10 Best Mattresses For Back Pain in Canada | Buying Guide

Believe it or not, it’s estimated that 80 percent of Canadian adults experience back pain at least once in their lifetime. In most cases, if you’ve been experiencing back pain that emerges or gets amplified in the morning or after napping on your mattress, but miraculously fades away as the day goes by; your mattress might be the culprit.

Best Mattress for Upper and Lower Back Pain in Canada

To solve the problem, you need to find a mattress that offers adequate back support and pain relief for a peaceful night’s sleep. Lucky for you, we’ve reviewed some of Canada’s best mattresses for back pain.

Let’s jump right into it!

The Novosbed Mattress (Best Overall)

Pros	Cons
Traditional memory foam feel.	Higher price point.
Excellent pressure points relief.
Isolates motion between sleepers.
Ideal for heavy-weight sleepers.
Prevents muscle soreness.

For good reasons, the Novosbed mattress is popular amongst most back pain sufferers in Canada. For starters, its transition top layer isolates motion and keeps you from being woken up by your partner’s movement; this promotes restorative sleep, that’s important to heal back pain.

In addition, it comes with three different firmness options to offer all sleepers comfort, support, and back pain relief. For sleepers who weigh between 130-230lbs and experience back pain, the medium-firm level memory foam thickness offers the best back pain relief. It also contours to the body’s shape for better spinal alignment and relieves pressure points that cause back muscle soreness.

Similarly, for sleepers that weigh more than 230 lbs, the firm option has a sturdy, supportive layer that distributes body weight evenly for balance back support. Not to mention, it’s made of premium foam that doesn’t sag or compress after short-term use. Still not convinced? It has a fifteen-year warranty to ensure it lives up to its standards.

Besides that, just like you’d walk into a store and try out a mattress is the same way you’d try out the Novosbed mattress when buying it online. How is that even possible? When you purchase the mattress, you get 120 nights of trial. This is sufficient to tell if it truly helps relieve your back pain; if it doesn’t, you can return it.

GhostBed Flex (Best for combined sleepers with back pain)

Pros	Cons
Ideal for combination sleepers.	Not ideal if you’re looking for a softer mattress.
Medium to firm mattress.
They are designed using responsive latex.
It’s highly breathable.
It offers excellent edge support.

Despite the name, there’s nothing spooky about this hybrid mattress other than its impeccable ability to counteract pain and offer comfort and support. Its three layers of cooling memory foam on top of the individually wrapped and reinforced coils provide medium-firm support to back, side, and stomach sleepers.

For side sleepers, the ghostbed’s gel memory foam, coupled up with the thin layer of synthetic latex with fast response, can contour to the shape of your body to promote a neutral spinal alignment. Not to forget, it also cushions pressure points like shoulders and hips.

Another amazing thing is its medium-firmness on a scale of 6, and the three layers keep you from sinking in like in the traditional memory foam mattresses. Therefore, if you’re a stomach sleeper, you won’t have to worry about your lower back forming a U-shape.

Regarding edge support, the ghost mattress has an additional double-coiled layer around the perimeter. It keeps you from feeling like you’re falling off the bed by sinking in, especially if you’re already suffering from back or joint pain.

Not to mention, it has excellent cooling capabilities for hot sleepers. Its gel memory foam absorbs your body heat, while the individual wrapped pocket springs promote air circulation; therefore keeping you cool and sweat-free as you sleep.

Puffy Lux Mattress (Best for stomach sleepers)

Pros	Cons
It’s a removable hypoallergenic cover.	It’s not ideal for sleepers who weigh above 230 lbs.
It has an adaptive foam construction.
It has breathable and cooling properties
It enhances spinal alignment.
It offers excellent pressure relief.

Apart from being one of the most charitable brands(it donates mattresses to children in need), it is also one of the best Canadian mattresses for back pain. Not to mention, it appeals to a wide range of sleepers thanks to its medium firmness. We recommend it for stomach sleepers because it offers incredible cradling for spinal alignment without sinking in.

