You're Sleeping on Your Mattress Wrong

Sleep is very important for your body and regardless of how healthy you eat, if you don’t take care of you sleeping schedule you won’t see any improvement. Being healthy is an effort on several fronts so, just like you take care of your physical activity and food, you should also take care of your sleep. And, while there are a lucky few out there that can simply put their head down and fall asleep, over 35% of the American population is chronically tired. This happens because most of us don’t really know what a good night sleep is and we tend to postpone our slumber time until well after midnight.

To make sure we get things right, I talked with sleep experts from try mattress and learned how to fix the mistakes you’re doing right now.

Image via DieterRobbins

#1: You follow the Rules

Yes, rules are there for a reason, but when it comes to sleep, you have to toss the rules aside and find out what works for you. For instance, specialists recommend 7 to 8 hours of sleep, but if you still have a hard time waking up and you feel groggy during the day, you should try sleeping more. The same thing happens when you have a sleep tracking device. If the device says you’ve slept enough, it’s not necessarily true for you. Check with your body and see what works – this is the only rule to follow!

#2: You Bought the Wrong Mattress

The mattress is extremely important for your sleep quality because it is the surface that accommodates your body. If the surface creates pressure points (usually happens with hard mattresses) then you’ll wake up with shoulder and/or hip pain which is totally unpleasant. On the other hand, if the surface is too soft, it may OK at first, but it will quickly sag and create body indentations in time.

The most recommended type of mattress is a type of foam (memory foam or latex) or natural fibers in general. These are elastic so they maintain their shape while also accommodating your body.

#3: Your Sleeping Position is Not Okay For You

We all have a favorite sleeping position but it’s not always the best for us. For instance, almost half of the world population sleeps on their side, but there are several variations (sleeping on the right or left side, sleeping in the fetus position, sleeping like a log, and so on). Out of these, the most recommended is sleeping on your left side. This allows organs on the right to take a break during the night and keeps the blood and lymph flowing correctly.

Still, sleeping on the side is not the best position; sleeping on your back is. This position doesn’t put pressure on any internal organs and keeps the spine well-aligned. It’s also great for the circulatory system and for your general well-being while sleeping.

Finally, the worst position is on your stomach. Besides the fact that there will be pressure on all the vital internal organs, you also create a weird misalignment between the neck and the rest of the spine. Even more, women have more difficulty sleeping in this position because of the breasts.

#4: Temperature Control

There are two types of temperature settings we need to discuss: the temperature n the room and the temperature in your mattress. The temperature in the room should be somewhere around 18 - 20°C because we sleep better in a colder environment. The same goes with the mattress – if it sleeps hot (like some memory foams do) you won’t be able to rest during the night.

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