Getting a good night's rest

Friday, August 17, 2007

Some days I wake up in the mornings feeling fairly exhausted, like it were the end of a long day. Apart from that I need more physical exercise, I suspect the mattress. It's left me with a dull back ache on previous occasions.

What's a good mattress? What makes it good?

aivalli — Aug 17, 2007 3:32:59 PM — # ↩

Wooden plank with just a bed sheet / rug! :-) Works for me.

HTH.

-N
latelyontime — Aug 17, 2007 4:58:15 PM — # ↩

It might be sleeping habits more than the mattress! Are you sleeping with enough space to maneuver? Are you sleeping with your body relaxed and your limbs stretched out? Are you sleeping only one side of the body? Sometimes, trying to sleep when the body is not sufficiently tired and waking up when you are still sleepy also adds to the exhaust factor.

Traditional knowledge says that a semi-hard soft cotton wool mattress is the best. Basically you want a mattress that adapts itself to the curves of your body and still provides some support and resistance to your spine as you sleep. The simple test for this is to put a fairly heavy bag on the mattress and see what happens. Does the mattress sag and compress completely or does it just change shape and support the bag? If it sags, you need to change it. If it doesn't you might want to examine your sleeping habits.

There, the expert has spoken tee hee
ashwinne — Aug 17, 2007 6:14:46 PM — # ↩

Firm
For me it has to be firm and preferably thin. The aim is to keep my back straight and give just enough softness to get sleep. Soft bouncy mattresses feel great after a tired day, but they play havoc with my back (as I've discovered after I wake up).
insomnia — Aug 17, 2007 8:46:54 PM — # ↩

You may also want to make sure it's not sleep apnea that is making you not sleep well. Lots of people are predisposed to it, due to their jaw structure, sinus issues, etc.
tsk1979 — Aug 17, 2007 10:33:21 PM — # ↩

Get one from the good brands. It should be firm. I.e your back should not sink into it.
Kurl-on is great for back problem people.
As for sleep, are you sure you are sleeping continously or you wake up and go to sleep many times at night
- Kiran Jonnalagadda — Aug 17, 2007 11:22:06 PM — # ↩
  
  Once I fall asleep, I generally stay asleep a full six hours.
deponti — Aug 18, 2007 12:01:24 AM — # ↩

You can probably google for mattress parameters..but I find that rubberised coir mattresses work the best for me. Luxurious sink-in mattresses generally result in body pains, they are not supportive enough. Go to the nearest coir board and get a mattress...it's worth the investment. They are also cooler and "breathe" more than the foam ones. And I rather think they are cheaper, too.

Going by what you say, I don't think your sleeping habits/ posture are the problem...

No, dont go to some doctor, just follow your own common sense in getting a firm mattress!
sameerds — Aug 20, 2007 10:22:33 AM — # ↩

Assuming it is indeed the mattress causing the problem, consider a coir-foam ... highest density coir (100) and highest density foam (40), for the regular variety. I have no idea what the units attached to those numbers are. There is nothing great about a branded mattress ... get one made by the vendor. It's cheaper, and they source the material from the same place anyway. I know because a friend is an interior decorator who also helps run a sizeable furnishing store.
There are also those special densities for people with back problems, but I guess that should require some medical opinion on your specific problem!
lost_almost — Aug 28, 2007 11:01:19 AM — # ↩

Things I have realized as I battled through sleep problems in grad school:

- exercise or eating too close to bedtime causes disturbed sleep. going to bed hungry disturbs sleep too. in general exercise helps

- a slightly cooler room is better than a warm one

- if you suffer from allergies, keep in mind that pollen is released early in the morning, so around 5 -6 in the morning, you might wake up if you have windows open

- bedtime routines are good. warm tea, no TV, reading, whatever it takes to lull you to sleep

- if you want to shift schedules it is better to adjust your waking up time than bedtime

- try the shava-asana to go to sleep. this was the only thing i learned in yoga class that i use.