What about cooling properties? It’s a memory foam mattress, but it has two comfort layers made of gel-infused that absorb heat from your body while sleeping to cool you down. But that’s not all; it’s also fitted with a breathable cover; you won’t toss and turn in the middle of the night due to excessive heat and aggravating back pain.

Speaking of pain, the Puffy Lux mattress can relieve pain through its zoned pressure relief areas, contour your spinal curves, and induce deep restorative sleep at the shut of an eyelid.

The Puffy mattress is almost perfect, but we wouldn’t recommend it for heavyweight sleepers who weigh more than 230 lbs. This is because it’s not firm enough to offer back support without giving in after a few nights of sleeping on it.

Douglas Mattress (Best eco-friendly Mattress for Back Pain)

Pros	Cons
It offers adequate support.	It has a chemical smell.
Cheaper than most back support mattresses.
It’s responsive latex foam.
Excellent back support mattress.
It’s made of a breathable top cover.
It’s breathable.

How about an environmentally friendly mattress? The Douglas mattress has a breathable top cover made of eucalyptus.

Besides that, if you have trouble getting comfortable in bed due to back pain, this mattress will solve that problem thanks to its three-layer foam. The first two layers contour to the shape of your body to reduce the pressure points that lead to discomfort and spinal misalignment.

Besides, you’ll benefit from its Elastex transition layer; you won’t experience back pain while shifting your sleeping position or getting in and out of bed. Moreover, it also offers motion isolation that cancels out movement by your partner.

Not to forget, between the first two foam layers and the sturdy core layer, the mattress focuses on pressure relief, spinal alignment, and support. However, if you purchase it and don’t like it, you could return it after the 120-night trial and get a full refund after passing the 30-night break-in period.

PolySleep Mattress ( Best Canadian mattress for couples)

Pros	Cons
Ideal for stomach and back sleepers.	It might not appeal to users who prefer springy bounce.
It has a reinforced perimeter for more sleeping space.
It has a hybrid comfort foam that’s breathable.
It has an excellent motion response.
Suitable for couples and combines sleepers.

If you and your partner are looking for a back pain-relieving mattress that can accommodate your different sleeping positions and weight, the PolySleep mattress could be your answer. To begin with, it has an outer frame of dense foam that secures the perimeter and gives you more space.

Also, it offers an outstanding balance between motion response and absorption, so your sleep won’t be disrupted if your partner is restless and tosses and turns frequently. Aside from that, if your partner tends to push you toward the edge of the bed, you won’t experience muscle cramps since this mattress offers excellent edge support.

Talking about zoned support, this mattress offers top-notch pressure point relief to back sleepers, support to stomach sleepers, and spinal alignment to side sleepers. Therefore, regardless of your and your partner’s sleep position, you’re sure to get a painless and peaceful night’s rest.

What about heavy users? Because of its study edges and high-density foam it can support heavy users without getting compressed after short-term use.

Avenco Mattress ( Best for heavyweight sleepers with back pain)

Pros	Cons
It’s made of durable high-density foam.	Too firm if you weigh below 130 lbs.
Offers excellent back pain relief.
Has excellent motion isolation.
Excellent edge support.
Promotes spinal alignment.

This is arguably one of Canada’s best mattresses for lower back pain.

For starters, it’s a hybrid mattress that offers zoned support for problem areas like the back, shoulders, and hips.

On top of that, it has three comfort layers that add cushioning between the vertebrae and your spine to keep it aligned.

If you’re heavyweight and have acute back pain, this mattress could be helpful; its pocket springs offer targeted support that helps alleviate pain. Also, its cool gel memory foam promotes quality sleep by absorbing heat to reduce night sweats which can cause discomfort.

Besides, it offers excellent edge enforcement that prevents sagging; if you roll towards the edge while sleeping, you won’t wake up with a cramped back. Furthermore, it also isolates motion; if you have pets that jump on the bed while you sleep you’re sure not to feel a thing.

The downside is that it feels too firm for sleepers who weigh below 130 lbs. For that reason, it might exert too much pressure on your back, causing more pain.

