We’ve all experienced certain types of aches and pains in our back, be it just after waking up in the morning or before going to sleep. But one thing to note here is that all these pains in the lumbar region are not caused by the sciatic nerve. If you experience a sharp radiating pain from your lower back and down into your leg through your hips and buttocks, you may be suffering from sciatic pain.
Be it an instant back pain occurring constantly or once in a while due to sciatica, a good mattress will help you in alleviating all such pains and aches. An uncomfortable mattress creates spinal conditions that cause nerve pains and even worsen their symptoms so, rather than worsening your pains, you should invest in a good mattress that relieves you of such painful days and nights.
Don’t worry you don’t have to go anywhere to get your hands on a high-performance comfortable mattress because we are here to help you out with the best mattresses for sciatica for a more relaxed sleep and not aggravating your pain.
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So, Sciatica is a nerve in our bodies which stretches from the lower back down into the foot, associated with pain and problems regarding the nerve which can be widespread so it’s better to care about this problem before it is aggravated. Sciatica is not a disease first of all but is an underlying symptom caused by conditions such as herniated discs, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, and diabetes. In addition to them, factors such as age, obesity or any physically demanding occupation stand at the grass-root level of Sciatica. Such conditions put pressure on the nerve roots which results in a sharp pain searing down your ower back and at times even foot. As the Sciatic nerve runs the longest in the body, any damage, compression or degeneration with the nerve can obviously cause some extreme conditions.
There are three types of sciatic nerve pain that are – sciatica from the L4 nerve root, sciatica from the L5 nerve root and lastly, sciatica from the S1 nerve root. Sciatica from the L4 nerve root lies in the medial to lower back and is characterised by an inability to walk through the heels, in the same way, sciatica in the L5 nerve root occurs in the lower back which may also include weakness in the big toes and ankles, sciatica from the S1 nerve root is found at the base of the spine and anyone suffering from this may experience pain or numbness in the peripheral areas of the foot with an inability to walk on tiptoe.
Our bodies comprise of intervertebral discs that are round fibrous areas of the spine which contains a jelly-like substance. A herniated disc is also referred to as slipped or ruptured disc, that occurs when the tears develop in the exterior of the disc. These tears in the exterior of the discs result in bulging of the rest of the disc which may end up into sciatica if the bulging comes into contact with the sciatic nerve.
This condition occurs when the spinal canal becomes narrower. This whole development of the process results in the development of pressure on the nearby nerves including the sciatic nerve.
The bone spur is also known as exostosis which refers to irregular bone formations that develop on the surfaces of existing bones. If this condition develops on your spine it leads to sciatica.
The commonly found Risk Factors for sciatica are –
People who belong to the older age groups are at a greater risk of developing sciatica due to the bodily changes that affect the spine over time.
Now obesity in itself is not at all healthy for any individual as it is a storehouse of uncountable diseases. The excess of our body weight to creates pressure on the spine which results in the compression if the sciatic nerve leading to sciatica.
Diabetes too facilitates a lot of ill conditions in our body apart from obesity. Diabetes has a direct ill effect on the nerves so people who are diabetic fall in this high-risk category of developing sciatica.
Jobs that include high levels of physical activities such as heavy weight lifting, pulling and other types of manual labours can trigger sciatic nerve pain due to the constant pressure on the spine due to prolonged sitting and physical activities.
A common symptom of sciatica is a radiating pain that travels through your lower back, buttocks and leg usually on one side. This condition is accompanied by pain and discomfort in the affected areas ranging from light to severe and can often result in numbness and weakness coexisted with burning and shooting sensations. In some severe cases, patients tend to lose their bladder and bowel functions.
Support stands as a vital element while you go about in searching mattress for sciatica. Support here refers to the tendency of the mattress in maintaining the evenness of the sleeping surface when applied pressure. A mattress that has a good supportive sleeping surface will aid you with a stable surface throughout the night by aligning your shoulders, spine and hips thereby alleviating the pressure points and pain throughout the body.
You should avoid mattresses that feel overly soft or firm to you as they will not be able to support your body well. Go for a mattress that has a solid support core as they tend to reinforce the topmost layer of the mattress. Any mattress that offers you a significant sinkage is not apt for your body.
