After a long day of work, your body deserves a comfortable resting place that will reinvigorate it for the day to come. From a biological standpoint, a good night's sleep can relieve a lot of the pressure on your body. Support is great, but it's important to note that support is not the same as firmness or pressure. Pressure is bad for your circulation because it can block blood from flowing freely throughout your body.
Sleeping on the right mattress can go a long way toward reducing the pressure on your body at night. This allows for more uniform blood flow to your torso and extremities, which in turn ensures that issues with poor circulation don't lead to a restless night's sleep of tossing and turning, numbness and tingling, or even pain. Let's go into more detail regarding the connection between sleeping on the right mattress and improved circulation.
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Support refers to how well a mattress keeps your spine aligned in the correct position. The right mattress will gently guide your spine into its natural alignment. This is the position it's meant to be in during sleep. Spinal alignment is important for comfort and health as it can have an effect on muscles, joints, bones, nerves, and blood flow. Whenever possible, get a mattress that has a high level of support.
Firmness is a term that refers to the feel a mattress provides. How comfortable you are on a given mattress is very subjective, however, firmness can be measured loosely by how much give there is in response to your body and its contours. If you lay on a mattress and sink deep into it, then it's soft, as the mattress has a lot of give. A firm mattress won't allow the contours of your body to displace it as much, so it will give less when you lay on it.
Many people either enjoy a firm mattress or believe that a firm mattress is better for them. Mattresses are very personal and subjective, and what works for each person will be as unique as the individual. For some people, a firmer mattress is the right choice. That being said, for many, especially those with any kind of preexisting circulation issues–be it from diabetes, Raynaud's, or another reason–a mattress can easily be too firm for their body to function properly.
Since firmer mattresses have less give, when you lay on them your contours, like hips and shoulders, don't sink into it as much. They lay on top, pushing down onto a harder surface. This causes pressure and restricts blood flow past those areas to the rest of the body. Think of it like gently pinching a straw while drinking. This is what causes the issues.
A good mattress conforms to your natural contours during your sleep. It should be supportive enough to keep your spine positioned correctly while being soft enough to hug your curves. This kind of mattress can enhance blood circulation, solving the problem. It also leads to an overall better night's sleep which can improve cognitive functions, enhance creativity, lower blood pressure, improve athletic performance, reduce stress, and boost mood.
If you have poor circulation and experience sleep issues due to a mattress that doesn't allow for proper blood flow during the night, you may want to consider a new mattress. Visit us at one of our two stores in Sarasota and Venice and try one for yourself!