Getting a good night's sleep is important for our overall health and well-being. There are many lifestyle factors such as our daily routine, level of physical activity and use of a correct mattress and pillow that affect our sleep quality.

Using the right mattress is important to get a good night’s sleep. It can make a vast difference in improving our sleep quality. Scientific study shows, that sleeping mattresses significantly influence our sleep comfort and health. It plays an important role in managing and preventing various chronic pain related issues. 

Although selecting a good quality mattress is a matter of personal preference; however, a firm mattress may be a more suitable option for your spinal health. It provides significant support to your back and helps in ensuring a good night’s sleep.

What is a firm mattress?

There is no standard parameter or guidelines available that define whether a mattress is firm or soft. Many companies use a scale of 1-10 to determine the softness or firmness of any mattress. 5 is considered a medium and 6 is considered a medium-firm level on this scale. Any mattress that scores less than 5 comes into the soft mattress category and any mattress that scores above 6 is called a firm mattress.

Top 10 Firm mattress benefits

Provide good back support and help in maintaining neutral spinal alignment

Sleep experts suggest a good mattress should provide good back support and help in maintaining a neutral spinal alignment. A firm mattress works great in this aspect and provides proper support to your back. It helps to maintain a proper sleep posture by keeping your spine in alignment. This way, it improves your sleep quality and helps you rest better at night. 

A good option for people with chronic pain (back pain, neck pain, etc.)

Firm mattresses are a good option for those who suffer from chronic pain problems like lower back pain and neck pain. A firm mattress provides better molding support to your lower back and maintains the natural curvature of the spine. 

Scientific study shows that sleep surfaces are directly linked to sleep discomfort, and that it is indeed possible to reduce pain and discomfort and increase sleep quality in those with chronic back pain by replacing mattresses based on sleeping position.

Improve circulation

A firm mattress provides optimal back support and prevents your back from collapsing. This feature allows for more oxygen intake while sleeping. It helps in better oxygenation and improves blood circulation in your body. 

Less pressure on muscles and internal organs

When you sleep on a soft mattress, it may cause an increase in pressure on your muscles and lead to tense muscles in the morning. When you use a firm mattress, bones absorb most of the pressure and thus reduce the pressure on muscles, veins and arteries. 

Work great for back and stomach sleepers

A firm mattress works great for back and stomach sleepers. Back sleepers need proper back support while sleeping to maintain a neutral spinal alignment. A soft mattress may not be a good option for back sleepers. When back sleepers sleep on soft mattresses, they feel their hips and lower back sinking deep into the mattress. This saggy and sinking feeling might trigger discomfort and pain in the lower lumbar region. While a firm mattress provides good back support and prevents sinking feeling in the hips and lower back. 

The stomach sleeping position disturbs the natural alignment of the spine and causes extra stress on your back, neck and shoulder. This position increases the chance of muscular strain and pain. A firm and supportive mattress is an ideal option for stomach sleepers. It helps in maintaining a neutral spinal alignment and prevents sinking feeling into the bed. Stomach sleepers get better sleep with a firm mattress. 

Help in equal distribution of body weight

A firm mattress helps in equal distribution of body weight and causes less sagging. This way, it helps in alleviating back pain and offers appropriate spinal support. 

Heavy sleepers get better sleep with a firm mattress

Bodyweight is another important criterion for selecting a good quality mattress. A soft mattress creates a saggy feeling for heavy sleepers and causes a misalignment in the spine. It could lead to pain and discomfort in some people. While a firm mattress provides good support and allows them to change their position effortlessly. It serves as an ideal option for heavy sleepers and helps them sleep better at night. 

Temperature regulation

A firm mattress is the best option for hot sleepers. It allows you to sleep more on the surface and does not cause a deep sinking feeling like a soft mattress. These features help in better temperature regulation and keep you cool at night while sleeping. 

Less motion transfers

This one is another amazing benefit of a firm mattress. When you sleep on a soft mattress, it transfers the motion from one part of the mattress to other parts easily. If you sleep with a restless partner who tosses and turns frequently in bed, you will feel his/her movement and often lead to disturbing your sleep. While a firm mattress has a good motion isolation feature. It minimizes the impact of moving from one part to other and allows you to sleep better even with a restless partner. 

This feature is a great option for light sleepers who share the bed with a restless partner, pet or children. 

Provide good edge support

The soft mattress offers poor edge support and does not offer proper security and stability while sleeping and siting. Firm mattresses provide good edge support and make you feel more comfortable while sleeping or siting. This feature is especially useful for heavy individuals who often have trouble with the poor edge support of soft mattresses. 

A firm mattress is more durable and last for a longer period

Soft mattresses become lumpy and lose their comfort when used for a longer time, while a firm mattress retains shape for a longer period. They are more durable and last longer. They provide great value for your money. 

Firm mattresses are versatile. You can easily adjust its firmness level according to your individual preference by adding a topper.