Maxxzz Mattress (Best Low Budget Mattress for Back pain)

Pros	Cons
It has a breathable foam.	It might come off a bit too firm for some side sleepers.
Affordable price point.
It’s made using toxic-free substances.
It’s incredibly comfortable.
Fashionable denim topper design.

Who said you must break the bank to get a proper mattress for back pain? This 7-zoned pocket-friendly mattress provides top-notch support; it’s firm in areas that require support such as the lumbar region, while softer on areas that require cushioning like hips and shoulders.

Also, its individually wrapped pocket springs cancel out motion transfer and promote age support, and provide the support that keeps the spine neutrally aligned, especially for back sleepers.

Another cool thing is that the gel memory foam draws heat from your body as you sleep and increases the amount of cool air; this improves your sleep quality, enabling you to complete the four-stage sleep cycle to facilitate back pain healing.

Also, if you have sensitive skin or allergies due to dust, this mattress has a hypoallergenic, breathable cover that prevents dust mites that might trigger sinuses that cause snoring.

Finally, you can buy this mattress confidently since it has a ten-year warranty. You can get a replacement or a refund if it has a defect.

Serwet Mattress ( Best Canadian Mattress for Back sleepers)

Pros	Cons
It promotes proper spinal alignment.	Saggs in for heavy sleepers.
It’s CertiPur-US certified.
It improves sleep quality.
Impeccable cooling effect.
It offers excellent back support and pain relief.

This CertiPur-US certified hybrid mattress is an excellent choice if you’re a back sleeper who suffers from back or joint pain. This is because its memory foam and inspiring design develop a balance between firmness and softness for extra support. Besides, it distributes weight evenly to relieve pressure points that cause muscle pulling.

Also, if you’re worried about bed bugs being delivered alongside your mattress, this mattress comes compressed, rolled, and shipped in a box to keep out unwanted critters. Keep in mind you shouldn’t sleep on the mattress within the first 48-72 hours

Did we mention its 690 pocketed innerspring work independently from each other to effectively absorb sound and vibration; this helps to promote uninterrupted quality sleep.

Similarly, the combination of its breathable knit cover with a cool memory foam layer will promote restorative sleep by absorbing hot air so that dripping wet clothes won’t wake you up because of excessive sweating.

Bedstory Mattress (Best for Side Sleepers)

Pros	Cons
It offers excellent back support.	Its lavender scent is repulsive to some people.
Has excellent ergonomic support.
Features breathable material.
It has excellent cooling properties.
The top cover is removable and washable.

No more restless nights filled with pain and agony; the Bedstory mattress has your back. If you’re a side sleeper, this mattress is specially engineered to support your natural spinal alignment. Because of that, you can relax into restorative sleep and wake up feeling rejuvenated without pain.

Its ergonomic dense memory foam contours to your body shape and cushions the shoulders and hips to promote a natural spinal alignment. This relieves any existing back pains and promotes pressure relief for better nights.

Lastly, the Bedstory mattress comes with a removable climate regulation top cover that regulates heat through its special fibres, letting in cool air and releasing hot air to keep your body cool. At the same time, the cover is treated to prevent sleep allergens that cause snoring, like dust mites.

Reasons Why Most People Get Back Problems

To manage your back pain, it’s essential to understand why it started. Here are some of the common causes of back pain.

Stress and Anxiety

Studies show that stress and anxiety are leading causes of back issues. When stressed out, you tend to toss and turn a lot through the night. The more it happens, the higher the chances of straining and muscle pulling (if your mattress isn’t supportive).

To make matters worse, while you’re tossing and turning, you might fall asleep in an uncomfortable position; this could cause spinal misalignment that will affect your overall posture and cause inflammation of the lower back.

Lower Back Strain and Pull Back Muscle

Most people experience lumbar strain because of performing tasks that require lifting heavy loads or participating in pulling sports, such as football.

