almost a decade First, I started waking up with back pain. Some days were just pain, others I woke up to pat myself on the back. I discovered that I have two permanent spinal conditions: scoliosis, a sideways curvature of my spine that developed in my mid-twenties (usually teenagers develop this, but I'm special), and my Spondylosis of the lower back, which is abnormal wear and tear on the cartilage in the spine. Both caused severe pain throughout the night and in the morning, but it turned out that my weak, unsupported mattress was the other culprit. This didn't give me the help I needed and resulted in flare-ups of pain.
I've tried everything: mattress pads, knee pillows, and mattresses that ranged from super soft foam to firmer planks. Some of these things worked, some didn't. I, or any other WIRED reviewer, slept on the mattresses below for at least seven nights and monitored what effect they had on our back pain during the night and the next morning. My husband also gave me his feedback, even though he does not suffer from chronic back problems.
After sleeping so many nights at work, I learned which mattresses had caused my back pain and pressure in the past. Below are our favorite things to sleep with if you have back pain, along with advice on how to deal with back pain and sleep overall. While you're here, don't miss our related buying guides best mattresses, best pillowsAnd best sheetFor the overall best sleep experience. All prices shown below are for queen size models.
Updated November 2024: We've added Saatva Solaire and Essentia Tatami as new picks, and updated our top pick as Helix Twilight Lux.
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