Is Your Mattress Giving You a Headache?

It’s truly disturbing how many people get headaches. As many as half of all adults have had a headache in the last year and 36 million of these people suffered from migraines. Roughly twice as many women get headaches as men, and women between the ages of 18 to 44 get the most headaches of all. This is hardly fair considering the fact that this age group is typically working to establish their families and jobs. The last thing these women need is a headache. 

For a person who suffers from headaches, finding the right cause can be elusive. Headaches can result from allergies, injuries to the neck, stress and tension, alcohol consumption and many other causes.

Why Bad Mattresses Can Cause Headaches

Too many people keep their mattresses far too long, and it gets to the point that their old mattress has a big dip where the bodies usually lie. This sagging is very likely to create misalignments in the spine and the neck, and that can easily cause headaches.

Other people are scrupulous about replacing their mattress after seven to ten years, but they may replace it with one that is too firm or too soft. 

Both mattresses that are too firm and too soft can cause problems. Most people sleep on their sides or their backs. If you sleep on your side, you should have good support for your neck and back and a pillow that is firm enough to keep your head and neck parallel to the bed. 

If you spend much of the night on your back, you need a mattress that is not too firm or it will eliminate the natural curves of your body.

A nightly strain to the neck can cause the bones in the neck to become misaligned, which places pressure on the nerves in this area. Those strained and pinched nerves can easily be the cause of headaches. If you wake up feeling achy and uncomfortable or you have dreams about being in pain and there are no medical reasons for your headache, then you need to take a hard look at the quality of your mattress! 

Here’s a tip—one way to determine if your mattress is the problem is to spend a few nights away from home. If your symptoms get better, the root of your headaches may be your mattress. 

Don’t Forget Your Chiropractic Adjustments

While knowing you have a comfortable bed is one place to start addressing headaches, the other place is with chiropractic adjustments. There are times that patients have come for help with headaches but they would not find relief until they also replace their mattress. The best solution is working on both sides of this issue at once. 

If it’s time for a new mattress or if you have too little or too much support from your present one, then start shopping. There are many mattress showrooms around the country where you can lie down for a while. You might bring your own pillow and ensure that the mattress and pillow work together well. Have a friend look at your head while you’re on your side or on your back with your head on the pillow. Their job is to make sure that your neck and head are well supported. While on your back your head shouldn’t tilt up and while on your side it shouldn’t bend up or down.

While getting that new mattress, be sure to see your chiropractor and get those pinched nerves unpinched! That’s very important. Chiropractic care restores proper alignment to the neck without drugs or surgery and can keep you from needing over-the-counter pain relievers to subdue that headache. 

If it’s been a while since you’ve had a chiropractic treatment and especially if you are suffering from headaches, make a point to come see me. I’ll get your alignment straightened out and use Pressure Point Therapy to relieve tight knots of pain in the area. I’m the only chiropractor in the St. Louis area to offer this therapy so don’t miss the chance to receive a Free Introductory Pressure Point Therapy treatment. Give us a call at (314) 310-8359 to schedule your appointment.