On a regular basis, patients want my opinion as to what kind of mattress they should buy. Well a lot of this can be individual, cost and general preferences. Here's my thoughts on which mattress you should choose. I am a pretty simple and basic person with just quality products that last.  

My preference is Sealy, Serta or just a Chiropractic/Orthopedic endorsed mattress is the best overall choice. Here are a few more of my suggestions that you should also consider. The sleeping position is a key priority. The stomach sleepers should just stop doing that right now. Sleeping on your stomach causes a lot of strain on your neck and lower back and lead to have additional/chronic pain throughout your life while sleeping on your stomach. The two positions that I recommend are sleeping on your back or your side. Sleeping on your back is probably my favorite with a pillow behind the knees and a good neck support system.  Side sleeping is the most optimal for spinal health with a firm larger pillow between your knees and an ideal pillow that keeps you neck in alignment with your spine. Long term side sleeping on a firm mattress to can sometimes increase pressure points on the hips and shoulders causing pain when you wake up.

There many types of mattresses on the market today which includes innerspring, memory foam, air mattresses, water and a few others. Let's just see which one with give you the top comparison for overall stability, comfort and support are best for your spine. The memory foam has been such a popular item and it's not one that I don’t prefer.  I just think that having more support is better but the comfort from a memory foam is ideal and does reduce certain pressure points on the body (hips and shoulder) it's not one that I prefer. I myself like the innerspring mattress that is a medium to firm in stability. Proper support is essential, and it doesn’t matter if it is shoe, mattress or a chair. The air mattress (sleep number) has adjustable air chambers and is probably the most expensive but does give you different preferences for couples with a mid to higher number depending on what their preference is but sometimes the cost super seeds this customization.

Also, the general rule is that every 8 to 10 years the mattress needs to be replaced. It is very important as wear/sleeping patterns do happen and will almost cradle/hammock you over time, creating long-term stress and pressure points on your body. So, my best suggestion is compare costs and preferences but my ideal suggestion is a good chiropractically endorsed spring mattress that is medium to firm which is “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears Just Right” for you to sleep on your back or side.