Do you want to know Are Air Mattresses Bad for Your Back or good for your back? In this guide, you’ll know the answer to this question.
Indeed, an air mattress can be a problem for your back. However, it all depends on the quality of the air mattress.
A good air mattress should have good padding, maintain the proper pressure throughout your sleep, and not give in to your weight.
If it can meet all those standards, you have a winner. Hybrid, Latex, and memory foam mattresses would need you to select the firmness levels, but an air mattress conveniently allows you to pick the suitable firmness.
But when it comes to padding, an air mattress is poorly equipped. Trapped air is a typical concern in an air mattress and could cause health problems.
What Causes Back Pain?
Back pain is one of the most typical health problems in the United States. An estimated eighty percent of individuals in the country experience back pain.
Also, back pain can be triggered by different things. Some of the most typical causes of back pain are:
- working too much on a computer
- sitting for long hours
- poor posture
- muscle strain or injury
- lifting heavy objects
- herniated discs
- arthritis
Other people may be genetically predisposed, leaving them at risk for lower back pain or lumbar spondylosis. Seniors are also prone to osteoporosis, which could trigger fractures in the spine.
Further, in other cases, back pain can be made worse or caused by amiss things when you are asleep.
As you can tell, the causes of back pain are massive. That’s why it’s crucial to know the various causes of back pain so you can get the right treatment from professionals and seek relief.
What Are the Possible Risks of Sleeping on an Air Mattress?
Air mattress is everyone’s favorite sleeping option when they’re out camping or have visitors over, but there are not enough beds.
However, can these mattresses become a long-term solution? Is it a smart idea to sleep on an air bed each night, or must you go for a conventional mattress? Below are the potential risks of sleeping on an air mattress for too long.
1. It’s Made up of Toxic Plastics
Many air mattresses today are made from PVC vinyl plastics. The volatile organic compounds from the plastic could give off toxic fumes even after the new mattress smell wears off.
Also, the plastics of such mattresses have phthalates. Such colorless, odorless liquids could accumulate in the bodies and interrupt hormonal function.
2. Changing Pumps Is Costly
You also need to regularly depend on external or built-in pumps to fill up the air mattress. If the pump is damaged, the repairs can be expensive, too.
3. Make sharing bed challenging
Are you sleeping with someone? Then air mattresses can be quite uncomfortable. It will also move each time your partner shifts in the bed.
That could also make sound sleep nearly impossible for the two people.
4. Low in Comfort
Air mattresses aren’t the most comfortable sleeping option. They can be uncomfortable as they can’t offer proper support.
On top of that, a good night’s sleep isn’t possible without a quality mattress. An awkward mattress will obstruct your sleep and lessen your productivity throughout the day.
5. Requires More Maintenance
Traditional mattresses don’t need much maintenance, but air mattresses require more looking after. The air mattress should be filled every few days. You should flip it over once in a few weeks for even wear and tear for a coil mattress.
What’s more, there’s always a possibility of the air mattress creating a hole. You should patch it up as soon as possible in such a case.
6. It Doesn’t Offer Body Support
An air mattress doesn’t give as much body support as a standard mattress. That only indicates that their bed doesn’t offer support for correct spine alignment throughout the night.
Also, incorrect spine alignment can result in discomfort, sore limbs, and back pain. You won’t have a good sleep and will wake up tired and in a bad mood.
7. Temperature Regulation
Air mattresses are synthetic materials that don’t breathe the way a cloth mattress does. That synthetic material makes it impossible for the body to disperse the heat that it produces throughout the night.
Thus, you’ll feel uncomfortable and sweaty through the night. In the winter months, the air inside could be uncomfortable and cold. It will help to cover the mattress with a few layers of cotton sheets in the summer months and a blanket in the winter to deal with that problem.
Related: Alternatives To Air Mattress
Can an air mattress be supportive of the body?
An air mattress is bad for the back. Remember that any mattress will back your back ache without understanding how to support your body.
Even with standard mattresses, it can cause the body to put pressure on various points and limit blood flow. Also, the body will sink towards the middle with a mattress that’s too soft, causing the back to move out of proper alignment.
If an air mattress is utilized long-term, it should have an adjustable firmness to offer the best support. It may be more challenging to get the proper amount of air in a simple air mattress, especially if you need a hand pump to blow it up.
On top of that, a higher-end air mattress would enable you to adjust the amount of air that enters, which adjusts the body’s amount of support. It will help if you have a topper of the mattress to go over it, especially if a long-term air mattress is used. That results in better relaxation and support.
If you are looking for a mattress that is good for your back you can try a futon mattress.
Final Thoughts
Therefore, are air mattresses bad for your back? Well, that’s a yes and no. An air mattress without support could have long-term impacts on the back, but a traditional mattress could also be said. It is all about sleeping ergonomics.
An air mattress with good support could be reasonable for more than a few nights on a camping trip. The main goal is to have a surface of sleep, which helps you sustain proper balance with the spine and the underlying ligaments and muscles.
You’ll also like the proper topper for the mattress and the capability to adjust the air in the mattress to meet your comfort needs.
