I have chronic lower/mid back problems due to degenerative disc disease.

I also sleep on my stomach, which is bad for people with back problems, but I can't help it.

I am looking for a king mattress that will be good for my back pain and will either...

1) allow me to sleep on my stomach and help with my back
2) make me comfortable enough to fall asleep on my back while giving me some support

THere are a lot of choices out there...

1) Traditional mattress (firm, soft, or pillow top)
2) Swedish Tempur-pedic mattress
3) Craftmatic adjustable bed
4) Air matress (Select Comfort or Comforaire)
5) Latex mattresses

Does anyone have any personal experience similar to mine that found a good solution. Cost really isn't an issue, so if I need to spend big $$$$ on a mattress, I will.

Thanks!

i have the cure! sleep in your million dollar 914!

I have been using a pillow top now for 4 years. Our guest room has a pillow top bed also. Both beds kick ass for comfort. The draw backs... you have to fluff the pillow top every 3 months or so. It ends up having "body prints" in it. Flip it over.


B

Hey,
I dont know what it was called..but I can find out. I spent the night at a friends house recently and he had a matress that molded to your body when you laid down on it. He said it was like sand. That might be the one for you...

when you fin d and answer. Let me know have the same problem
John
PS your check is in the mail

Try a hammock.


J/K. SelectComfort all the way man. I love ours. With a nice pillow top, very comfy. 55 is my number, just in case you were wondering.

SWINCOMFYVILLE

There is a hotel if you get to New York , slips my memory,that will supply you with any and every matteress and pillow setup made. And when you find the one you can sleep with they will ship it to your palatial estate, you do have to purchase.
CCLINZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

We have a sleep numbers bed. You can adjust the
firmness for each side. Its great, the wife likes a
veryf firm bed and of course I don't, the softer the
better. We have had this bed for a year now and I
think it was money well spent. Best part is when my
back bothers me I just adjust the firmness with a
touch of a button. We also have a pillow top option.
Good luck, back problems SUCK!

- Garold

I have the same problems but caused by working in construction too long. Bought a Simmons Firm Double mattress that lets me sleep about 6-7 hrs before I have to get up. Can't stand sleeping on a king mattress, too much damn room.
I used to have a futon for 5 years that wasn't too bad either.

Geoff

See... my wife bitches that I'm always on the computer... and lookey here... 8 answers in an hour.

Keep the feedback coming.

Thanks guys!

Qarl

Select comfort. We got a very expensive pillow top and hated it.

I like a FIRM mattress, my wife likes a softer mattress. This is working for us.

Question: Are any of you with the air beds (number selector beds) stomach sleepers?

Qarl, better here than the porno place she caught you lookin at last week!

I save some of the "better" avatars on my PC. Thanks Zois!

Anyways, I was trying to show her some pictures on the computer the other day, and I had my computer in "thumbnail" mode and there were 5 or 6 pictures of jiggling boobies going on th screen. Oops!

I received "the look" from her.

Start out on my back...end up on my gut. Gotta have my pillow over my head so my spine is straight. Works for me.

Okay, and I drool a bit when I'm on my stomach. There I've said. I'm a drooler.

Good night!


Hey Qarl (I Qoined the Q I think...funny to still see it used) If you use me as a SelectComfort reference I get 25 bucks.

Simmons Beautyrest "Mc Calister" It's called mc calister at one place, the "exceptionale" at another. Pretty much the top end one. It's a pillow top, but only on one side. Two sided pillow tops lead to that bouncy feeling whenever you get on the bed, and feel like you'll roll off if you're sitting or sleeping towards the edge. You never have to flip, rotate, or any of that other nonsense. Built with a "foundation" on one side of the mattress, and pillow top on the other. The pillow top is made of memory foam material. I HIGHLY recommend it. Recently moved in with BF, and I never even feel it when he gets out of bed. Individually wrapped coils.