The firmness of a mattress too has a close link with the support of the mattress but of them offer different connotations. The firmness of the mattress refers to how soft or firm a mattress feels while you lay your complete body pressure on it. The firmness is generally measured on the firmness scale ranging from 1 as super soft to 12 as a super firm one. Nowadays most mattresses are sold between 3 and 8 which means between soft and firm respectively. Firmer mattresses are more suitable for heavier individuals because they provide them with a comfortable and relaxed sleeping surface without too much sinkage whereas lighter individuals should prefer medium-firm or a soft mattress as a firm sleeping surface may not conform to your body closely enough and thereby develops pressure points.
#1 The Sleeper Weight Group – Less Than 130 Pounds
Suitable Firmness Range – Soft to Medium Soft
#2 The Sleeper Weight Group – 130 to 230 Pounds
Suitable Firmness Range – Medium to Medium-Firm
#3 The Sleeper Weight Group – More Than 230 Pounds
Suitable Firmness Range – Firm or Extra Firm
Mattresses such as memory foam and latex are designed in such a way that they offer you with appropriate sinkage and form an impression around your unique body contours. If you are suffering from sciatica you should definitely look for a mattress with high body contouring so that it aids in spinal alignment and pressure points relief.
Even hybrid mattresses due to their thick comfort layer offer a considerable sinkage but innerspring performs poorly in offering good conforming.
The thickness of the mattress also plays a key role in determining the support while you are suffering from sciatica. Apart from the layerings of the comfort layers the overall thickness of the mattress too provide you with better support and close conforming of the body as compared to thinner mattresses.
Motion transfer here refers to the creation of movement on the bed when there are some motions by a person which means that if your partner is initiating certain movements on the bed you can very well experience these motions too on the bed due to the transmissions of these movements. Some mattresses perform well in insolating the motion transfer and prevent it from spreading over the mattress.
A mattress with motion isolation is very much important for sleepers with sciatica as they tend to toss and turn due to discomfort, especially if you have a sleeping partner.
Temperature regulation here refers that how hot or cool a mattress feel when you sleep on it. Matresses constructed out of foam usually sleep hot as they tend to trap the heat produced from our bodies. Innerspring and hybrid mattresses allow more air circulation and breathability across the mattress than other types of mattress.
Even natural latex mattress offers you with a temperature neutral sleeping surface rather than making you sleep hot.
Edge support refers to how well the mattress supports while you sit on the edges of the mattress and how firmly it responds around the edges. Foam mattresses often lack edge support so with time the edges of these mattresses may sag, leaving you with an unsupportive sleeping surface.
A sagged edge support will also make it difficult for you to sit or sleep on the edges. Hybrid and innerspring mattresses tend to offer you with greater edge support than other types of mattresses.
The lifespan of an average mattress ranges from 5-7 years and after this period it needs to be replaced. As the mattresses age, their materials begin to degrade and the mattress starts to break which often leads to indentations and sagging in-between the sleeping surface and worsens the aches and pains.
Louder mattresses, of course, affect anybody’s sleep if the mattress transfers motion or anything of that sort. Foam and latex mattresses are generally quieter than mattresses incorporating coil structure without individual encasement.
Mattresses with noise elimination or the ones with completely no noise are way better as they will not create any sleep disruptions for people who share a bed with people suffering from sciatica due to their continuous tossing and turning due to discomfort.
Memory foam mattress performs the best in responding to heat and pressure and conforms well to your body shape. It contours to the unique shape of your body parts and thereby relieves pressure points, even distribution of body weight and spinal alignment. A memory foam mattress comprises of several layers of foam that vary in types, density and feel to offer you a perfect balance of support and contouring. An average memory foam mattress costs around $400-$1000 for a full or queen-sized mattress. Other than this the price of the mattress also depends on the type of foam layers, density and any special inclusions into them.
For Sciatica
Against Sciatica
Latex mattress works well in offering good contouring and bounce to the body. These mattresses comprise of either all-natural latex, synthetic materials or may contain a blend of these materials. The natural latex is derived from the rubber trees while the synthetic latex is produced using petrochemicals making it a product of chemicals. Latex mattresses especially all-natural latex mattresses are resistant to moulds, mildew, allergens and dust mites. The average price of latex queen-sized mattresses ranges from $800-$3000 which largely depends on their composition as well but generally, a latex mattress is priced higher than other types of mattresses. Know more about latex mattresses.
