How do I find the right mattress for fibromyalgia?
Think about your sleeping position
Varying sleeping preferences require a different mattress firmness, significantly affecting people with fibromyalgia. Ensuring you sleep on the proper mattress tension can help with chronic pain, supplying full body support to encourage pressure relief. Firstly, we recommend you speak to a health professional or GP to better understand the appropriate sleeping solution for you. We also describe what sleeping positions are best for each mattress tension below.
Side sleepers
If you prefer to sleep on your side, we recommend opting for a medium or softer mattress firmness. A mattress on the softer end of the spectrum can adequately promote healthy spinal alignment by providing cushioning for pressure points such as the shoulders and hips. Sleeping on a bed too firm for this preferred sleeping position can worsen joint pain as your body is not sufficiently supported.
Back and stomach sleepers
Because back or stomach sleepers require a flat surface that doesn't conform to their body contours, we recommend a firmer or extra firm mattress for these preferred sleep positions. Stomach sleepers naturally strain their lower backs by sleeping in this style. However, a firm mattress tension will best support proper spinal alignment if you cannot stray away from this position. Suppose widespread pain is one of your main symptoms, and you prefer to sleep in these positions. In that case, an orthopedic mattress may be one of the best mattresses for fibromyalgia.
Combination sleepers
Do you sleep in a variety of sleeping positions throughout the night? If you often find yourself waking on your back, front or side, a medium firm mattress is best designed for how you sleep. The mattress surface will be neither firm nor soft to provide ample support and promote healthy spinal alignment throughout the night.
Try out mattress options in-store
It's hard to know the best mattress for you when ordering online. We advise you to pop into your local Mattressman or bed store to discover the type most appropriate for you and your symptoms. Below, we describe some of our most popular mattress options, many of which can relieve specific fibromyalgia symptoms.
What are the best mattress types for fibromyalgia?
Sprung mattresses
There are two types of sprung sleeping solutions: a pocket spring or an innerspring mattress. Pocket sprung beds are made up of individually wrapped coils in their fabric pockets and move independently. This allows the mattress to provide total body support, mould to the contours of your body and ensure healthy spine alignment. This supportive mattress has optimum pressure relief because you can find an option in every mattress's firmness.
An innerspring mattress, also known as an open coil mattress, is made from a continuous coil that forms the entire spring cage. Because it doesn't comprise hundreds of individual springs, open coil mattresses are typically cheaper than their pocket sprung counterparts. They usually offer firmer or extra firm mattress support. However, they are available in a range of firmnesses. The springs can sometimes cause 'roll-together' after years of usage, which results in the centre of the mattress dipping in the middle. Therefore, if you share a bed with a partner, you may opt for a pocket sprung mattress instead.
Memory foam mattresses
One of the most popular types, a memory foam mattress is known for its body-moulding comfort and pressure relief. This is the perfect mattress for those who aren't hot sleepers because memory foam has limited breathability and strong heat retention. With this being said, memory foam absorbs impact and generally makes for a very comfortable mattress. Because memory foam has a closed cell structure, it is an effective hypoallergenic mattress as dust mites can't pass through and build up. Therefore, this is one of the best mattresses for those who suffer from dust mite allergies.
Hybrid mattress options
Hybrid mattresses combine two types of mattresses: a sprung element and a comfort layer such as memory foam, latex or gel foam. The comfort layer can be seen like a mattress topper, providing sumptuous comfort whilst receiving brilliant support from the spring system. Choosing a gel foam, latex foam, or memory foam top layer depends on whether you get too hot or cold throughout the night. This is something we delve into a bit further below.
Other types of mattresses
Other popular options include a quality latex mattress or gel foam mattress. Latex is an entirely natural material transformed into a bouncy foam-like sleeping surface. It's often compared to memory foam but is much more breathable and temperature-regulating. The same can be said for our gel foam range, where memory foam has been engineered to keep you cool and provide optimum pressure relief throughout the night.
Mattresses for each symptom of fibromyalgia
Widespread pain
A common symptom of fibromyalgia is widespread pain, whether it's aching, a burning sensation or throbbing pains. We recommend finding a mattress designed for your preferred sleeping position, as described above. You may choose a bed incorporating cooling sleep technology if your pain feels burning. Some of our favourites include Geltex or gel-infused memory foam.
Stiffness
Your current mattress could be contributing to worsening this symptom, as the mattress's firmness may be too soft or firm for you, decreasing your sleep quality. Whilst you may be unable to eradicate this symptom completely, finding a suitable mattress for your preferred sleeping style can help you achieve better sleep.
Fatigue
Extreme fatigue can make you feel completely drained of energy, and you may feel too tired to do anything. Due to this, you must find a mattress that you find comfortable. This could be choosing a mattress that will relieve pressure points and is designed for your preferred sleep position. You can achieve better quality sleep when you strike the perfect balance between things you find comfortable.
Feeling too hot or cold
Whether cold or hot sleepers can prevent a good night's sleep. A common symptom is not being able to regulate your temperature well. Therefore the best mattress for fibromyalgia and this symptom would be one with cooling or warming properties. We recommend our latex or gel foam range for a cooling bed that includes Geltex or gel-infused memory foam. Memory foam is known for its intense heat retention qualities if you feel colder throughout the night.