posted
My child is sleeping on the crappiest mattress I could imagine. It is an unusual size, as is his bed, and it was the one he had as a child. Used to be, when I would sleep with my daughter, I could feel and hear the springs breaking. Now, nothing. Just mushy.
I begged my husband to get her a new mattress a while back. But he refused, saying that she hardly weighs anything and it doesn't really matter. Also, since she still wets at night, he doesn't want to get her a new mattress that might then get soiled. And they're expensive. And we'd have to buy one special-order. And we're going to be moving.
Last night, I slept with her again, because she really wants to work on staying dry at night. I had to get up at 3:30 in the morning because my back hurt so badly.
Now, I know that people used to sleep on lumpy feather mattresses over ropes. I want to know how important is it to have a good mattress? Are there any links to non-mattress company articles that talk about this? Do any of you doctors know?
If it's truly important to have a good mattress, I will again take up this fight with my husband (he has no reason right now to believe he is incorrect, other than my worry).
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
If it's hurting your back, it's probably causing yoru daughter some pain. Do you know if her back hurts? I doubt that a bad mattress will cause her permanent injury. However, she would most likely sleep better if you bought her a new mattress.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
Shigosei - she's been sleeping on it ever since she moved out of our bed. How would she know if it's bothering her? To her, this is how beds feel. She's never complained of back pain, and she sleeps very deeply (hence the belated staying dry in the night).
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
| IP: Logged |
Andrea, I slept on the same twin mattress since I was 11. I had back trouble (nothing bad, but my back always hurt when I got up and got wonky some days).
Recently, I got a new mattress. and boxspring. My First GrownUp Bed.
My back feels wonderful. I sleep much better. The comfort is amazing.
I even noticed the difference when I slept on a hotel mattress a couple weeks ago. My back hurt a LOT. I slept worse.
So yeah, they're important.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
quote: Also, since she still wets at night, he doesn't want to get her a new mattress that might then get soiled.
This worry can be eliminated by use of a waterproof mattress cover under the regular mattress pad. Posts: 1512 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'd like to provide a slightly different angle. I think that people get used to their sleeping situations. Not that poor sleeping situations don't cause injury, but the injury is more likely the older you are. I remember as a kid I could sleep on just about anything. Now I have some trouble camping because my body seems to need more cushioning. Adult bodies are more curvy or angular than a pre-pubescent child's. But not long ago, we had a waterbed and switched to a regular mattress. I had a really hard time at first. But now I have adjusted very nicely.
Think of the Japanese (and plenty of others throughout the world) who sleep on floor mats. Often, Americans who have gone to Japan for long periods of time sleeping in those conditions come home and sleep on the floor. The softness of a mattress has become unpleasant to their bodies.
I think the biggest problems come in when we are used to one sleeping situation and then change to something quite different. You definitely feel the difference because you are accustomed to a good mattress.
I actually wonder if people would be healthier sleeping on less forgiving surfaces, like floor mats. Do the people of those cultures have as many back problems as we do? Does sleeping on hard surfaces make their bodies stronger and more hardy? I have no idea. I am not aware of any studies done on the subject and it might be a very difficult variable to isolate given other cultural/societal differences. Just thinking alout in this last paragraph.
Edit: I think the biggest danger in bedding is mattresses that sag in the middle or the support in the middle is otherwise weak. The floor will always be pretty level. Oh, and I second what has been said: waterproof mattress pad and a new mattress for your comfort and health.
posted
Jenny, same problem here, in that my son's mattress was mushy as all get out. It was just a standard twin though. Anyway, we went out and got him a $99 mattress (on sale) and it is much nicer than ours. Pillowtop, the works. Since he was still wetting at night when we bought it, we left the plastic cover it came in on it. It's still totally pristine, as we've never gotten around to taking the cover off, even though he never wets the bed now.
So yeah, go out, get a new mattress, and it would probably be more cost effective to get a new bed as well, if you have to special order the mattress to fit the existing bed. You could probably find a very nice twin bed at a garage sale if money is the issue. I wouldn't worry about your child's back....I remember being a kid and sleeping on the floor (without padding) to no ill effect. If I tried that now, I'd be in agony. Kids can sleep in the weirdest positions and have no physical consequence. But if you're going to sleep with your daughter very often, it's well worth getting a good mattress. Besides, when you have guests, there may be times when it will be nice to have your daughter's bed be an option. (This was common in my family, but I'm given to understand that it horrifies some people that I would have my child sleep on the couch and give my child's bed to a guest.)
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I got a mattress topper recently, because my mattress blows. Now I sleep REALLY well. Back hurts less. Fewer wakings during night. Shorter wakings when I do wake. Better sleep. mmm. Mattress topper.
Posts: 4112 | Registered: May 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Adults are MASSIVE when compared to children. That extra weight can overstress already weakened and/or injured joints leading to Princess&thePea sensitivity in some adults; especially in women during and after pregnancy due to its joint-loosening effects.
Children's joints are stronger weight-for-weight, and their joints have much lower weight-loading than adults'. So there is a very very high probability that your daughter can sleep on absolutely anything without injuring herself. Plus your daughter's weight is unlikely to deform her mattress&springs to the degree that your weight does.
That being said, a tiny fraction of children do develope abnormal spinal curvature, though notbecause of the bed they are sleeping on. However for such children, a saggy bed could exacerbate their condition. Your pediatrician's examination should be including a look for spinal curvature anyway -- and the condition is relatively rare -- so it shouldn't be a real worry.
Occasionally sharing your daughter's bed is a strong bonding experience which will be of great benefit to you both in later years, especially your daughter. Before the social change through the IndustrialRevolution to the VictorianAge, it was quite uncommon for younglings to have their own bed. So it is highly unlikely that humans have evolved past the need for the comfort of a sleep companion during early childhood in the last ~200to~100 years.
The real argument for a new matress is that you are being temporarily injured by your daughter's bed; and depending on the strength of your joints&musculature, maybe more than temporarily in the long run. In a sense that is more directly applicable to your husband's desires, the question is how much he wants to avoid hearing, "Not tonight dear. I've got a backache."
posted
BTW: A quick fix for saggy springs is adding a plywood sheet under the mattress. Just cut the plywood down so it matches the frame, and (very important) sand the edges to round them off. 3/4inch plywood might be too rigid, but 1/2inch ought to give decent support without totally removing the springyness. Maybe 3/8ths if you want even more give.
posted
Again, I am amazed at Hatrack's wide-flung knowledge. I'm not going to worry about the mattress anymore, and my hubby has agreed to get a new bed and/or mattress for Abby when we move (sometime this summer, we hope).
posted
Upset that they don't make mattresses out of concrete. The harder the surface, the better I sleep.
Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
My interest in mattresses is always piqued by the word "heavenly". How this translates into softness, firmness, and restfulness of sleep escapes me?
futons are definitely not the way to go, longterm.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
