Our bodes require 7 to 8 hours of restful sleep every night. This is not just to give our mind and bodies a chance to rest, it is a critical part of the daily recuperation process our bodies need to survive. When it comes to our backs and posture, this rest is of vital importance to allow our spine to rejuvenate and decompress from the effects of gravity as we stand or sit upright 16 hours a day. Throughout the day, gravity is pushing down on us and compressing our spine which can cause permanent damage to our discs which protect our vertebrae. This compression can cause many back problems such as sciatic nerve problems. This compression of our discs needs to be reversed or we will very quickly become shorter and shorter and the discs between our vertebrae will burst or “herniate” which can not only cause unbearable pain but can completely debilitate us.
One way to counteract this spinal compression is via spinal decompression methods, but our sleep is also critical to this decompression process, and the way we sleep as well as the support of our body while we sleep is of utmost importance. If you sleep in a position or on a mattress that does not allow you to sleep while your entire body is properly supported, the decompression can become uneven, causing misalignment issues in your spine. This misalignment can become more and more pronounced as you age if you do not have the proper mattress that can properly support your body and therefore keeping the necessary alignment of our spine that is so important. Some of the best mattresses that will support your body in this way are the memory foam mattresses such as Tempurpedic or Sleep Number beds. These mattresses, conform to your body, giving it the support it needs, where it needs it, so that we can have a restful sleep while our body and spine rejuvenate and decompress without any concerns of misalignment. This can result back pain or sciatic nerve relief.