Back Pain Upon Waking? That's How You Prevent It!

Back pain upon waking is one of the most annoying things you may encounter. We prefer to all jump out of bed cheerfully? That is why we asked 5 questions to sleep expert Pascal Mannekens how we can prevent that stiff back pain when we get up. He states in his book 'Rest for your back' (Lannoo) that the right bed and matching mattress can optimize your sleeping comfort.

1. How do you know first and foremost whether your back complaints come from your mattress?
A mattress can first of all be too hard, too soft or too old (a mattress lasts only 10 years). So if you wake up at night with low back pain or when you get up, it is possible that your mattress is no longer good. You can discover this with the help of the following 4 tips:

1. Put your mattress on the floor for a few days. That may sound strange, but that's how you come to know whether your bed base, for example, is not in need of renewal. If your mattress does not feel different, something will be wrong with your mattress. Also check your slatted base: the slats may not have sagged. In that sense, the Bridge slatted base technology is a good ergonomic tip: this innovative form of technical sleep ensures an automatic adjustment of the slatted base to your body.
2. Do you sleep with two mattresses as a couple? Then try out your partner's mattress to assess whether there is a difference with your own mattress.
3. If you have back pain when you wake up that disappears quickly after getting up - within a period of 10 to 15 minutes - something is wrong.
4. Finally, lie on your side and allow your partner to see to what extent your shoulder is sagging sufficiently, but to what extent your low back does not sag.

2. Can a bad mattress also give a tense neck and shoulders?
Anyway. You have the vertebral column in the center of the human body. During the day, muscles provide movement and correct postures. However, when you go to sleep, the muscle tension falls around those vertebrae. A bad bed will also distort your vertebrae column to an unnatural posture, putting all the structures of your back (ligaments for example) under tension. If you have a bad bed, you can wake up in pain during the night. Also, remember that your pillow must be attuned to your mattress and physique.

3. Is there a mattress for each person: what do you have to pay attention to in order to buy a new mattress?
Buy a mattress in combination with a bed base and pillow, because a sleep system simply consists of these three parts. The hardness of your mattress must be matched to your BMI. Preferably also buy 2 separate mattresses. Are you a larger person? Then also buy a large bed. In case of allergies and other respiratory complaints, it is better to sleep with a slatted base so that your mattress breathes better. Also, buy one that is softer at the height of the shoulders and adjustable in hardness at the level of the low back. Do not buy a mattress that has viscoelastic foam, because of the chance that your back sag is too big.

4. In addition to a mattress, your sleeping posture seems essential. What is a good sleeping position?
We all have our own preferred attitude, both during sleep and sleep. Sleeping is a dynamic fact and we change about 15 to 30 times of lying posture during the night. This is different for everyone. Sleeping in the prone position is the only possible posture of the neck vertebrae. The side is the most comfortable sleeping position. Finally, the final position is the most stable lying position.

5. Can a bed sometimes be completely wrong from a medical point of view?
A bed must above all be sufficiently attuned to your physique. If your bed is comfortable, you will fall asleep more quickly, sleep better and have less pain when you get up. A bed has, therefore, become more than a pet message a therapeutic tool.