For Sciatica
Against Sciatica
Innersprings are widely purchased due to their sturdy coil structure. Innerspring mattresses comprise of coils or springs as the support core and foam as the comfort layers. The comfort layers can be a combination of any material such as memory foam, latex, polyfoam, etc. It provides you with a breathable and responsive sleeping surface with reinforced edge support. The innerspring support core can also incorporate different types of coils such as pocketed, Bonnell, offset, or continuous-wire coils. The average price of a queen-sized innerspring mattress ranges from $500-$2000 but you can also get a one for as low as $200. But with an innerspring mattress, it is important to note that cheaper the mattress, the cheaper will be the quality of its materials which will obviously not last for a longer lifespan. Get detailed information about innerspring mattresses here.
For Sciatica
Against Sciatica
Hybrid mattresses are known to incorporate the best of two or more mattress materials to provide you with ultimate comfort and support. It combines the elements of innerspring mattresses and foam or latex mattresses for the best results in providing you with comfort. The hybrid structure of a mattress incorporates the coil structure as the support core for increased support, comfort and bounce. It uses a few inches of foam or latex as the comfort layers for added contouring and pressure relief. An average hybrid mattress may cost you around $500-$1000, whereas luxury models may cost over $2000-$3000 or even more.
For Sciatica
Against Sciatica
If you are experiencing steering sciatic nerve pain, then you should certainly prefer a side sleeping position which is typically regarded as the best sleeping position. Side sleepers are susceptible to the twisting of the lower back if you sleep with one leg in front of the other which is not good for people with sciatica, so you need to take care of this situation.
When you lay on your side, you can put a pillow in between your knees to coax your spine back into alignment which is really comfortable for a lot of people, regardless of whether you have nerve pain or not.
Sleeping on your back can be helpful, but there are certain factors that need to be considered before sleeping in this position. Sleeping on your back or for that matter even lying flat has the capacity to flex the lower portion of your spine which can apparently cause pain in your lumbar region. If you wish to sleep on your back consider putting a cushion under your knees to provide you with ample support and promotes spinal alignment. You can customise your comfort depending on how you feel to sleep.
Sleeping on your stomach is generally not recommended for people suffering from sciatica as this position may aggravate your nerve pains. It basically extends your back unnaturally which increases the pain for a long time as well as the immediate form. If you are compelled to sleep in this position due to some other pains or any other reason, you can help this out by placing a pillow in your tummy region or just below, to create a natural curve and not suffer from prolonged pains.
To overcome these situations and pains the only thing along with medication that will help you get a relaxed sleep whether you have minimal nerve pain or a severe one, is a good quality mattress as a poor quality mattress will somewhat make your symptoms worse. If you have a mattress that is too hard, too soft or provides you with inadequate support you’ll more likely experience worse nerve pains. So, it’s better to opt for great quality mattresses for enhanced comfort and support to relieve your pains of sciatica. Here are some best mattresses for sciatica that will help you relieve pain and will offer you adequate comfort and support.
The mattress comprises of luxurious gel memory foam which makes it a superior choice over other memory foam mattresses. The mattress incorporates three foam layers – High-density base foam layers, supportive comfort layer and the topmost layer is the gel memory foam layer. The high-density base foam layer reinforces support and offers you a comfortable, breathable yet supportive sleeping surface. It adds to the breathability, durability and stability of the mattress. The supportive comfort layers offer you enhanced support and bounce for added comfort and ease of movements. The topmost layer is the gel memory foam which initiates a cooling sensation across the mattress due to its gel infusion.
The memory foam contours your body closely and thus relieves the pressure points and even provides you with an adequate sleeping surface for proper spinal alignment which makes it the best mattress for sciatica.
This luxurious memory foam mattress by Modway offers you with balanced support and comfort at an affordable price for such a premium mattress. The mattress incorporates a responsive base foam which makes the mattress bouncy, comfortable and supportive at the same time. The base foam is topped with a gel memory foam which contours to your body closely and helps in relieving the pressure points and offers a supportive sleeping surface for proper spinal alignment. The gel infusion in the memory foam helps in regulating the body temperature and aids a breathing sleeping surface. The mattress works on reducing the pressure on shoulders, hips and lower back for a relaxed pain-free sleep which makes it the best mattress for sciatica.
