for years, there was a painful muscle knot in my upper back and it wouldn't go away. now i know it was caused by sleeping on a mattress that is too soft. TOO SOFT ???!!! i know ... SHOCKING !!! how is that even possible ???!!! ... just hear me out !!!! every morning, i'd wake up feeling tense and sometimes had to stretch for hours just to gain some relief.
one day, while i was stretching on my yoga mat, i noticed that lying on the hard floor felt very relaxing. i thought "ok, one of these days, i am gonna sleep on the floor to see if i feel better in the morning " ... but it was very difficult to even try, because who wants to leave a fluffy mattress for the hard floor !? the conventional "wisdom" says that if you sleep on a hard surface, you will wake up sore. so i was hesitant ... but being desperate to feel better, i took the leap one night and slept on the floor (putting my 2-inch mattress topper against the hard floor as base) and it immediately felt better !
when i woke up, my muscles were not tense and sore; felt like i discovered something BIG ! i mean, basic assumption about mattresses is that the softer it is then the better it is. turns out, that is not always true ! did a quick search online and read that a firm surface provides the bones with more resistance and support, which allows the muscles to relax — they don't have to work as hard to hold your weight. i thought " O M G ! that makes sense ! ! ! " why was i forcing myself to sleep on a soft mattress ???!!! i guess i was just following what everyone has been doing, without ever thinking that it may not work for me !
note: sleeping on a very soft mattress can throw the spine out of alignment, which is what was happening to me. also, it takes some time to adjust to a mattress' firmness. in addition, certain nutritional deficiencies can contribute to muscle fatigue and soreness.
most importantly, this experience taught me a good lesson, which is: in order to find a solution that actually works, explore ALL possibilities and be ready to let go of things—no matter how big and soft—and have enough courage and curiosity to try new things even if it seems strange and unusual.
this doesn't mean that everyone should switch to sleeping on a harder surface—no ! every body is different and has different needs. i am not an expert and this is not advice ! the point is that it's okay to question, research and test theories about everyday aspects of life. i was tossing and turning for YEARS, trying to figure out a comfortable sleep position, never even imagining that a soft mattress can be a problem.
so ... softer isn't always better !
a soft mattress can actually create unnecessary pain and suffering.
currently, i sleep on a bed that is adjusted just for me: a simple & plain bed frame with added wood panels (which makes a flat & firm support), topped it with a 2-inch mattress topper. so far, this works well for my needs.
© 2021 simon benjamin
one day, while i was stretching on my yoga mat, i noticed that lying on the hard floor felt very relaxing. i thought "ok, one of these days, i am gonna sleep on the floor to see if i feel better in the morning " ... but it was very difficult to even try, because who wants to leave a fluffy mattress for the hard floor !? the conventional "wisdom" says that if you sleep on a hard surface, you will wake up sore. so i was hesitant ... but being desperate to feel better, i took the leap one night and slept on the floor (putting my 2-inch mattress topper against the hard floor as base) and it immediately felt better !
when i woke up, my muscles were not tense and sore; felt like i discovered something BIG ! i mean, basic assumption about mattresses is that the softer it is then the better it is. turns out, that is not always true ! did a quick search online and read that a firm surface provides the bones with more resistance and support, which allows the muscles to relax — they don't have to work as hard to hold your weight. i thought " O M G ! that makes sense ! ! ! " why was i forcing myself to sleep on a soft mattress ???!!! i guess i was just following what everyone has been doing, without ever thinking that it may not work for me !
note: sleeping on a very soft mattress can throw the spine out of alignment, which is what was happening to me. also, it takes some time to adjust to a mattress' firmness. in addition, certain nutritional deficiencies can contribute to muscle fatigue and soreness.
most importantly, this experience taught me a good lesson, which is: in order to find a solution that actually works, explore ALL possibilities and be ready to let go of things—no matter how big and soft—and have enough courage and curiosity to try new things even if it seems strange and unusual.
this doesn't mean that everyone should switch to sleeping on a harder surface—no ! every body is different and has different needs. i am not an expert and this is not advice ! the point is that it's okay to question, research and test theories about everyday aspects of life. i was tossing and turning for YEARS, trying to figure out a comfortable sleep position, never even imagining that a soft mattress can be a problem.
so ... softer isn't always better !
a soft mattress can actually create unnecessary pain and suffering.
currently, i sleep on a bed that is adjusted just for me: a simple & plain bed frame with added wood panels (which makes a flat & firm support), topped it with a 2-inch mattress topper. so far, this works well for my needs.
© 2021 simon benjamin