Sleeping surface and the health of your back

[mantis]

Pretty cool thread. I sleep on a pretty soft old spring mattress and don't have any real problems (but then again, I am 21). I am interested in these "super firm" mattresses though.

 

I just came back from a vacation from Punta Cana, DR and at the resort they had these super hard beds on what appeared to be slabs of concrete or marble (I'm not sure). I slept like a baby on them.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

What about exercises and the like can one do to get their back into good shape?

[mYTHmAKER]

What about exercises and the like can one do to get their back into good shape?

 

Pilates to strengthen your core

[Desert Eagle]

If it is similiar to a Tempurpedic IMHO it is no good.

Had a Tempurpedic mattress and gave it away. The mattress gives into your body weight so if yo use your arms to push to roll over your arm sinks and there is nothing to push against. It was not giving me good support.

It's like quicksand.

 

yes i had the same experience with a 3 inch memory foam topper so I returned it and went back to triple fold the cotton duvet. ridiculous prices of mattresses and memory foam compared to a cotton duvet. I also tried a slatted bed with mattress from IKEA similar to what Mal tried and I stored it ditched it the first day. The slats I kept to make a special shelf to store bottles and supplements.

[i am]

Thread ressurection.

 

I'm already convinced that it must be better than a thick mattress on top of a thick boxspring, suspended in the air by a frame, but...

 

What do you think about a 3" foam pad on top of plywood? Too thick? Less foam? Maybe 2", firm foam? It would seem to me that since it's only 3" thick, and completely supported by a wood bottom, it would be pretty good?

 

This padding would double as a seat and seat back (2 seats, actually), and arrange into a bed at night, in 4 pieces. I almost think I'd want the padding more for sitting than sleeping...but I'm trying to find a compromise.

[thelerner]

Linked to this from a off topic link about mattresses.

I think Egyptians did that too. And they didn't use a soft pillow for the head but, rather, a hard neck-rest -- like this:



Of course this may explain why they always walked sideways!
 

I was just at a huge Thai spa, filled with special rooms, ie Gold room, charcoal room, amethyst, ice, uber heat etc.,  Some of them had just that 'pillow' for laying the head on. 

 

Lately my secret weapon is the Spoonk http://www.spoonkspace.com/, kinda like a yoga mat with thousands of plastic spikes on it.  You wouldn't want to sleep on it, but for 20 or 30 minutes it loosens the back and makes it feel much better.   I don't know if the secret is its hitting acupressure points or just a reaction to painful spikes, but it works well. 

[MooNiNite]

 

On a revolution.

 

 

My friend is buying a Japanese bamboo tatami bed. Have you any thoughts on these?

[Taomeow]

My friend is buying a Japanese bamboo tatami bed. Have you any thoughts on these?

 

 

I think they're good, from the descriptions, but I've never tried one. 

[steve]

I got a new mattress this year made by saatva. It's very firm and I'm very happy with the quality, price, easy of acquisition, and customer service. And my back feels great. 

[Yasjua]

Oh how I long to be back in a tent, enveloped in cool air, sleeping on nothing but my own breath and the earth. For now, since I live in a city, I went with the firmest mattress I could afford. It's incredibly supportive and I'm still not 100% used to its firmness, but I tend to sleep about 90 minutes less on it than other mattresses. Still nothing like sleeping on a mattress pad in Yosemite.

[Spotless]

Oh how I long to be back in a tent, enveloped in cool air, sleeping on nothing but my own breath and the earth. For now, since I live in a city, I went with the firmest mattress I could afford. It's incredibly supportive and I'm still not 100% used to its firmness, but I tend to sleep about 90 minutes less on it than other mattresses. Still nothing like sleeping on a mattress pad in Yosemite.

 

So what matress did you get?