Almost everyone in the world will suffer from back pain at some point during their lives, whether it’s the result of an injury or just an accumulation of stress and muscle tension. And while there are many medical remedies and procedures that can be utilized to help relieve back pain, there are also some easy thing you can do for yourself at home to help relieve frequent back pains. One such thing you can do is to invest in an effective mattress topper; these are particularly beneficial if you’re stuck using a mattress that’s causing you back pain, or even if it simply isn’t pleasant for you to sleep on and leaves you tossing and turning at night because you can’t get comfortable.
In order to help you find the right mattress topper for you, we’ve put together this brief guide explaining what to look for in a mattress topper as well as what other factors to consider when purchasing one. We hope you find it helpful and informative.
What to Consider When Shopping For a Mattress Topper
- Thickness and Consistency of Your Mattress.
A major factor for what kind of mattress topper to buy is what kind of mattress you’re using at home. For example, if you sleep on a soft mattress, you should buy a firmer mattress topper, that way you get the back support from the firm topper while still retaining the overall comfort level provided by the softness of your main mattress. Additionally, the thickness of your mattress impacts how much support it offers you; if you have a thinner and less supportive mattress, you’re probably going to need a thicker mattress topper in order to get the right level of back support for reducing back pain.
- Thickness of the Mattress Topper.
The thickness of the mattress topper is just as important as the thickness of the main mattress. A thicker mattress topper typically offers more comfort and support than a thin one, so if you’re trying to get a mattress topper that genuinely helps to ease and relieve back pain, make sure to get a mattress topper that is at least three or four inches thick; a topper that is any thinner than that won’t really be able to offer much in the way of back support.
- Sleeping Position.
The position you sleep in can also help determine which type of mattress topper might be best for you and your individual needs. Softer toppers are better for those people who sleep on their sides, whereas firmer mattress toppers are better for those who sleep on their backs. If you change positions often in your sleep, however, it might be best to buy a mattress topper that is medium-firm instead.
- Body Weight.
How much you weigh can be a very significant factor when considering what type of mattress topper to purchase. The more you weigh, the higher density of topper you will need. This is because a mattress topper that isn’t firm enough won’t be able to offer you the proper back support that you need to help reduce your back pain; in fact, if you use a mattress topper that isn’t dense enough, you could end up compounding your back pain problems rather than relieving them.
- Materials.
While not always as important a factor as the thickness or density of the mattress topper, the materials it is composed of can also be a crucial factor in selecting a mattress topper that is effective in helping to ease back pain and discomfort. And just like mattresses themselves, mattress toppers come in a variety of materials; the two most common, however, are latex and memory foam. Latex is typically firmer and used to offer slightly more rigid support for your back and body. Memory foam, by comparison, is typically softer and instead provides support by contouring to the individual curves of your body; this allow it to offer specialized support to not just your back but all your other joints as well. Memory foam is also popular for the way it distributes your weight evenly.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are quite a few things you’ll need to think about when going to buy a mattress topper for reducing frequent or chronic back pains. We hope that you’ve found our breakdown of what to look for helpful and informative for when you go out to buy a mattress topper of your own.