Similarly, playing sports that require twisting the lower back, like tennis, golf, baseball and basketball, also contributes to lumbar back strain and pull back muscle. Not to mention, research has proven that lumbar back strain mainly affects Canadians who are in their 40s and women who are pregnant.

To reduce the severity and pain caused by lumbar strain, most experts would advise you to rest your back on a medium-firm foam; this aids in alleviating pain and avoiding re-injury. Remember that the above advice is subject to your doctor’s opinion after a thorough medical examination.

Sleep Disorders

Sleeping disorders that entail breathing, like sleep apnea and snoring, can lead to back pain. This is because most people who snore or have sleep apnea tend to sleep on their sides to improve airflow.

Side sleeping might seem harmless, but it exacerbates nerve problems along the spine, such as nerve inflammation that leads to acute back pain, especially if your mattress doesn’t cradle to the shape of your body.

Moreover, when you enter the REM stage of sleep, your muscles relax entirely, leaving your spine resting on the side like a rope bridge supported by the shoulders and hips. Therefore, the only way to minimize this is by sleeping on your back and using a CPAP machine.

Arthritis

Arthritis causes spinal stenosis, which could narrow the spaces between the spine and begin to pressure the nerves. Scoliosis is an unnatural curvature of the spine. Both of these cause excruciating back pain, stiffness, and swelling.

Serious Injury

Workplace injuries fall, car accidents and sport-related injuries could lead to herniated discs, pinched nerves, and pulled muscles which cause back pain.

Signs that Your Mattress is Causing Your Back Pain

You Struggle to Get Comfortable on Your Mattress

Do you toss and turn on your mattress to find a comfortable position? If it checks, there’s a high probability that your mattress is either too soft or too firm to offer adequate back support. For that reason, it might put pressure on the lower back, ultimately causing back pain or magnifying pre-existing back conditions.

Your Back Pains When You Wake Up

Unsurprisingly, if you wake up with back pain every time you sleep on your mattress but pain-free at a friend’s house or on the couch, there’s a high chance your mattress could be the contributing factor.

If that doesn’t convince you, sleeping on a mattress that doesn’t offer you adequate back support and comfort over a long period throws off your spinal alignment.

You Sink in as If You’re Sleeping on a Hammock

If you sink when you sleep on your mattress and your body folds like a taco, there’s a high chance your spinal cord is misaligned, and your muscles are strained due to poor sleeping posture. This mostly happens if you invest in a mattress with extra soft firmness. Additionally, gaining a few pounds or pregnancy can cause a sinking in.

Your Mattress Sags in

You probably think sagging is the same as sinking in, but you’re mistaken. A saggy mattress has permanent compression due to constant pressure from your body and can’t bounce back to its original form. As a result, it can no longer offer back support and spinal alignment, especially around the lower back.

You Wake Up Frequently

It’s normal to wake up to go to the bathroom or for a late-night snack. Studies have proven that over 35% of Canadian adults wake up thrice a week. Nonetheless, if you wake up more than usual without a valid reason, your mattress might not offer you comfort and support.

Your Mattress Feels Lumpy

It’s a no-brainer that sleeping on a lumpy mattress will make your back hurt. Nonetheless, if you’re not in the financial position to purchase a new mattress, you can lessen the severity by rotating your mattress and putting on a mattress topper. Then again, note that this is only a short-term solution as you save for a replacement.

You Feel Like You’re Sleeping on a Plank of Wood

If your mattress is tough, there’s a high probability it won’t offer back support. An extra hard mattress creates pressure points that force the spine into an unnatural spinal alignment, especially if you’re a side sleeper. Instead, your mattress should have some plush to allow it to contour to the shape of your body to relieve pressure and keep your spine aligned.

You’ve Had Your Mattress For an Average of 8 Years

Just like all good things, a mattress has an end. Most mattresses in Canada have an average lifespan of 7-10 years, depending on the type. This is because they start to sag and lose firmness and support. If this sounds like your mattress and you’re suffering from back pain that disappears as the day goes by, consider investing in a replacement for pain-free mornings.

