Sciatica nerve pain comes from the sciatic nerve in the back, which happens to be the longest nerve in the body. All of your nerve roots come together to form the sciatic nerve, which extends down your hips and into each leg. So, when you have sciatica pain, this is the result of your nerve roots pinching together or pressure on those roots. There are many other causes of sciatica though.

Herniated Discs

The discs in your back have support in them which keeps them stable, so when you slip a disc, there’s a tear in the support that causes the disk to bulge and bump into the nerve. Any other issues with your discs will lead to sciatica pain too.
Usually though, in this case you’ll feel anything from slight numbness to a tingling or stabbing pain. This pain can be all the way up your back, butt, and leg. This is why having the right mattress is so important

Abnormal Growths

If there’s anything in your back that shouldn’t be there, those will also cause trouble with your sciatica. Think of tumors, internal bleeding, infection, injury, or a few other options like bone spurs or spinal stenosis. Be sure to visit a doctor to handle these issues, and hopefully your sciatica will improve as a result.

Additional Factors

Beyond physical pains, there are a few risk factors that may cause sciatica, such as being older or obesity. There are even jobs which may contribute to sciatica, like things that involve heavy lifting, pulling, or manual labor. Jobs that require prolonged sitting can cause problems too since they tend to put pressure on your spine.

Mattress Factors to Consider For People with Sciatica

Sciatica can possibly go away on its own, meaning that you don’t always need a doctor to help you. Especially if you have the right latex mattress, you can see a huge improvement in your pain when the foam relaxes your back. Consider these factors before you make your choice.

Support and Durability

Think about your bed based on the support it has, since the best way to help your back is to ensure that better spinal alignment. All the support in the world won’t help you though if it’s not a durable mattress and the support doesn’t last. You don’t want a mattress that will lose support, sag, or become irritable quickly.

Firmness

Firmness and support are different things, so firmness is how soft or firm your mattress feels. Most mattresses are a little more firm than soft, but firmer mattresses are generally great for heavier people or two people sharing a mattress since they prevent you from sinking. Lighter people may prefer something softer, since a firmer mattress won’t conform enough to your body shape.

Pressure Relief

When you lie down, you want something that will conform to your body so that your spine will be in alignment. A mattress without proper pressure relief won’t help your body sink at a good angle, which will only make your pain that much worse. Think about how well a mattress will conform to your body then and if it’s made to fit your shape.

Thickness

For the most part, you’ll want a thick option when you’re picking your mattress to help you handle sciatica pain. The thicker the better, since this will provide you with better support compared to thinner models.

Motion Isolation

This is very important when you have someone else in your bed, whether that’s your pet or your partner. Either way, having a stable mattress will isolate the motion so that you don’t feel it every time someone gets up to go to the bathroom or shifts during the night.

Sleeping Tips

Your mattress will go a long way in helping you feel comfortable throughout the night. The right option will keep you sleeping properly, but it helps to have a few tips to make sleeping that much more possible.

Sleeping Positions

For stomach sleepers with sciatica nerve pain, think about potentially switching it up. Sleeping on your stomach tends to lead to more irritation and back pain, so while it’s hard to change positions, sleeping on your side or back will help you sleep better in the long run. Sleeping on your back with your knees elevated is the best position, or you can try propping your knees up on a pillow to help reduce pain.

Couples

It can be a little bit difficult to sleep alone when you have sciatica nerve pain, but it’s not always easy to find a new mattress that will work for both you and your partner if one or both of you is dealing with pain.

Try to look for an option that has motion isolation so that your partner won’t feel it when you get up, or when you move around in your sleep. You should also try an option that’s stable even at the corners so that the both of you can sleep well.

Conclusion

Sciatica sufferers don’t have to suffer from broken sleep. Not when you have the best mattress on your side. Pick out your mattress based on how much support you’d like, how much foam it has, or how cool it keeps you at night, but no matter which one you get, you’ll hopefully be getting a much better night sleep. With options like these, your sciatica will feel much better in no time.