Which Mattress?

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harveyc

New member
Joined
Apr 25, 2020
Messages
2
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
05/2014
Country
UK
Hi everyone, this is my first post here.

Like a lot of you here I suffer terribly from Fibromyalgia, the pain and severe fatigue being awful.

I often wake up at night nearly screaming in pain and due to this I don't get much sleep at all. Maybe 3 hours proper sleep then I wake up
every half hour or so until morning.

I am about to buy a new mattress and wondered if you have any recommendations?

For some reason I don't fancy the memory foam ones but maybe I could change my mind!

Do I need a soft, hard, medium one?

Please share your experiences with mattresses as anything for a better nights sleep would be fantastic.

I'm in the UK

Thank you
 
Hi mate. I am in Australia. I have a Tempure mattress, soft. Adjustable bed to posture it to my needs, but also help get up in the morning, as I can get it to near vertical back. Just swing legs over to the floor.
Just swing.. Sure. You know what I mean.
Hubby has one too, as he has had a shoulder replacement. We find them good. You know I'm sure that even the best is subject to our days. Pain is so sneaky. Best regards.
 
sorry to hear about your poor sleep problem. I do not have Fibro myself my partner does though. I have a L5/S1 cartilage that has disintegrated so have almost constant back pain .
Originally I bought a firm orthopedic mattress on advice from Doctor and have never been able to get any sleep on it or any other firm mattress unless it was topped by another very soft mattress.

I used a 4" thick feather mattress topper for many years and managed to get some blissfull all night sleep at times. Recently I found a very cheap childs kingsize mattress to use as a topper and I cannot tell you what a relief that has been . I can finally sink into that soft mattress and go to sleep straightaway.

I have a suggestion for you . First I would recommend that you try sleeping on a sofa that has feather cushions. That will be about as soft a support you'll find anywhere. I sleep like a baby on our sofa. It should give you a very good idea whether a softer mattress might suit you without having to make an expensive purchase that might not suit. Alternatively try topping your existing mattress with pillows and see if things improve or not.

Secondly you might try sleeping occasionally in a reclining chair so that you are not completely flat . When I suffered with joint pain from chronic Arthritis it was the only way that I could get a few hours sleep a night.

I would advise against any type of memory foam topper if you suffer with over heating at night . Memory foam mattresses prevent the natural dissipation of body heat and you could find yourself getting over heated at night if you have type 2 Diabetes or suffer with hot flushes .
 
Thank you both for your very informative replies. Both give me a lot to look into. I am doing research into this via the internet but unfortunately due to the lock down I cant go into a shop to try any beds/mattresses.

jonnyXS, its interesting what you say about sleeping in a reclining chair. I've got one of those and recline and watch TV at night, 9 times out of ten I fall asleep in it ( not constant sleep but a series of sleeping then waking then sleeping again ) I often wake up in the small hours still in the chair!
 
my partner and I do too I think with us its old age lol ;)
I had a period of about 3 months where I suffered with joint pain at night times in my ankles wrists and one forearm . it was more of an ache than pain and it was impossible to sleep at night so I'd sit up in a reclining chair all night for 12 weeks snatching a few hours sleep a night if I was lucky.
I assumed that it was Arthritis but it could have been peripheral neuropathy from my T2 Diabetes . It felt like it was deep in my bones where no amount of rubbing , prodding ,poking or massage could reach.:mad:

In desperation I started taking my vitamin and mineral supplements on a regular basis again and just over a week later the aching stopped completely and I have very rarely had any reoccurance since then. !
I am naturally deficient in VitD3 and I can only assume that it is the 4000IU VitD3 and 475mg Magnesium and 10mg K2 that I take daily that is keeping the aches away . Several other T2 Diabetes sufferers say the same thing on the UK Diabetes forum .
 
Bearing in mind that I am very VERY OLD, this is the combo that works for me- I need support so that my long bone joints (hips, shoulders, pelvis- the joints that attach to my trunk, my greatest mass of weight) are not stressed by sagging OR stressed by being pulled by gravity into an unnaturally stressed or contorted position, SO what works FOR ME is a firm foam mattress on a solid board (no box spring) topped with a foam mattress topper at least 3” thick.
I slept FOR YEARS, even after being diagnosed, on an ultra firm mattress that was so hard that my aching limbs were on top of it and my joints were unsupported. I was also 100 pounds heavier than I am now, and although I would never claim that my weight alone was the cause of my fibro, it most definitely did not help. At the time, I was in a position in which I HAD to work, and I did. No matter how much pain, how little sleep, I worked.
Ultimately finding a comfortable mattress combo, which happened before I lost 100 pounds, absolutely helped me at that time to sleep more comfortably.
 
Hi everyone, this is my first post here.

Like a lot of you here I suffer terribly from Fibromyalgia, the pain and severe fatigue being awful.

I often wake up at night nearly screaming in pain and due to this I don't get much sleep at all. Maybe 3 hours proper sleep then I wake up
every half hour or so until morning.

I am about to buy a new mattress and wondered if you have any recommendations?

For some reason I don't fancy the memory foam ones but maybe I could change my mind!

Do I need a soft, hard, medium one?

Please share your experiences with mattresses as anything for a better nights sleep would be fantastic.

I'm in the UK

Thank you
Air mattress on top of mattress works great for me! Most inexpensive option, too.
 
Air mattress on top of mattress works great for me! Most inexpensive option, too.
I loved using an air mattress but in the long run, a 3” foam mattress topper lasted much longer, so for me, was much less expensive. Glad that you found something that works for you!
 
Hi everyone, this is my first post here.