You Wake up Feeling Fatigued

So you’ve ruled out depression, sleep apnea, or other medical conditions, but you still
wake up feeling like you’ve been running a marathon despite sleeping the recommended eight hours. What’s next?

Here’s the thing; other than your room’s lighting and constant use of technology while in bed, your mattress might be the other contributing factor, more so if you’ve been tossing and turning all night long trying to find a comfortable position.

Your Mattress Doesn’t Have Edge Support

If you feel like you’re rolling off your mattress when you sleep, it indicates your mattress doesn’t have proper edge support. What’s more, it could mean that your mattress is worn out and its supporting structure no longer serves its purpose, leading to morning pain and soreness.

How Back Pain Affects Sleep

Longer Sleep Latency

If you keep on tossing and turning in bed because of back pain, there’s a high chance you’ll miss out on the healing time your body needs to repair any existing injuries. This is because sleepy hormones that determine whether you’ll fall into deep and restorative non-REM sleep are released early in the evening.

Besides that, there’s a high chance you’ll wake up feeling fatigued and irritable. To make matters worse, it might affect your overall productivity.

Changed Sleep Cycles

If you can’t fall asleep because of pain, why not take pain medication? This might sound like an easy way out, but some opioids and other sleeping medications alter your sleeping phases and affect how you rest.

Should you miss out on the four crucial stages of sleep; light, intermediate, deep, and REM, you’ll wake up feeling like you’ve been in a kickboxing match; tired and still in pain even if you sleep the recommended eight hours.

How Sleep Affects The Spine

Creates optimal spinal alignment

When you enter the slow-wave stage of sleep, your muscles tend to move around more; as a result, you might end up sleeping in an odd and uncomfortable position and wake up with back pain.

However, if you have a mattress with zoned support, it aligns your spine and relieves pressure to cushion you from excruciating back pain as long as you don’t fold yourself into a knot.

Not to forget, if you’ve had spinal injuries or misalignment, most physiotherapists and chiropractors will treat the issue by increasing motion and aligning the spine. Therefore, if you can move around quickly while you sleep, your body might help heal.

How Different Mattress Affect Back Pain

The type of material your mattress is made of plays a huge role in alleviating or causing back pain. Here are some of the most common materials for mattresses in Canada and how they impact back pain:

Memory Foam

If you’re looking for the best mattress for back pain, you should consider foam material. Most orthopedic doctors recommend foam mattresses to alleviate and relieve chronic and acute back pain related to sleeping positions.

Besides that, studies have proven that most Canadians who have suffered from back pain own memory foam mattresses because it offers them adequate pain relief.

Memory foam mattress with soft and medium-firm density cradles the shape of your body to provide you with proper alignment as you sleep. On top of that, it can bounce back to its original shape after you wake up; this makes it last longer without getting compressed.

Another thing apart from preventing and alleviating back pain, it features gel-infused memory foam to keep you cool as you sleep.

Latex

Latex is another highly recommended material for heavyweight sleepers with chronic back pain. Latex has the upper hand compared to memory foam due to its fast response, general coolness and durability.

Moreover, about 33% of Canadians who’ve had back issues have opted for latex mattresses. They claim that latex mattresses have provided pressure relief by distributing their weight throughout the mattresses.

Better yet, this naturally occurring material is spongy, meaning that it pushes out your body when you rest on it, maximizing its ability to contour to the shape of your body for a neutral spinal alignment.

The only thing that puts most people off is that it’s on the pricier side compared to memory foam beds.

Hybrid Mattresses

Mattress companies have developed special orthopedic mattresses that utilize pocket springs, memory foam, open coil, gel foam, latex, and natural filing to offer full-body support and alleviate body pain as you sleep.

Regarding pressure relief, the mattress is fitted with hundreds or thousands of individually wrapped coils to help distribute body weight evenly across the mattress. Better yet, its insprings combined with firmer foam or latex contour the shape of your body to promote a natural spinal alignment and a healthy posture.

