It is not only the type of mattress that you sleep on at night that can cause pain and stiffness in the morning, but also the position you sleep in.
By making simple changes to your sleeping position you can take the strain off of your back, avoid aggravating a backache, or both.
First off, the absolute worst position you can sleep in is on your stomach.
I know there are a lot of stomach sleepers out there cringing right now, but by sleeping on your stomach at night you have no choice but to forcefully turn your head to one side or the other for hours at a time.
This position is extremely hard on your neck and can lead to tingling in the hands and fingers because of the increased stress on the nerves in your neck.
If at all possible, it is highly recommended that you sleep on a firm mattress in either a back or side position.
While sleeping on your back it is advised to place a pillow under your knees to help ease stress on your lower back.
In addition, the pillow under your neck should offer firm support to the normal curve in your neck.
There are several orthopedic pillows that offer great support to the neutral alignment of the neck.
If you are more comfortable sleeping on your side, it is recommended that you pull your legs up slightly towards your chest and place a small pillow between your knees.
This is especially important for women as their hips tend to be larger and the pillow helps to remove some of the extra stress on the low back.
A full length body pillow can also be used in this position.
If you think about it, we spend a lot of hours in our lifetime sleeping.
The position that you sleep in can and will affect how you feel over time.
Although initially difficult, small changes to your position will make a huge difference.