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Body
Alignment Benefits
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For instance, men and women are proportioned very differently - especially
in the hip area. A super firm mattress will end up elevating a women's hip
area in sleep if she has a wider pelvis or if she has a little extra
physical cushioning. A firm inner spring mattress, with no give, will
therefore push the pelvis up if she sleeps on her side or on her
back.
This means that her lower back will certainly be out of proper alignment
with her spine offering no relief from any back conditions or sleep
problems she may be suffering. This is especially true of women with
narrow shoulders and wider hips who aren't particularly heavy. They may
not have the hefty upper body weight it takes to correctly depress the
shoulder area of a firm inner spring or traditional mattress and this
misalignment will stress the spine. Likewise, if you are a side sleeper
with wide shoulders and slim hips you will suffer from the same problem,
only instead of lower back issues, you will probably have problems with
shoulder compression. With a memory foam mattress, many of these issues
are eliminated. Visco elastic memory foam is specifically designed to
conform to the shape of your body, so if you are a woman with wide hips, a
man with wide shoulders or a person with differed proportions, the
mattress will conform to those parts of your body and will also support
your shoulders and back so that you can get healthy sleep in proper
alignment.
Side sleepers have notorious back alignment problems. One limb and
shoulder is under the weight of the body while the other is free hanging.
Much of the body's weight is resting on the hip joints which can lead to a
misalignment of the spine and side sleepers tend to oddly twist their
spine as their body leans forward or backward. On a super firm mattress
this is only amplified because there is no pressure relief. If you do
sleep on a firm mattress and you like to side sleep, back specialists will
recommend that you sleep with a body pillow so that your free arm has a
surface on which to rest and to put between your knees to elevate some of
the pressure and misalignment of your hips. They may also recommend a
memory foam mattress or memory foam mattress topper because this will also
redistribute the pressure from your hips and shoulder and knees to the
whole body which is far better for you. Additionally, on a memory foam
mattress, the lean of your body as a side sleeper will be less pronounced
and this will help your spine stay properly aligned in sleep.
Another example of people who will suffer extreme discomfort from super
firm inner spring mattresses is anyone with chronic hip problems like
arthritis or people who have just had lower back surgery or hip
replacement surgery. People in a low back or hip post-operative condition
have to lie flat on their back for a long time to heal properly and if
they are on a super firm mattress it can actually cause more harm than
good. This is because a traditional mattress will force their lower body
to be slightly elevated which throws off the lumbar spinal alignment.
Again, a memory foam mattress will relieve this kind of misalignment.
Additionally, memory foam has been widely used in hospitals and
rehabilitation centers across the country for recovery from debilitating
injuries, major surgeries and for long term care because it prevents any
bed sores or other problems among people who must stay in one position for
a long time to heal.
Another interesting facet of sleep mechanics is the height and weight
distribution of you and your partner and how you affect each other in the
bed. On a traditional mattress, if you are a small or light weight female
and you are married to a very large and heavy man, your body will
constantly be tipped towards them and will have to adjust whenever they
move or shift. This does not create a very restful environment to your
body, nor does it create an environment conducive to proper spinal and
body alignment. If you sleep on a memory foam mattress, what your partner
does is completely independent of you and your sleep position. Memory foam
isolates individuals on either side of the bed and protects you from being
jostled as your loved one tosses and turns, adjusts or gets up frequently
in the night. You also won't roll into them as they create a deeper
impression in the mattress.
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