Then again, the general rule to consider when buying a hybrid mattress with inner springs is to ensure that you pick one with 1000- 2000 innerspring. However, if you weigh more than 300 lbs, the innerspring should be more than 2000 to offer more sturdy support and pain relief without giving in to your weight.

Things To Consider When Choosing The Best Mattress For Back Pain in Canada

Mattress Firmness

Mattress firmness refers to the first feeling you get when you lay down on a mattress(in simpler terms, the hardness or softness of a mattress). Remember that mattress firmness plays a significant role in alleviating or relieving back pain; choosing a mattress with the wrong firmness is the same as signing up for mornings filled with unlimited back pain.

It’s also worth mentioning that mattress firmness isn’t a one fits all type of situation; different pain levels require a different level of firmness depending on your sleeping position and weight. That’s why you might invest in a mattress that prides itself on being the best at fighting back pain in Canada but still experiences it.

Extra soft 1-2

Sorry to burst your bubble. An extra soft mattress is probably one of the worst purchases you can make if you suffer from upper back pain. This is because its sinkage can be compared to that of a hammock. Therefore, it offers close to zero back support, ultimately throwing off your spinal alignment. Even worse, long-term use will lead to a damaged spinal cord.

Soft 3-4

This is a good option if you’re a side sleeper or purchasing it for your kids or teenagers who weigh below 130 lbs and sleep on their sides. For starters, it cradles the body’s shape to relieve pressure points and aligns the spine, relieving and preventing back pain. Best of all, it also cushions your hips, shoulders, and neck so you won’t wake up feeling sore.

Medium 5-6

Medium-firm mattresses have a plush feel, respond quickly to pressure, and offer excellent back support, making them the best at alleviating upper back pain.

If that doesn’t sell it, a scientific study was conducted using 300 test subjects with lower back pain—half of the number used medium-firm mattresses, while the other half used firm mattresses. Surprisingly, the subjects using medium-firm mattresses experienced the slightest discomfort and back pain.

Moreover, medium-firm mattresses appeal to 80 percent of Canadians since they provide comfort and support regardless of whether you’re a stomach, side back, or combined sleeper.

Hard/ Firm 7-8

These mattresses are slightly firmer and offer a little sinkage compared to medium-firm. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke recommends sleeping on a firm mattress to relieve upper back pain. A firm mattress will distribute your body weight evenly. This way, it reduces pressure points and supports a natural spinal alignment.

Extra Hard/ Firm

For most people, sleeping on an extra firmer mattress is like sleeping on a wood plank; it neither offers comfort nor support. Instead, it applies much pressure on the body, causing muscle soreness and throwing off your spinal alignment.

However, for people who weigh more than 300 lbs, an extra firm mattress can offer better lower back support compared to medium-firm mattresses. Best of all, it will promote proper spine alignment for pain-free mornings and better posture.

Lumbar Support

Lower or lumbar back pain is the most common form of back pain associated with sleeping on the wrong mattress amongst Canadians. For instance, if you purchase a mattress that is too firm or too soft; in place of support, it will probably reinforce poor sleeping posture that will strain the muscles and lower back, causing lumbar pain.

You’re probably wondering if there’s a difference between firmness and support; a soft mattress can keep your spine aligned and prevent back pain. On the other hand, a firmer mattress can apply pressure on your back if you’re lightweight but comfortable and support if you weigh more than 200 lbs.

Therefore, the best mattress to curb lumbar pain should offer you an adequate level of back support by placing your spine into a neutral alignment based on your body weight and sleep positions.

Comfort Layer thickness

When buying mattresses, most people forget to look at the comfort layer thickness. Because of that, a firm mattress might feel soft because the comfortable top layer is too thick.

Of course, it’s only advantageous to side sleepers because it cradles the shape of their bodies. For back and stomach sleepers, their torso will sink in and form a u-shape; this will apply a lot of pressure on the back and could worsen the pain.

Body type

Lightweight Sleepers

If you weigh below 130 lbs, it wouldn’t be such a great idea to invest in a firm mattress for durability. A firm mattress won’t offer the best lumbar spine support. Instead, it will apply excessive pressure on your back, causing muscle and back pain when you wake up.

