What do Doctors Recommend for a Mattress?

Mattress quality tends to have a noticeable effect on the sleeping quality of just about everyone. However, some people are more sensitive than others and may suffer from arthritis or other negative health conditions that affect the joints or spine. For these people, comfort is not the only factor that is essential when searching for a new mattress. Depending on the way a mattress is constructed, it could have or develop irregular features that could aggravate existing back and joint pain. So, in an age of many different mattress types and varieties, which is the one mattress that doctors recommend above all others? Does such a mattress even exist? Let's find out.

The defining quality of a mattress

There are several basic types of mattresses that characteristically include memory foam mattresses, latex mattresses, innerspring mattresses, conventional foam mattresses, water beds, and airbeds. Each of these mattresses retains a certain defining quality that varies from the others. In times past and even in modern days, doctors tend to recommend mattresses that are firm, as firmness is what theoretically helps to keep the spine in a natural position while sleeping. However, there are varying ideas of what constitutes firmness. For example, innerspring mattresses are arguably the firmest mattresses available on the market, but they are also arguably the most uncomfortable. The durable nature of fabric stretched over an inner spring system has caused more than one person to sleep uncomfortably at night.

What would my doctor recommend?

In a time where the desire for increased convenience is a driving force in product purchases throughout the world, people are no longer comfortable with the idea of conventional mattresses. Sure, people slept on straw beds and cold mats for thousands of years and probably managed just fine, but the modern individual is seemingly interested in supreme comfort above all else, and a regular innerspring mattress is usually not enough to satisfy this desire.

Memory foam mattresses and latex mattresses are the current rage, and each of these mattress types are promoted with a lot of what could be considered marketing hype related to potential therapeutic qualities that solve the problem of lower back pain, for example. In general, doctors will recommend a moderate approach. Stick to mattresses that are in the medium range between soft and hard. The softness will keep those with arthritis and back pain from feeling uncomfortable while the relative firmness will keep the spine in a stable and well-supported position. High density memory foam and latex offer both of these qualities, and should definitely be considered staple choices among those looking to avoid aggravating existing back pain and other problems.

Wrapping things up

In conclusion, doctors have a variety of opinions when it comes to mattresses, but in general the recommendation most prevalently offered is that mattresses should retain a firm and supportive quality while still allowing the ability to give in a little under the weight of the body.