Posted , 17 users are following.
I was wondering what type of mattress PMR patients find most helpful. Because of all my aches, pains and lower back issues I always thought that a very firm mattress would be most helpful and that is what I have been using att home for years.
This past week I had to travel and slept in a hotel with a much softer mattress. I'll call it "medium soft". Low and behold when I got up in the morning I was less achy and stiff. Just did it for one night so don't know if it was just coincidence or a direct affect.
However, it got me wondering what type of mattress many of you have found to be most beneficial....soft, medium, firm or extra firm ?
1 like, 21 replies
tina-uk_cwall rocketman42
Posted
Hello scotth, I don't know anything about mattresses and I also don't suffer from back pain or aches and pains however, we have had a memory foam mattress for 2 years now and it is by far the best mattress I have ever slepted on. Regards, tina
tricia_10 rocketman42
Posted
Rather than purchasing a new one I purchased a memory foam bed topper.
It certainly helped with the aches and pains. I also wear silky pyjamas which helps me slide into position rather than feeling like I am attached to a price of velcro!
rocketman42
Posted
I should have disclosed that I was diagnosed with PMR around 3 months ago and I am being treated with Prednisone.
I have slept on a very high quality memory foam mattress for many years now thinking that it was the "best" mattress available for anyone with any type of musculoskeletal or joint problem.
I now question that assumption and am looking for what others might have experienced.
Thanks
lodgerUK_NE rocketman42
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darlene96382 lodgerUK_NE
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lodgerUK_NE darlene96382
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tricia_10 rocketman42
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Since starting the meds it has gradually improved but it is a very slow process for me. I can now sleep on my side and be able to move but the pain is still there.
I find it is the meds that are working yet a memory foam mattress does help.
gillian_25383 rocketman42
Posted
Hi,I have a medium mattress but found the addition of a 7.5cms memory foam mattress has made a world of difference especially as my tossing and turning kept waking my husbsnd (this is no longer a problem as I do not even feel him getting in and out of bed-wish I had got one year's ago)
diana21296 rocketman42
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erika59785 rocketman42
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I now have an adjustable bed with a medium soft mattress which I like very much.
JanSP rocketman42
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In addition to my GCA and PMR I have a scoliosis since childhood. The docs always suggested a firm mattress and I was always uncomfortable. A number of years back I added a memory foam topper to my mattress and that helped. Now my husband and I happily sleep on an adjustable air mattress. It's a king size bed so we each have our own inner air mattress with the ability to adjust the firmness as we like. It all zips into an attractive quilted cover with a removable pillow top. You can't feel the division between the two inserts or the fact that it's not a "normal" bed when you sit on the edge.
karen48559 rocketman42
Posted
We made a very expensive mistake based on an experience like yours Scotth. We slept on memory foam for a few nights in a hotel, came home and went straight out next day to try and buy. We ended up buying all singing and dancing linked adjustable beds with memory foam mattresses in different firmness ratings from the company who originally developed them. Although comfortable in comparison to our previous old lumpy thing, over time I found turning over was a challenge and then I found I was also getting very hot. I tried slippy nightwear but that made things worse as they were made from synthetic materials.. My husband has fibro, and he runs cold most of the time, so he was quite happy I thought. It was only months later he mentioned how painful he found it to turn in the night. By now we're out of the 90 day money back trial. Loathe to just throw away all that money and perhaps make similar mistakes all over again I started researching. We knew we liked the adjustable bases as they are great for alleviating discomfort so no more pillows between knees etc and reading in bed is so comfy but this restricted our choice of mattress material. It was while chatting with my cousin who lives in the US that she mentioned they had issues with memory foam in that her husband had developed severe allergies to it and they had changed to organic latex. My experience of latex as a child was not good. It was hard to sleep on and pillows went lumpy very quickly. There seemed to be only two suppliers in the UK. After visiting the supplier several times to try out over and over, we eventually went for a trial on an organic latex with support zones and cotton covers and have never looked back. Very supportive without being hard, no hot sweats any more, turning over in bed is easy.. we are both very pleased. But choosing a mattress is as individual as choosing shoes. There's no one fit suits all.
FlipDover_Aust rocketman42
Posted
Great question Scott!
I've found that the mattress makes a huge difference to my sleep. We bought a 'medium' mattress a few years back - I wanted a soft one and Mr Flip wanted a hard one - so we both lost... compromise just doesn't work with mattresses!
We inherited my parents' "hospital" beds - adjustable singles, which have reasonably soft mattresses. We tried them out for a year or so. In loved that I could adjust the angle at which I sleep so when my hips hurt I can move positions without having to get up. I'm going to ask Mr Flip if we can put them back in our bedroom. The reason I swapped back to a regular Queen size bed is that I missed the cuddles!
We also have a rather large and luxurious caravan with a queen sized bed - the mattress is quite firm and I struggle to sleep for the first week or so. A mattress topper hasn't helped a great deal. I don't think there's a lot I can do about this one though.
Anhaga FlipDover_Aust
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FlipDover_Aust Anhaga
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We had them pushed together too, with a king sized doona on top.... but there's still a ridge and gap in the middle...I like the sound of the bed Jan SP describes above.
JanSP FlipDover_Aust
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My cousin bought a sleep # air bed and had problems with the gap. We found another company (from Colorado) and ordered it online. It has a sling support system. It's not inexpensive but cheaper than the sleep #. We saved $100 by buying only one control which controls both sides with a digital readout. Once you find your preferred firmness you hardly ever have to change the setting. We are also using the two mattress foundations covered by a sheet of plywood that we already had. The Colorado company O. K.'d that. Don't be taken it by an extra quiet compressor. You hardly ever use it.
JanSP FlipDover_Aust
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Forgot to ask - what is a doona? Not familiar with that term on this side of the pond. Jan
FlipDover_Aust JanSP
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JanSP FlipDover_Aust
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