Therefore, we’d advise you to opt for a medium-firm or soft memory mattress to get the best support and pain relief. This is because it cradles the shape of your body, helping you to disperse body weight evenly across the mattress and prevent spinal misalignment and lower back pain.

Heavyweight sleepers

If you weigh more than 230lbs, you probably deal with mattresses softening, breaking down fast, sagging, lack of edge support, and improper back support; this leaves you tired, cranky, and with acute back pain. To address these problems, you’ll need to invest in a firm or extra-firm mattress made with thick material, preferably latex, hybrid innerspring, or memory foam.

Sleepers with wide hips

For women with wide hips, it can be challenging to balance, cushioning them from mattress pressure points and supporting the lumbar spine. Nonetheless, we’d advise you to invest in a latex or hybrid mattress. These two options are plentiful at cushioning the hips without throwing off the spinal alignment.

Dimensions/size

When purchasing a mattress for back pain, don’t forget to check the dimensions or size. The last thing you want is to purchase a mattress that is too big or too small for your space and return to your old mattress. For instance, a caravan with a king-size mattress won’t be practical.

Another essential thing to consider is your lifestyle. If you have a partner, you’ll probably need a queen-size or king-size bed. Likewise, if you have kids or pets that sneak into your room for quality family time, it will be unreasonable to get a double bed.

To get the perfect fit, we’d advise you to take measurements of your bed or check the sizing of your old mattress if you’re looking to replace it with the exact brand sizing.

What if you’re looking to size up and unsure of the appropriate size? You could take measurements of your room and use an application to calculate the appropriate mattress size.

Durability

After finding the best mattress for back pain, you’d want to ensure that it’s durable so that you don’t spend most of your money purchasing a new mattress after short-term use.

Therefore, when picking out a mattress for back pain, pay close attention to the quality of the material, pillow top, coil, and mattress density. Not to mention, if the mattress gets compressed or begins to sag fast, it will aggravate your back pain.

Your Sleeping Position

Did you know your body’s sleeping style plays a role in impacting back pain? Different sleep positions put extra strain on your muscles and joints. Therefore, you’ll need to choose a mattress that will offer sufficient back support according to your sleeping position.

Side sleeping

Around 74% of Canadians have sided sleepers, benefiting from improved digestion and curbed snoring. The only issue comes when you enter into the REM stage of sleep, and your muscles relax, leaving your spine suspended in the middle, with its only support being the hips and shoulder. Because of that, you could have a spinal misalignment and nerve inflammation.

To relieve and prevent back pain caused by spinal nerve inflammation, you should pick out a foam mattress with soft or medium firmness, depending on your weight. It will contour to the shape of your body and cradle your spine for a neutral alignment; this helps to improve your sleep quality and productivity throughout the day.

Stomach Sleeping

If you’re a stomach sleeper, you tend to apply a lot of strain on your lower back area. Therefore, if you choose a mattress that’s too soft, it will sink in and fold your torso into a u-shape, causing strain and pain to the lumbar spine.

To alleviate or prevent back pain as a stomach sleeper, you’ll need to invest in a firm or medium-firm mattress, depending on your weight. Of course, it will keep your torso from sinking in and causing back pain.

Back Sleeping

Sleeping on your back is the best way to keep your spinal cord in a neutral alignment, but it also puts a lot of pressure on your spine. Therefore, buying a mattress with extra soft firmness will cause your hips to sink and form a curve, throwing off your spinal alignment. On the other hand, if it’s extra firm, it will exert pressure on your back and cause muscle tenderness.

On that note, the best mattress to help you fight back pain and strain is a firm or a medium-firm mattress; it will offer you the best comfort and support to help relieve and prevent back pain.

Combined sleeping

Combined sleepers tend to sleep in more than one position. Therefore, to alleviate and prevent back pain, you’ll need to purchase a medium-firm mattress since it helps in relieving side pressure and back and stomach sleepers.

