Could Your Mattress Be The Cause Of Your Backaches?

Oh, back pains. The all too familiar sting that many wake up with, usually after a rough night’s sleep. You probably felt it too, perhaps after sleeping in an awkward position or after crashing on a bad mattress.

Girl stretching in bed after a good nights sleep on her mattress — If you clocked in your eight hours of sleep, you should be waking up refreshed and energised, not tired and groggy from tossing and turning at night. Discomfort or backaches could be a sign that your mattress has expired..
Image by Bruce Mars from Unsplash

Has Your Mattress Expired?

When it comes to mattresses, there’s no expiry date stamped on the package. Typically, a good rule of thumb is that if it’s no longer comfortable, it’s worn out. Other signs of an expired mattress include excessive sagging where you usually sleep on, springs poking you during your slumber, or it has started creaking.

Generally, mattresses last about seven to ten years before needing a replacement. However, some lower quality mattresses can wear out as quickly as five years! If you wake up with back pain, but it goes away after a quick stretch, it is definitely a good indicator to change your mattress.

Foam Mattresses Vs Spring Mattresses

So you have back pain and you’re looking for a mattress replacement? Well, consider looking into foam mattresses. Aside from offering better support, it remains comfortable for longer duration, is more resistant to dust mites, and for the couples, there’s lesser motion transfer.

1. Better Support

Girl sleeping on her stomach. — Did you know that stomach sleepers tend to suffer from backaches more so than side and back sleepers? Sleeping on one’s stomach doesn’t support the spine as much as the latter two positions. If you’re a stomach sleeper who constantly suffer from backaches, try another sleeping position!
Image by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

With foam mattresses, the bed conforms to the shape of your body when you lie on it. Foam mattresses are made up of two layers, the comfort layer and the support layer. The comfort layer will compress under the weight of the sleeper for maximum comfort. Meanwhile, the support layer would limit the sinking feeling, providing the necessary support for backache sufferers.

On the other hand, spring mattresses are essentially cushions sandwiching a layer of interlinked metal coils. When you lie on top of it, the springs will be compressed by your weight. Unlike foam mattresses, spring mattresses do not provide even support. The heavier parts of your body tend to compress the springs more than the lighter parts of your body. This can cause pressure points, resulting in discomfort and backaches.

2. Durability Of The Mattress

Girl sound asleep, which is how you should be if you're sleeping on the right mattress for you — Every night’s sleep should look as comfy as this, even as the mattress wears out over time. Why compromise on your comfort at night?
Image by Gregory Pappas from Unsplash

Over time, mattresses tend to wear out, regardless of material. For spring mattresses, the springs would not wear out as evenly, sagging in well-slept-in spots. On the other hand, foam mattresses are less prone to sagging as they don’t depend on springs for support. Throughout their lifetime, foam mattresses will remain comfortable for longer duration. On the contrary, the spring mattress will become more and more uncomfortable until you decide to ditch it.

3. Resistance To Dust Mites

Dust on a person's hand. Don't let the dust collect inside your mattress! — Dust mites are, of course, attracted to dust. They feed and breed in it. For the sake of your well-being, it’s definitely advisable to do everything you possibly can to avoid furniture that are prone to such pests.
Image by Austin Ban from Unsplash

If you have sensitive skin, foam mattresses remain the better choice as they are more resistant to dust mites. This is because the space between the coils within the spring mattresses serve as the perfect breeding ground for the nasty critters.

However, this isn’t to say that foam mattresses are completely resistant to dust mites. But even if the unpleasant bugs invade your foam mattress, they are easier to get rid of as they remain on the surface and cannot penetrate the solid block of foam.

4. Motion Transfer

A couple sleeping with their baby. Getting a foam mattress would be the best choice for those who sleep with restless partners or children — Sleeping with your partner and your child can be difficult, especially if they tend to toss and turn in their sleep. Foam mattresses can limit the movement you feel in comparison to spring mattresses.
Image by Simon Matzinger from Unsplash

If you sleep with a restless partner, you understand how difficult it is to fall asleep and stay that way throughout the night. Remember the interlinked coils in spring mattresses? When one of the springs compress or decompresses as your partner tosses and turns, the other springs follow suit jiggling the entire bed all the way through.