It performs really well in isolating motion transfer and elimination of sleep so that you have an undisturbed sleep. Due to the relieve of pressure the sciatic nerve will definitely relax a bit and will offer you a relaxed sleep. The incorporated foams are CertiPur US certified so you don’t have to worry about the quality of the mattress.
The mattress is peculiarly designed to deliver you the best combination of nature and luxury as it combines bamboo charcoal with high-quality gel-Visco. The 12-inch mattress comprises of gel-infused memory foam, convoluted foam and high-density base foam layer. The gel memory foam adjusts to the weight and temperature of your body which thereby contours the natural curves of your body which relieves pressure points and aids in proper alignment of the spine. The mattress acts as highly absorbent, moisture-wicking and breathable for the ultimate comfortable sleeping surface. The gel infusion regulates the temperature of the body so that you don’t sleep hot and wake up all sweating.
The mattress has a resilient sleeping surface which eases your movements across the mattress and it also isolates the motion transfer so that your sleeping partner doesn’t get disturbed due to your regular tossing and turning. It offers you a medium feel so that your body is properly conformed without excessive sinkage and acts as a perfect mattress for sciatica.
This hybrid mattress comprises of high-quality steel coils that are individually wrapped to increase airflow for better breathability, isolate motion transfer and conforms to individual sleeping positions. This coil structure in the support core is topped with layers of memory foam and latex that aids better sleeping conditions with a perfect combination of sink, comfort and breathability. The hypoallergenic and breathable properties of the natural latex accompany the comfort provided by the mattress. The conforming abilities of the mattress alleviate the pressure points and aids in spinal alignment making itself an apt mattress for sciatica.
It has a resilient surface which assists in ease of movements whereas the sink is not excessive so that you have a relaxed surface to lay on without pressurising any body part.
This hybrid mattress comprises of five layers which include a variety of foams including memory foam, Duraflex, pocketed innerspring coil system for the comfortable yet supportive sleeping surface. These layers collectively perform to aids you with the perfect combination of comfort, support, resilience and of course adaptability. You would experience the best sleeping surface that alleviates your pressure points and aligns the spine well for relief in sciatica. The reduction in pressure points will obviously make you feel relaxed of the pains of sciatica because the nerve will adhere little pressure. This quality along with pressure points obviously makes this one a perfect mattress for sciatica. The mattress helps in regulating the body temperature thereby offering you a cool sleeping surface so that you don’t wake up sweating.
The memory foam imparts the perfect combination of comfort, support, adaptability and of course great conformation so that the body is free from pressure points. The traditional bounce offered by the mattress assists you in ease of movements while isolating the motion transfer too.
The mattress comprises of individually encased coils for enhanced support and motion isolation. It incorporates iCoil system that offers firm, durable for customised spinal alignment and motion isolation. The high-density comfort foams offer enhanced comfort and support required by your body to deal with sciatica pains. The foam contours to the shape of the body and relieve the pressure points and align the spine. The reduction in pressure points also reduces the pressure on the sciatic nerve which in turn lowers down the pain. The mattress provides you with the appropriate amount of sinkage and has a firm feel so if you prefer a firm sleeping surface or overweight then you should definitely go for this mattress as the feel of the mattress will complement your weight well and will not offer you a compressed and sagged sleeping surface.
The coil structure aids better breathability and air circulation across the mattress. The balanced amount of comfort, support, bounce and conformation make this mattress as the best choice for a mattress for sciatica.
This hybrid mattress works exceptionally well in enhancing support, comfort, edge to edge support and of course motion isolation. The mattress incorporates independently encased coils, memory foam and convoluted foam to deliver maximised comfort, support and responsiveness. The support core comprises of high-performance individually encased coil system which eliminates motion transfer and prevents any noise. The support core is topped with memory foam along with with the convoluted foam in the pillow top which provides complete relaxation while conforming the body completely thereby relieving the pressure points and promotes airflow and breathability.
The body-conformation of the memory foam provides you with apt spinal alignment so that the lower back is relieved of pressure thereby relieving the sciatic nerve and in turn and becomes an appropriate choice for the best mattresses for sciatica. The mattress also comes with a non-removable cover that is made with 60% polyester and 40% rayon.