Warranties

Don’t forget to look for warranties when purchasing a mattress; it comes in handy if it is delivered with manufacturing defects. However, remember that spills and normal anticipated wear and tear usually are not covered by a warranty.

In ordinary circumstances, warranties offer repair or replacement of the mattresses in case of a defect within the stated warranty period. However, in some prorated warranties, you’ll have to pay a portion of the replacement cost depending on how long you’ve owned the mattress.

Returns/ Sleep trials

When purchasing a mattress online, ensure that you look for mattresses with a sleep trial of 100 nights. This is essential so that you don’t spend money on a mattress with the wrong level of firmness and get stuck with it.

But don’t worry, the trial mattresses don’t get repackaged and sold to another buyer; most trial mattresses are put up for donations.

Sleeping Tips For People With Back Pain

Should you continue to ignore your back pain, it could worsen over time, especially with increased pressure and strain as you sleep. With that in mind, here are some of the things you can do to alleviate back pain:

Purchase a more comfortable and supportive mattress

Our first recommendation is to check out the fantastic mattresses listed in this guide if your mattress lacks enough support and comfort.

In one study, nearly 63 percent of people reported significant improvement in lower back pain after switching to a new mattress. If you’re in a financial position to buy a new mattress, don’t be afraid to try a few options.

Some mattresses in Canada have a trial period that allows you to try them out and exchange them if they don’t offer sufficient support and pain relief.

Invest in a mattress topper

If your mattress is new and feels firm because it’s not broken, you could add a soft mattress topper. This could be helpful, especially if you’re a side sleeper looking for something that can cradle to the shape of your body to relieve pressure points that cause backaches and spinal misalignment.

Try changing your sleeping position

If you’ve had spinal misalignment due to sleeping on your stomach, you can shift to lying on your back to align your spine.

However, if your back is tender and inflamed due to muscle pulling, it wouldn’t be such a good idea to sleep on your back; it will only exert more pressure on your back and cause more pain

Also, if you’ve suffered from spinal injuries, sleeping on your side might worsen the pain since the muscles surrounding the spine tend to relax when you sleep, leaving it suspended. Not to mention, it can lead to further spinal damage because of pinching and inflammation

Use a pillow for support

To prevent excessive pressure from being applied to your spine while you sleep on your back, elevate your feet by placing a pillow under your knees and a flat pillow under the neck.

For stomach sleepers, you can benefit by placing a thin pillow under the pelvis region to support the lumbar spine.

Moreover, side sleepers would benefit from placing a pillow between their feet.

Try Gentle Yoga stretches before bed

Not only does Yoga help you to keep fit, but it also helps to reduce back pain. More impressively, it improves your sleep quality because it reduces stress. Then again, before you try out any extreme poses that might make the pain worse, first talk to your doctor.

For better support, you might want to start by using supportive props like bolsters and blocks to hold poses comfortably.

Establish a bedtime routine

Going to bed at the same time every day will help you achieve the four sleep phases, which are essential for healing. Therefore, to get sufficient rest, set the alarm, brush your teeth and wear your pyjamas. Then rest on your bed in a comfortable position without any devices, books, or turning on the TV.

Avoid caffeine or too many fluids before bed.

Don’t drink coffee or energy drinks with caffeine before bed. It will only increase your anxiety and keep you awake all night. Additionally, drinking too much fluids before bed will make you visit the bathroom frequently, disrupting your sleep cycle and causing you fatigue the following day.

Cut down on stress

Stress is the leading cause of insomnia which leads to back pain. Look for healthy ways to manage stress and relax, such as exercising or walking in the park. Also, don’t forget to ask your healthcare provider which exercises are safe.

Not to mention you could also use relaxation techniques like meditation.

Speak with your doctor

If you’ve tried everything but your back is still causing you severe pain and discomfort, we recommend you consult an expert for medical advice.

Common Q&A

Conclusion

If we had to choose the best mattress in Canada, we would pick Silk&snow Mattress because it’s ideal for all sleeping positions. You can buy this mattress online and get it delivered to your doorstep within 72 hours.

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