Jen

Hi Karl,
I can relate to your problem. High School football and 5 years in a warehouse just about did me in. I got hurt in a warehouse job lifting heavy stuff. Had to be taken away in an ambulance. Scary time. I went to THE back Dr. in So. Cal. and told him to weld my back together, I couldn't take it anymore. After he calmed me down he subscribed excercises that have worked for me for the past 30 years. Essencially any exercise that strengthens your abdominals and back muscles is very good. Have you seen a Physical Therapist? I fly a 747 for a living and sometimes sit for 14 hours at a time. A pillow for the lower back works great. You need lower lumbar support when sitting. The exercises work! You have to keep at it religiously. There was a time when I would get a twinge in my back and I would be out for 3 days. Now the pain goes away in a matter of seconds. Most people I have talked with recomend a firm mattress which is what I use. Good luck and as usual be sure to consult a Dr. first.
Cheers, Elliot

Yes... I see a orthopedic surgeon regarding my back. I did PT for a while too. I need to get back on the stretching exercises. I am bad about that.

I do massages sometimes. My masseus is blind, which is sort of interesting. She can really "see" what's happening with me just by her hands.

I do keep a pillow behind me in my compute chair.

My big problem is... sleeping on my stomach and watching TV in bed with a pillow propped up behind my neck, and sitting for a long period of time at my computer at work.

I am hoping that the by getting some help for my back at night, I can relieve 50% of the problem.

Also, there is no "cure" for degenerative disc disease. It will slowly go away with time. Surgery is a last resort.

This weekend I worked on the car parts, but didn't lift anything. I did, however, spend a good amount of time bent over glueing vinyl to the dash, and when I finally stood up, my back was almost woudln't straighten out. I think that pushed me over the edge.

The last 2 days have been almost unbearable. I was in so much pain yesterday, I was totally nauseous and felt like I was going to pass out. It took 3 ibuprofens just so I could sit in a chair. This evening is just as bad, and I had to whip out the darvocet.

Do the damn exercises!!! Orthopedic Drs. are fine just don''t let them cut on you except as a last resort.
I fly to Asia alot and if you get a massage at the hotel chances are good the person doing the massage will be blind.
Cheers, Elliot

http://www.millbrookbeds.co.uk/

I had my back operated on 15 years ago and it's never been right, but you will absolutely have to stop sleeping on your stomach if you want to feel better.

Good sleep posture is more important that what bed you have.

Best in on your side with a soft pillow between your knees but you have to make sure your shoulders are parralel with your hips, next is on your back with pillow under your knees.

I have a top of the line serta and it is pretty good. I had a simmons backcare mattress before that and it was great but after 10 years it pretty much broke down.
You should turn and flip yor mattress every month.

We just got the Select Comfort (sleep number / air type) at Christmas; so far so good. I have never had many sleep difficulties -- actually I sleep like a log usually -- but Liz has back & neck nerve issues and our old worn out conventional mattress was unbearable.

I can tell you what worked for me....back pain for years...


We had a 15 year old firm mattress....tried one of the tempur-pedic pillows...

The next morning, pain gone....next week pain still gone...they have a 30 day try it program...if you don't like it, take it back...

Then got the mattress....expensive, but since it should last 15 years....not too bad. I like it.

That said, they have a 30 day trial on the mattress also...although who is going to schlep a mattress back to the store...

While the mattress is good, the pillow made the difference for me.
I also have to sleep on my back, if I flop over, much pain....

Hope it helps., herb

Yep, I'm a belly sleeper, there I said it!
I do have back pain from time to time but not
from the problem you described. I really like
the Select Comfort bed kind of a pain to move
if / when the wife desides to change the bedroom
around.

- Garold

I have occasional back pain, mostly from being too fat and out-of-shape. Wife and I got a Select Comfort about 3 years ago. It made a major difference for both of us, better sleeping, less pain/discomfort, even cut my snoring down a bit. Side sleeper, occasionally on my back, but that increases my snoring. Instead of the pillow-top, we just got a foam pad from Penny's, rotate it a couple times a year, and throw it out when it starts to go. Considered the memory foam pads, but haven't tried one yet.
Harvey

Try taking 3 ibuprofens every morning, just to be able to get ready for 8 hours of sitting in front of a computer.

Yeah, back problems suck. Especially when working on small cars. All the bending over, fitting into cramped spots. It turns what would otherwise be a pleasant, joyful activity into an excruciatingly painful experience. It's the main reason I haven't worked on my Ghia in over 6 months.

