If you regularly wake up with lower back pain, your current bed might be to blame.

A mattress that is too soft, too firm, or has exceeded its life cycle can put extra pressure on your muscles, ligaments, and joints because it isn’t giving your body the support it needs.

If you’re sleeping on the wrong mattress, you may experience:

• Shoulder, neck, or back pain
• Muscle strain
• Headaches
• Pressure points
• Poor sleep quality
• Next-day fatigue

The right mattress can help relieve strain and discomfort, more likely to lead to restful nights and happier mornings. To help you find the comfortable sleep you’ve been searching for, we’ve compiled our list of the best mattresses to help ease back pain symptoms.

Logan & Cove – Best Overall

Why It’s Great for Back Pain

Logan & Cove is our top choice for back pain sufferers because it balances targeted lumbar support with gentle pressure-point relief.

Poor spinal alignment can happen when one part of the body sinks too far into the mattress. Logan & Cove’s individually wrapped pocketed coils are reinforced in the centre of the bed, providing additional support where you need it most—under the hips and stomach. To minimize the formation of painful pressure points, the hybrid design also features layers of cushioning support and cooling gel foam for added comfort.

Logan & Cove is available in the 12″ Choice model or 13.5″ Frontier. Frontier is perfect for Back Pain sufferers with additional pressure point relief. Logan & Cove offers an incredible 365-night risk-free sleep trial, so you have plenty of time to determine whether it’s right for you.

Recommended for: 

• Side, back, and stomach sleepers: The hybrid design comfortably supports all sleep styles with its medium-firm feel.
• People who prefer a taller bed: Logan & Cove Frontier is 13.5” high and has five individual layers.
• People who tend to sleep hot: Multiple layers of cooling foams and the coil support layer allow for excellent air circulation and heat dissipation.
• Anyone wanting a luxury mattress without the luxury price tag: Logan & Cove starts at only $799 CAD.
• Delicate sleepers: Logan & Cove’s individually pocketed coils absorb movement to minimize motion transfer.

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Get a FREE Bedding Bundle, 50% off all Duvets, 20% off Adjustable Bases, and up to 70% off all bedding with mattress purchase.
Sale ends December 26th. See website for details >

Douglas – Best Value

Why It’s Great for Back Pain

Foam mattresses are a great option for back pain sufferers because they offer an excellent balance of cushioning and support. Douglas has three layers of high-quality foam that gently cradle and support the shoulders, hips, back, and neck. The transition and support layers also minimize sinkage, which can help reduce muscle strain over the course of the night.

Douglas is a medium-firm mattress, a firmness that is commonly recommended for people experiencing back pain symptoms. This firmness assists with spinal alignment, especially for heavyweight sleepers who tend to sink deeper than lightweight sleepers into softer mattresses.

Recommended for:

• All sleep positions: Medium-firm mattresses are comfortable for side, back, and stomach sleepers.
• People who sleep hot: Douglas has a cooling gel foam layer that moves heat away from the body, unlike many traditional foam mattresses, which tend to trap heat.
• Budget shoppers: Douglas starts at only $599 CAD.
• Sleepers who experience pressure points: The three foam layers gently mould to the body, providing comforting relief for muscles and joints.
• Couples: Douglas receives excellent marks for motion isolation, making it excellent for minimizing sleep disturbances.

BOXING DAY SALE!
Buy any Douglas mattress today and get a FREE Comfort Sleep Bundle, 50% OFF all Duvets, 20% OFF Adjustable Beds, and up to 70% OFF all bedding!
Sale ends December 26th. See website for details >

Octave – Premium Memory Foam

Why It’s Great for Back Pain

Octave uses high-density memory foam, which has the highest user satisfaction rating of any mattress type.* Octave’s ultra-premium support layer is divided into five zones which evenly distribute weight across the sleep surface and reduce pressure points for a comfortable sleep experience.

Like most mattresses on the list, Octave allows customers 365 nights to try the mattress at home.

Recommended for: 

• All sleep positions: Medium-firm mattresses are comfortable for side, back, and stomach sleepers.
• People who tend to sleep hot: Cooling foam layers, air channels, and a cooling nanofibre top cover result in advanced air ventilation for rapid heat dissipation.
• People who experience pressure points: Memory foam can help reduce the formation of pressure points.

* Source: Sleep Like the Dead

BOXING DAY SALE!
Get a FREE Bedding Bundle, 50% off all Duvets, 20% off Adjustable Bases, and up to 70% off all bedding with mattress purchase.
Sale ends December 26th. See website for details >

While back pain can result from movement, aging, or other health-related issues, the bed you are sleeping on may not be helping you achieve a proper sleep posture.

Maintaining appropriate spinal alignment in bed will allow your muscles and ligaments to relax and recover while your body is at rest. If you go to bed feeling good but wake up in pain, there is a chance that your mattress isn’t providing the support you need.

How Mattresses Can Cause Back Pain

• Inadequate support can result in areas of the body sinking too far into the mattress, placing excess pressure on the spine.
• Mattresses that are too firm can sometimes lead to the formation of pressure points, especially at the neck, shoulders, and hips.

The Ideal Firmness for Reducing Back Pain

Medium-firm mattresses have the right balance of sink and support that will appeal to the widest range of body types. If you are experiencing back pain and you’re unsure about what firmness to choose, medium-firm is the best place to start your search.

Medium-firm mattresses:

• Have minimal sink
• Contour to the body
• Are suitable for all sleep styles

Zoned Support for Spinal Alignment  

A good mattress responds to the curves and contours of your body. The central third, or middle of the mattress, is where most of your weight rests while you sleep. Having added stability in this area will help reduce sinkage and improve your overall sleep posture. Mattresses with reinforced support in the middle of the bed can help prevent the hips and lower back from sinking too far into the surface of the mattress.

Foam or Spring? 

Whether you choose a foam or an innerspring mattress will likely come down to personal preference.

Why We Love Foam Mattresses:

• Foam provides excellent pressure relief by contouring to the curves of the body.
• Foam’s superior motion isolation greatly reduces sleep disturbances.
• High-density foam is incredibly durable and supportive.

Why We Love Hybrid & Spring Mattresses:

• Reinforced coils give hybrid and spring mattresses superior edge support over foam mattresses.
• The bouncier sleep surface will keep you from feeling like you are stuck in the bed.
• Additional air-channels from innerspring support cores allow for heat regulation and additional airflow in the mattress.

Improving Your Entire Sleep Environment 

Your mattress is only one part of the sleep equation. Proper neck support from the right pillow is also important in achieving spinal alignment. An adjustable memory foam pillow is a quick and affordable way to improve your sleep posture because it allows you to modify the pillow height to suit your body and sleep style.

Want to kick it up a notch? Consider investing in an adjustable bed. Designed with back pain sufferers in mind, the Douglas Adjustable Bed* has a Zero-G function that automatically shifts the bedframe into the “neutral body posture” with one press of a button. Neutral body posture is the position that NASA scientists first identified as the optimal posture for reducing pressure on the spine.

*The adjustable bed base is compatible with all GoodMorning.com mattresses 

Make Sure Your Mattress Is Right for You

The best way to know if a mattress is a good match for your back is sleep on it. Purchasing a mattress with a home sleep trial will give you adequate time to test your new bed and see how your body responds.

It generally takes at least 30 days for a new mattress to settle and adjust to your body. Give yourself time to experience your new bed before you make up your mind. All of the mattresses recommended in this article come with a lengthy sleep trial. 

Medical Disclaimer

Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.