Nearly 10 years ago, I started having back pain when I woke up in the morning. Some days I just felt sore, and other days I woke up with a sore lower back. I discovered that I have two permanent conditions in my spine. One is scoliosis, which is a sideways curvature of the spine that started in my mid-200s (usually develops in my teens, but I’m unique), and the other is spondylosis of the lower back. Abnormal wear and tear of the cartilage in the spine. Both caused severe pain throughout the night and in the morning, but my flimsy, unsupportive mattress turned out to be a secondary culprit. I didn’t get the support I needed and the pain returned.
I’ve tried everything from mattress pads, lap pillows, and mattresses ranging from super soft foam to hard planks. Some of these worked, some didn’t. I, or another WIRED reviewer, slept on each of the following mattresses for at least seven nights to see how they affected our back pain at night and in the morning. My husband also gave me feedback, even though he doesn’t suffer from chronic back problems.
After many nights of sleeping at work, I realized which mattresses I had used in the past that caused me back pain and pressure pain. Below, we’ve got some sleep tips for people with back pain, as well as some advice on how to survive back pain and sleep overall. While you’re here, don’t miss our related buying guides, including the best mattresses, best pillows, and best sheets, for the best overall sleep experience. All prices below are for queen size models.
Updated October 2024: Added Helix Twilight Luxe and Sealy Posturepedic Plus to this guide.
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