Conversely, foam mattresses are less likely to transfer movement. When your partner wakes up or moves around, the spot that they’ve pushed down just returns to its original shape slowly without affecting other spots of the bed. This means lesser jiggling, and a more peaceful night’s sleep for both sleepers.

Drawbacks Of Foam Mattresses

Though we have just praised the foam mattress as if it’s the best thing since sliced bread, let’s talk about the drawbacks. Foam tends to trap more body heat. And for those who are not accustomed to it, will feel like they’re becoming one with the bed as their body sinks into the mattress.

1. Traps Heat From The Body

Girl sweating, which is how a foam mattress could make you feel like if the blend of foam doesn't allow air flow — The average foam mattresses trap body heat, making you feel warm throughout the night. This may be okay during the colder climates, but definitely a bummer during warmer weather.
Image by Hans Reniers from Unsplash

Traditionally, foam mattresses do not allow for much air flow. This causes the heat from your body to warm up the mattress. Soon, you’d wake up feeling like you’ve been to the sauna.

The good news is, a Malaysian mattress brand claims that they have the solution to this. The Joey Mattress is engineered with their secret in-house blend known as the J-Foam, which is a type of polyurethane foam.

Diagram from Joey Mattress shows that their J-Foam allows for better air flow — Their formulation of foam, known as J-Foam, has been engineered to have a micro-cell foam structure. This allows for more air flow as shown with the arrows, lessening the heat trapped within the mattress.
Image from The Joey Mattress

Winson Chong, the founder of The Joey Mattress explains that the J-Foam is built with an open cell structure. This essentially means that there are millions of tiny air pockets within the foam, allowing air flow and lowering the temperature of the mattress.

2. Sinking Into Your Mattress

The girl is sinking into a white pool, but you shouldn't be sinking into your mattress — This girl looks artistic and cool, but you shouldn’t be feeling like this every night in bed.
Image by Averie Woodard from Unsplash

Foam mattresses with a comfort layer that’s too thick or too soft can make sleepers feel like they’re sinking into the bed itself. Though it might feel good for a little while, it can cause back pain all the same. After all, such a mattress doesn’t provide enough support.

In the case of Joey Mattress, the foam experts who formulated the J-Foam promises the perfect combination of comfort and support layers. This means that you get the perfect mishmash of softness with adequate body support.

Diagram from Joey Mattress shows that their J-Foam allows for better comfort and support at the same time — The comfort layer and support layer should work well together, providing both enough support so you don’t feel like sinking into the mattress, yet feel soft enough that you’ll sleep like a baby.
*Image from* The Joey Mattress

Their J-Foam works to sink where your body is heaviest, while the other spots of the mattress remain decompressed to support the lighter parts of your body such as the neck, head, and lower back. Simply put, it’s basically like Goldilocks’ bed, it’s not too hard, nor too soft.

3. Pricing Of The Mattress

Payment being made via card transactions — Prices of foam mattresses can be pretty steep, especially if you’re used to just getting spring mattresses.
Image by Nathan Dumlao from Unsplash

The prices of foam mattresses tend to be higher than spring mattresses. However, don’t let this deter you from giving them a go. Think of it this way, though you’re paying more for the mattress, you’ll remain comfortable and use it for longer duration, which gives you the same bang for your buck anyway.

Though Joey Mattress is not the cheapest foam mattress in the market, the price is worth the comfort. After all, you’re not only paying for the mattress; you’re paying for a good night’s rest, reduced back-pain, and overall lesser stress as you can return the mattress if you don’t like it.

Is It Time For A New Mattress?

The Joey Mattress displayed next to the box they package the mattress in — If you’re due for a new mattress, give The Joey Mattress a try. It’s hassle free, from the online order placement, to the mattress being shipped to your doorstep packaged neatly in a box. You don’t have to break a sweat setting up your next sanctuary!
*Image from* The Joey Mattress

Ultimately, it’s your call to decide if your mattress is due for a change. To find out more about Joey Mattress, do visit their website. Delivery is within two to five business days for those living in West Malaysia, and 20-25 business days for those in East Malaysia.

Alternatively, you can stay tuned to their social media on Facebook and Instagram for further updates, information, and promotions about The Joey Mattress.

A Redditor once said that anything you use to separate yourself from the ground is worth investing in. Treat foam mattresses as an investment – you’ll be repaid in better sleep, lesser backaches, and generally better quality of life. And there’s no better life upgrade than a mattress upgrade.