who have back pain when sitting.
Fetal sleeping.
While not as good as side or back sleeping, some people find that a fetal position is a comfortable sleeping position that provides pressure relief and allows them to get some rest.
In addition to a good sleep position, having a medium-firm mattress made with a higher latex density can help encourage proper alignment of the cervical spine.
How Poor Posture Support Mattresses Affect Regenerative Sleep
A good mattress provides a supportive comfort layer that relaxes back muscles and relieves pressure points. On the other hand, the wrong mattress can harm your body, exacerbating your pain and leaving you tossing and turning all night.
This is why sleeping on the best mattress for posture support is so important if you have any issues with pain. When you sleep on an old mattress or one that hasn't been designed to provide posture support, your back muscles try to rest but instead only contract and tighten further.
This adds more pressure to your back, and, instead of waking up regenerated and ready for your daily tasks, you wake up even more exhausted than when you went to bed.
Poor posture during sleep affects your blood circulation, as the body is not in a neutral position to allow blood to flow freely. Poor circulation also affects breathing, so you may find yourself or your sleeping partner snoring or waking up with clogged sinuses.
Your old mattress may also have dust mites, which can further make your entire sleeping experience less restful and regenerative. Besides making back pain worse, a substandard mattress purchase is also very damaging to people with other pre-existing pain-related conditions. Suddenly, pain from issues like arthritis, bulging discs, spondylitis, and fibromyalgia can quickly spiral out of control without restful sleep.
The Benefits of Mattresses with Excellent Posture Support
You’ll know if you’re looking at a supportive mattress because its design and materials aim to help you relieve pain and sleep better. Here are a few related benefits of sleeping on Essentia's natural latex mattresses that ensure proper posture support.
Alleviate Back Pain
Latex mattresses, or those with layers of Essentia Beyond LatexTM organic foam, are denser and more elastic. The mattress’s organic materials allows your body to rest in a neutral position and help your muscles naturally relax to put you into a state of regenerative sleep.
You get better sleep because your muscles don't contract, and you won’t wake up during the night because your body feels uncomfortable or stiff.
Better Breathing
When your body maintains good posture during sleep, it helps to regulate your breathing as well. You’re not constricted but, instead, are naturally supported to breathe through the full trunk of your body.
The comfortable position promotes better airflow in your lungs, feeding you with the necessary oxygen that leads to longer deep and REM sleep sessions, as well as triggering a host of related restorative and rejuvenation functions that the body carries out through the night.
Improved Blood Circulation
Another reason for investing in the best latex mattress is blood circulation. With good posture and pressure relief comes good rest and optimal oxygenation. Essentia mattresses will help eliminate pressure points that can block circulation at night/ The added oxygen helps your blood circulate better, promoting a steady heart rate and deeper sleep.
Fewer Sleep Interruptions
While your current mattress might make you wake up frequently because of back pain, a new mattress made of latex from rubber trees promotes regenerative sleep.
The posture support, increased oxygen, and better circulation create a restful environment, allowing you to slip into more extended REM and deep sleep sessions, which regenerate your body and mind.
Better Daytime Performance
Pressure redistribution and good posture relieve pain so you can have a better night's sleep. Because you rest so well, you wake up rejuvenated and ready to tackle any tasks you have for the day.
Whether you're a top-performing athlete, a person suffering from chronic back pain, or just someone who needs to be at their peak performance during the day, investing in one of the best mattresses is entirely worth it for your health and rest.
Choosing the Right Mattress for Posture Support
The benefits of Essentia latex mattresses with good posture support are endless, but how do you go about choosing the best mattress for you? You should consider several factors, including the technology used to make the mattress and the scientific evidence behind how the mattress is made.
Let's take a look at how you can tell if a mattress is good for posture support.
Step #1: Choose a Mattress Made of Organic Materials
We've already revealed that a organic latex mattress is ideal for posture support because of its composition. But many manufacturers infuse mattresses with harmful chemicals or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that do more harm than good.
Mattresses that claim to be green are often the worst culprits because they’re claims go unchecked (a phenomenon called “greenwashing”). Instead, they use materials or a manufacturing process that triggers off-gassing or the potential for VOC emissions into the air you breathe during sleep. Unsurprisingly, this leads to more sleep interruptions (and it can also have negative long-term effects on the neurological, respiratory, and endocrine systems).
By contrast, an Essentia certified mattress made of GOLS certified organic latex, without VOCs, keeps your back and body supported and your air clean and suitable for breathing.
Step #2: Density Is Key
Eliminating or relieving back pain requires a mattress with high density. The density provides the proper support for your body and relieves those painful pressure points, allowing you to relax and get some much-needed rest.
A latex mattress must be two to three times denser than a standard mattress to fulfill its mission of good posture support. So when visiting a store or shopping online, ask questions about density.
Step #3: Elasticity Adds to Quality
So why is a Essentia's patented Beyond Latex organic foam different? The material offers added elasticity, which supports your body in every sleep position. Instead of having to put a pillow under your back to get the necessary support, an elastic mattress contours and molds to your body's natural contours, promoting pressure distribution.
Step #4: Molding Technology
Essentia’s patented molding technology produces mattresses from a natural latex foam blend that provides the benefits of both latex and memory foam mattresses.
The molding technology allows for Essentia’s patented organic foams to adapt to your body's natural movements at night, so you can have uninterrupted sleep cycles that allow your body to heal and recover.
When you sleep on a mattress that offers all these features, you’ll take the pressure off your spine and back muscles, allowing your body to rest deeply, which is key to experiencing the benefits of regenerative sleep.
Conclusion
Back pain impacts our everyday lives. You may not notice it at first but the effects of chronic pain eventually stack up — suddenly, you’re finding it hard to sleep well during the night and be productive during the day. Weeks and months of waking up with a stiff and tired body can make you irritable, moody, and put you at risk for other related issues, as your body tries to cope.
So it’s really shocking how much of a positive impact just one change — but an essential one, at that! — can make.
Switching to a supportive mattress built from all angles to promote regenerative sleep can help relieve pressure points from your back, making it easy to sleep through the night and decreasing back pain.If you're in the market for a high-quality mattress that offers excellent posture support, consider a MyEssentia mattress.
Essentia develops all-natural, high-quality, dense, and elastic organic latex memory foam mattresses. These mattresses are uniquely designed to promote better sleep outcomes by keeping you in REM and deep sleep longer.
We do this with a science-backed product design that eliminates stimulants, such as toxins, allergens, and heat, and by using natural, organic memory foam materials that improve recovery and sleep outcomes. View our mattresses and start your journey to getting good regenerative sleep.