Like a lot of you here I suffer terribly from Fibromyalgia, the pain and severe fatigue being awful.

I often wake up at night nearly screaming in pain and due to this I don't get much sleep at all. Maybe 3 hours proper sleep then I wake up
every half hour or so until morning.

I am about to buy a new mattress and wondered if you have any recommendations?

For some reason I don't fancy the memory foam ones but maybe I could change my mind!

Do I need a soft, hard, medium one?

Please share your experiences with mattresses as anything for a better nights sleep would be fantastic.

I'm in the UK

Thank you

Hello, I can tell you that I am always searching for the best mattress. I noticed your headline and that's why I opened your post. :)

My sister in law has really bad rheumatoid arthritis so she bought the memory foam mattress but said she paid a lot for this new bed. You can adjust the back to sit up or lay down but I don't think I would spend the money on this feature unless you like to read in bed.

I have always bought the Sealy Posturepedic mattress and have tried them out in the store before ordering. I like the pillow top and have bought firm in the past. Now I am thinking that the next one will have a plush pillow top with that extra foam.

I once stayed in a Westin Hotel in Calgary where they advertised the "heavenly bed" and they were right. At checkout I asked about the mattress and was told that it was a Beautyrest, Hotel collection. The box spring and mattress together were pretty high off the floor. After that I researched and found a black label Hotel Collection Beautyrest in stores. So I still need to buy one but I too am looking for a recommendation. I wish I could find that commercial grade bed I slept in at the Westin. Some stores allow you to try out the mattress but I can't see myself returning a mattress after 30 days?

Best of luck to you!
 
sorry to hear about your poor sleep problem. I do not have Fibro myself my partner does though. I have a L5/S1 cartilage that has disintegrated so have almost constant back pain .
Originally I bought a firm orthopedic mattress on advice from Doctor and have never been able to get any sleep on it or any other firm mattress unless it was topped by another very soft mattress.

I used a 4" thick feather mattress topper for many years and managed to get some blissfull all night sleep at times. Recently I found a very cheap childs kingsize mattress to use as a topper and I cannot tell you what a relief that has been . I can finally sink into that soft mattress and go to sleep straightaway.

I have a suggestion for you . First I would recommend that you try sleeping on a sofa that has feather cushions. That will be about as soft a support you'll find anywhere. I sleep like a baby on our sofa. It should give you a very good idea whether a softer mattress might suit you without having to make an expensive purchase that might not suit. Alternatively try topping your existing mattress with pillows and see if things improve or not.

Secondly you might try sleeping occasionally in a reclining chair so that you are not completely flat . When I suffered with joint pain from chronic Arthritis it was the only way that I could get a few hours sleep a night.

I would advise against any type of memory foam topper if you suffer with over heating at night . Memory foam mattresses prevent the natural dissipation of body heat and you could find yourself getting over heated at night if you have type 2 Diabetes or suffer with hot flushes .
L
 
I’ve tried many mattresses over the years - feather bed, foam topper, Tempur-pedic, and more. I’ve finally settled on a sleep number bed. I no longer wake up in the middle of the night crying in pain. They are expensive, but can you put a price on sleep?
 
There's no one mattress that will suit everyone. Unfortunately it is a case of trial and error to find what works for you, so don't buy one unless you are allowed to return it if it doesn't work out.
 
Hi - just posted similarly re. pain in upper back, hope that's OK:
I need a hard mattress for my back, but since I can't tolerate my straw mattress anymore since my FMS I put a thin cotton topping over it, which helped my pain at night, but made the upper back ache again. Now I have a small hard cushion under my upper back (with spelt in it), which I've put in with my small pillow. Whenever necessary I place it under the pain area(s) there, which relieves it/them after about 5-10 mins.
 
For me... it has to be soft and no foam due to menopause heat. Latex is great but so expensive.
.
I'm a side sleeper and find that a firm mattress hurts my joints.

I use the lightest weight duvet i can find.

Aside from that.. 5htp or L-tryptophan!
 
I'm just taking a 'sleep break' 'cos of stabs of pain in one toe, then in my left head and a few other places, feels like a nerve....
Cooling it by taking my (3 pairs of) socks off, which isn't good for other reasons, but helping soothe.
Solving the mattress (and pillow) problem wasn't that hard, and had great effect on pain at night.
Not being able to tolerate clinic-mattresses, I tried my camping pad as I always used to be able to sleep on: not any more, of course, pains all over. So my wife brought me a 3'' foldable mattress, which now works well, sleeping next to the bed.

Neither 5HTP nor L-Tryptophan nor progesterone nor herbs (valeria, passioflora, lavender) helped me,
Amitriptyline helped for a few months, now it's just as good without, thankfully.
(Lavender and stone pine aroma only sometimes help a little bit)

Non-transparent blinds and good ear plugs help cut down outside influences.
In the clinic next to snorers I need noise reducing headphones too... At home I change the room.
I used to love and even need sleeping next to my wife, now I often can't tolerate body contact for longer than half an hour,
probably because I try not to move, but feel the urge to, whether to alleviate pain or just 'some urge'.
My laptop is on night shift mode from 6pm to 9am, now at the darkest.
When my nose closes up I get up 10mins. or cold shower or lie on my back (with head to one side) or use a nose strip,
(not too long because of allergical reaction on the skin by the glue)
My most frequent problem is having to go to the bathroom 4-7 times a night. I'd got it better a while by drinking my main lot earlier,
but at the moment it's stronger again. Dry mouth or thirst at night isn't helping, altho I only try to nip.

OK, I'll try to lie down again now. Not more or less tired than half an hour ago, but the stabs have stopped at last... G'Night... o_O
 
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