Just because you hurt after laying in your bed all night, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to trade in your mattress. It’s important to look at all of the different variables in your life before jumping to any conclusions.

If you’ve been sleeping on the same mattress for over a year and your pain developed suddenly, there is a good chance your bed hasn’t changed all that much and that some other factor is causing your discomfort. Consider this and ask yourself the following questions:

• • Have you lifted or carried any boxes, luggage or groceries recently?
  • Do you perform duties at work that may bring on a repetitive stress injury?
  • Have you changed your diet or gained a few extra pounds?
  • Maybe you overdid it at the gym or went a little further on your daily walk?
  • Have you been in a car accident lately?

There are countless sources of injury and it is very common for the pain to manifest in the morning after a period of inactivity (laying in your bed all night in this case).

Poor sleeping posture can often magnify pre-existing spine conditions. Some of the best positions for sleeping are:

• • Laying on your side with a pillow between your knees to keep your hips and spine in line (consider placing an additional pillow underneath your torso to support the natural curvature of your side), or
  • Laying flat on your back with a pillow underneath your knees.

Pillows are also very important when it comes to sleep. Make sure your pillow isn’t too high but does provide ample support for the curve of your neck. If you need advice on how to improve your sleeping posture, a chiropractor’s office is a great place to start.

In some cases, your bed may be responsible for your pain. Medium-firm mattresses can be beneficial for individuals with chronic mechanical low back pain and are considered more comfortable compared to soft mattresses as they better support the natural curvature of the spine. If your mattress has lost its shape, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to consider an upgrade. Many mattress retailers even provide a trial period to test your new bed.

The moral of the story? It can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of your pain and it is extremely frustrating when it interferes with your sleep. Don’t wait another night to wake up in pain and talk to a local chiropractor. Together, you can answer the question of whether or not a new mattress is a solution to your pain problem.