How to choose a mattress and pillow!
By Dr. Annika
We get asked about this a lot. And it is important, considering how important sleep is for wellbeing, how much time we spend on our mattresses and pillows and how many people experience waking up worse for wear.
Obviously “best” is different for everyone, but here are some guidelines.
Mattresses:
In case of doubt, go for firmer rather than softer. If you get into a bed and think, “yum, this is so comfy”, you are likely on a bed that’s too soft. It is also much easier to soften a hard bed with mattress toppers than it is to firm up a soft bed.
I wouldn’t recommend something that has “pillow top”, because that’s what you end up sleeping on, and the mattress structure underneath is almost irrelevant. Commercial mattresses (used by the hotel industry) are generally the most durable, and usually also a lot cheaper.
When you put a mattress with metal springs next to electrical wires a process called induction takes place, which means that you are sleeping in an electromagnetic field, which can affect your electromagnetic field. It’s possible that a grounding sheet might help, but I don’t have any experience with them. We have gone for natural fiber mattresses, such as latex, wool or coir to avoid induction. The disadvantage of them is that they are heavy and need to be turned regularly, so only get a king size if you’re up for that!
Pillows:
Pillows are possibly even more fraught. I recently bought a pillow, and made sure that I tried them out while in the shop. Clearly 5 minutes on a pillow is not going to give you an accurate impression on what a whole night is going to feel like, but I bought the pillow that made my head feel light, like it does after an adjustment; my neck muscles could relax with this pillow. It has worked out (mostly).
If you sleep on your side, you pillow needs to be higher than if you sleep mostly on your back, to avoid scrunching your neck. I prefer a contoured pillow, so there is neck and head support.
And while on the topic, avoid sleeping on your front or in recovery position. This twists your neck and your back and is a habit where it’s just a matter of time before it causes problems. Your shoulder should be forward, not backwards. You can also side sleep with a pillow between your knees to avoid twisting your lower back.
I hope that helps! Have a good sleep.
Here are some other articles on sleep
https://spectrumchiropractic.com.au/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/
https://spectrumchiropractic.com.au/pain-relief-thats-natural-and-free-and-has-no-side-effects/
https://spectrumchiropractic.com.au/the-123-of-a-good-nights-sleep/