Is your bed too firm? | Feat. Kelly Starrett | MobilityWOD

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Is your bed too firm? | Feat. Kelly Starrett | MobilityWOD

[Adammarr]

I sleep on a 1cm ground sheet for camping, thin piece of foam. it's so beyond comfortable and maintains the neutral spine. Wake up with no problems and feel ready to go! :D

[Yootzie]

Bro my firm mattress is as hard as a rock

And i dont have the heart to tell my parents
But im slowly losing my sanity
Cause im a side sleeper so its so uncomfortable and i cant find ways to not press pressure points

Im getting the urge to sleep on the floor

[ClinicallyPressed]

It's never a one size fits all fix but the important thing we think is you now consider it and are up to discuss which is best. We do agree with Stefan Marshall's comment on shoes though.

[some]

I just switched to a sealy or serta version of the tempurpedic at the beginning of January. Funny thing is my back started killing me after I switched (due to an unrelated reason - mma and lumbargo from being thrown one day). After 6 weeks of pain, it's finally getting better. But, I just tested what you suggested and my bed is fine (for me, anyway). Keep up the good work.

[ColdsnapBryan]

I really think you should re-visit this Kelly. Soft beds seem to cause join problems. I find that soft beds immediately push my spine and into flexion. While with something like a 8" cotton futon mattress I can stay in good externally rotated shoulders and neutral lumbar spine throughout the night. 

[KrisSays]

How do you know if your mattress is too soft? What are your thoughts on the sleep number systems? Thanks!

[Maxdwolf]

I sleep on a rubber mat on a concrete floor, so yes my bed is too firm. But I tend to sleep on my side to avoid snoring regardless.

[emZee]

I think people misunderstood the point. he wants u to sleep in a bed that keeps your spine neutral. for some that would mean a harder bed for some that would mean a softer bed. Kelly was just saying that for most it should be softer

I guess trial and error is the best test. personally I'm thinking a hammock is the world's best bed. seems to solve every problem

[atomichop]

'unstiffify' haha great word

[MsKellykellykelly]

I purchased a Tempurpedic Rhapsody mattress in Feb of 2011 thinking it would be great, given the temper topper i had on a very firm bed was awesome (sales person advised this was a great bed for couples where one wanted firm and the other liked soft).  
As of this past august it is sitting on my porch either going to be sold or cut up to re-upholster my couch. i did not sleep in it for over a year, summer heat made it even softer.  This was the replacement mattress for the "dream bed" pillow top my husband loved after sleeping in it in a hotel (hotel stay is not the same as ur home bed), that bed lasted two years b4 permanently sagging in the middle.  
i have a spinal fusion and the temper bed had zero support and it was so conforming i could not move in it and it actually made my back worse, i just underwent a 4th back surgery for a herniation above my fusion (15 years later) that was not there in 2011 when i purchased this bed.  wondering if constant twisting to move from my back to my side or vice versa caused it, i could not roll or turn in this bed or even get out of it.  
I think there is a huge difference between firm and supportive.  this summer i went vintage and purchased an extra extra firm bed (old school flippable) and put a 3" latex topper on it, it is a massive relief.  
IMHO the best way to go is super firm bed for support with thick foam topper for pressure points and alignment, at least the best way to go if you have back issues, esp if you have spinal fusions.  WRT athletes, memory foam toppers on a firm supportive bed would work, the memory foam would keep their muscles warm.

[stefanm]

How many people around the world sleep on the floor and what were our ancestors sleeping on before? We weren't born with beds and pillows, we made beds to make our life more comfortable however I think too much science in beds and running shoes hasn't made our lives any better. Sometimes it's best not to mess with what's been working for hundreds of thousands of years.

[akhilmind]

Kelly-you are awsome .just a quick tip .i did this test and yeah bed is hard but how do I fix this

[Brandon_N]

I just put my old foam mattress on top of my new one, & it’s way more comfortable now. I just feel like the new mattress is being wasted, but whatever.

[thegriffinpages]

Yep. Definitely need a pillowtop or something for my mattress.

[wisdometernal]

I TOTALLY need a new bed! But I'm a life long"side sleeper"-so technically aren't I ALWAYS out of neural spine position? Even on the most comfortable bed I can't sleep (or stay asleep) until I'm on my side

[KrisSays]

Also, what do you recommend regarding pillows? I have very bad neck pain which cause spasms. The best thing I could find was a "cervical pillow." It looks like a donut. Any other thoughts...

Anyone!? 4 years and still no help!

[wolfhoundjesse]

I first heard your proposal to try a softer bed on Tim's podcast, and the first thing I did was lay down and cross my ankles after a few minutes. I had no idea I was doing that!

Here's the thing, though—I sleep like a baby on my inexpensive memory foam mattress. I just crawled out of a very plush, soft bed in Williams AZ (hail Vacation!), and my lumbar spine is on fire. This generally happens with softer beds. I must be somewhere in the middle, or maybe the knockoff mattress does what it says it will do when my body heats it up.


Now I am going to dig around yours and Tim's sites to see if you mention anything about having two sleep cycles. I find that I do this naturally, and that if I fight it, I will actually stay up much longer. I use my waking period to read, write a little code, grab a casein shake, etc. Does anyone else do this?

[Myke_Juliet]

What about with 2 level lumbar fusion (L4-S1) AND 2 level cervical fusion (C5-C7)? It seems to be a balance game of what gets comfortable first, my neck or back. Leg tuck seems to help my hip flexors possibly from the fusion. Thanks KStar

[hkweasel]

Totally describes my bed. I use a couple pillows under my knees and under my head to get into a better position. Can I get away with this or do I need a mattress pad?

[nathanellison]

So if you have lumbar hip complex dysfunction, then a firmer bed should be better right?