Your guide to picking the right mattress to avoid back pain

Sleep is essential, period. It affects our mood, performance, creativity level and health. A sound sleep of 7 to 8 hours is necessary for every individual. It rejuvenates us and helps to keep us going throughout the day. Several things can disturb your good night's sleep like stress, caffeine intake and alcohol consumption. Apart from this, your mattress can also be a culprit behind your poor sleep. Yes, your mattress!

We rarely pay attention while buying a mattress because honestly, all of them look the same. Little do we realise, poor choice of mattress can make you confront issues like backaches and poor sleep. If you also think that the reason for your sleepless night and back pain is your mattress then it's time to start looking for a new one.

Earlier doctors recommended hard mattresses to maintain good posture but a recent study revealed that medium-firm mattresses are more comfortable and are the best for quality sleep. However, every individual has different preferences. If you are already suffering from back issues then medium-firm mattress is a better choice as compared to the hard ones.

Not all mattress are the same and not all are perfect for everyone. The kind of mattress suitable for you varies as per your need and your health. Surprisingly we spend around one-third of our life sleeping, still, we never bother about the mattress we are sleeping on.

If your mattress does not support your spine nicely then you will generally suffer from back pain. Here are are a few things you should consider before buying a mattress for yourself.

Test your mattress: Rather than just strolling in the showroom, while picking the mattress, take a test. You won't know if your mattress is comfortable just by touching it. Lie down for a while and see if it is really comfortable.

The fabric should be breathable: If you live in a hot and humid area, then buy a mattress which is made up of breathable fabric. You will feel comfortable at night and will get sound sleep.

Check your sleeping position: Your sleeping position also plays a crucial role when it comes to your sleep. So, keep that in mind while buying a mattress.

Sometimes even your old mattress can give you back pain. This happens when the old mattress sags visibly in the middle. As per the National Sleep Foundation, you should change your mattress every 8 years. But if you are above the age of 40 then it is good to replace your mattress much before that, as your body may need more support.