I've spent $3000 on mattresses in the past 3 years. I don't sleep on my belly (unless I have a cold - it's the only way I can breathe). I sleep on my side, my back, my other side, etc. When I can sleep.
None of it does any good for me. Though, I guess the newest mattress has helped my wife.

Joy of joys, after 15 months of working as a temp after being laid off, I'm finally getting a real job, and I'll have health insurance again, so I can go to a doctor, and be told that they don't cover pre-existing conditions.

Yeah, back problems suck.
Good thing that the pharmaceutical industry is all over this one. When I become paralyzed from nerve damage, I can get Viagra.

My dad, who is 76, has bad/ruptured/almost missing discs and has no back problems (anymore that is)or need for a special mattress. He does exercises that an orthopaedic surgeon recommended to avoid surgery. The exercises help stabilize the vertabrae. Have you looked into that? I can try and find out the particular program he uses. I think it might be something that is published, although it is better to start out with a physical therpaist to help learn how to them properly.

Andrew

Thanks everyone for their responses so far.

To summarize for everyone:

Exercise and stretching regimen: I have a program, but will admit that I don't do it enough

Medications: I am currently taking up to 6 ibuprofens daily (usually 3 at a time, twice a day), or one Darvocet PRN

Orthopedic doctor: have one. Surgery is the LAST result.

Biggest problem is sleeping on my stomach, which I have tried to no avail to fix, but can't break the habit.

So it goes down to my original question, about a good mattress for stomach sleepers.

Thanks everyone. I am going to look at some number selector mattresses this weekend.

Regards,

Karl

Karl, Don't buy Select Comfort, don'y buy a new mattress at all yet. If you sleep on your stomach it won't make any difference what mattress you have. The weight of your body is mainly in the middle and it pulls your back down when you lay in bed, thus creating a pinching in the back, or like your back is in a constant arch. You have to try to first sleep in another position. I was also a stomach sleeper, and just sold my Select Comfort bed: to soft even at 100 setting, the doctor was right. It was also a King size and we now sleep in a full with pillow top. I lay on my stomach and lift one leg up and put a pillow under that leg, worked from day one for me. Try laying on your side with a pillow behind your back and just lean back. Whatever you do I hope it helps, nothing worse than having your back hurt!
Sherry

B << uses a body pillow. Wraps legs around it (between the knees) and lays on side like a good boy. ZERO back issues and leans over cars for a living.

Number one reason for back pain: stress. Guy's clinch their ASS when are stressed. Think about it the next time your back hurts.. I catch myself "clinching".. stopped and pains went away.


B

Now that we know each others sleeping habits

I sleep in the fetal position...... like a baby

Karl do the exercises... I lived with chronic back pain for to long...did the motrin percoset, darvoset whatever cocktail to ease the pain..

What finally allowed me to overcome the pain was getting into a regimen of exercise and stretching.... something as simple as stopping what your doing and taking a few good deep breaths can help

You say your stuck a chair a few hours a day..change your seating position alot... between changes straighten your back and take huge deep breaths... stretch.

sometime it sounds like rice krispies when you get a good stretch in..snap crackle pop LOL

My orthopedic surgeon is a big fan of http://duxbed.com/frameset_net.html

Of course, he can afford them.

Tried some new positions the last few nights... (ummm SLEEPING positions, not SEXUAL positions). You dirty perverts!

First night - orthopedic pillow with another pillow under my knees, lying on my back. I actually fell asleep, but then kicked the pillow under my knees away and ended up on my stomach.

Last night - orthopedic pillow, with a pillow between by knees, lying on my side. I fell asleep and managed to stay asleep for a while. The pillow under the knees acted like a "bump stop" to prevent me from going on my tummy. I still had the natural desire to toss and turn to the other side. When I did, I just switched the pillow over, but it was kind of difficult because of being under the sheets. I caught myself on my tummy briefly a few times, and I forced myself to go back to the side (despite how GREAT it felt to be on my tummy)

Overall, I'm not too tired. My back still hurts like sh!t. But, I'll try again tonight.

Oh and Brad, I don't clench by Ass! It must be a natural "self-preserveration" mode you were in from being bent over cars in the prone position for so many years. "Hey, watch it with that Snap-on buddy!"