This hybrid mattress is a combination of premium foam layers along with individually wrapped pocket springs for maximised edge to edge support. The mattress combines the best of both the materials thereby featuring a cool top comfort layer with a contouring recovery memory foam and active pocket coil system as the supportive base for enhanced comfort and support to the body. The memory foam conforms to the shape of the body closely so that it relieves your body of the pressure points and aligns the spine well. The individually encased coils enhance the support to your body and eliminate motion transfer.
The comfort layers add regulates your body temperature thereby making you sleep cool. The mattress offers you balanced support and comfort with minimal sinkage so that your body is fully relaxed and relieved of pressure making it apt as the best mattress for sciatica.
This is a multilayered luxurious innerspring mattress which is both comfortable yet supportive. The mattress comprises of individually wrapped coils that reduce motion transfer and noise but also imparts a supportive feel to the mattress. The composition consists of foams such as Responsive, egg crates and the quilted top layer cover facilitates responsive support to your body and is ideal for back, side and stomach sleepers. The supportive feel along with a balanced sinkage offers you a sleeping surface which conforms to your body closely and thereby relieves pressure points and aligns the spine so that you guys have a perfect mattress for sciatica. The coil structure promotes breathability across the mattress for temperature regulation. The responsive foam aids in ease of movements so that you can toss and turn comfortably on the bed without feeling stuck.
The coils in the support core are padded underneath three comfort layers so that you do not feel the steel pinching your body and they also provide good pressure point relief for a comfortable night’s sleep. The firmness of the mattress prevents it from sagging early.
As latex offers you a little more sinkage than other types of mattresses, we have selected this firm latex mattress due to its exceptional benefits for you and will not lead to excessive sinkage also. It incorporates 3 inches of latex as the comfort layer and 7 inches of high-density foam for the support core. The foam layers act as a sturdy core that offers a supportive and pressure-relieving sleeping surface for ultimate comfort. The resilience and conforming support offered by this latex mattress turns out to be the best mattress for sciatica. The ventilated design improves air circulation across the mattress layers and promotes breathability. The conforming support will help in relieving the pressure points and aligns the spine well so that you have a relaxed feel while lying. Its resilience feel will help you with the movements across the mattress rather than making it all the more painful but with this, it also works the best in isolating motion transfer.
The latex layer efficiently regulates your body temperature aiding you with a much cooler sleep. It also comes with a cover that further enhances the breathability and absorbs the moisture featuring a dry, comfortable and a fresh sleeping surface.
Answer. Patients suffering from sciatica should opt for a mattress that offers them conforming support (firm to medium-firm) which results in relieving their pressure points so that the nerve is less pressurised and aligns the spine well for relaxation in the pains. A mattress with a resilient surface will also them with movements across the mattress and not get stuck in between it which may lead to enhanced pains. Overall a mattress should also provide with motion isolation, noise elimination and a cool sleeping surface for comfortable night’s sleep.
Answer. A sleeping that is too firm or too soft will not be able to provide an appropriate amount of support and comfort to people suffering from sciatica. It will certainly lack the support and conformity due to either excessive sinkage o no sinkage at all which is not ideal for sciatica. So the best way is to go for a firm to the medium-firm sleeping surface for an appropriate amount of support and conformity.
Answer. Your sleeping positions also affect the sciatic pain and may worsen at night if you do not adopt a suitable sleeping position. Side-sleeping or sleeping in a curled or fetal position causes the vertebrae in the lower back to continue pinching the nerve which causes a shooting pain in the lower back which runs down your buttocks and legs and causes an uncomfortable pain during the night. A good sleeping position with an ideal mattress will help reduce these pains and will make you sleep comfortably.
Answer. To start with you should go for a mattress that will aid you with the most suitable sleeping surface that would alleviate your pressure points and align the spine for a much-relaxed sleep. After a suitable sleeping surface, you should adopt the right sleeping position for reduced sciatic pains and relaxed sleep. If you are experiencing severe sciatic pains you should elevate your knees so that the pressure is reduced on your lumbar discs and the nerve roots. A hot bath before the sleep can also help in alleviating the pressure points. You should see your doctor regularly for proper treatment so that you get relieved of this condition.
I hope this article will help you out in finding the best mattress for sciatica so that you are much relieved and have a comfortable night’s sleep. The considerations offered will help you out in searching the most suitable sleeping surface and will help alleviate your pressure points and align the spine well for reduced pains and relaxed sleep. If you like this article, please like and share this article and list your suggestions in the comments section below.