An ergonomic bedroom = a good night’s sleep

In the organic structure of your body, your brain is the head honcho, your blood and breath the cash flow and your back that employee who’s always late for work, complains about everything and rarely meets deadlines. Since you can’t fire your back, try our top 5 strategies for micromanaging it instead.

Don’t swallow your solution, sleep on it

Difficult employees rarely go away quietly and your back is no different. Instead of trying to mask the problem with medication or hot packs, pay attention to everything that causes pain – such as certain movements, chairs or your bed.

Desk jockeys know that they need a supportive, ergonomic chair to survive 8 hour stretches of sitting. Since we all spend more time in bed than we do anywhere else, looking closely at your bed is a smart first step.

• Is your mattress more than 7-10 years old?
• Does it have any noticeable sags or lumps?
• Do you wake up with a sore back more than a couple of times a week?

If you answered yes to ANY of the above questions, it’s time to get serious about finding a back and sleep solution – a new mattress. But before you start shopping, you’ll have to look even closer at your current mattress.

Listen to the complaints

Can you pinpoint the exact point of pain in your back (or shoulder or legs) when you’re lying in your own bed. Try different sleep positions and focus on those pain points, feeling how they shift as you move. Then start bed-testing – at a store.

“To truly understand what you want from a new bed, you have to understand where your old bed is failing to deliver,” says Michael Nermon, owner of Ergo Customized Comfort and vice Chairman of the Specialty Sleep Association (SSA).

Try different solutions

Finding the right bed for your body means a lot of mattress testing. What’s right for you may not be right for the salesperson standing in front of you. Take the information you gathered from your own mattress and apply it to the ones you’re testing.

• Use the same pillow for each bed you test. If you eliminate the distraction of different pillows (with different feels), you’ll be able to focus on the mattress.
• Narrow in on those pain points again. Apply the same positions you did at home on your old mattress and compare the feel.
• Involve your partner. If you share your bed with someone, make sure they’re doing everything you’re doing so you find the right bed for both of you.

Are you ready to put that bad back to bed for good? After you’ve done the at-home testing, come visit us at Ergo and we’ll help you find the right solution for you – and back.

Ergo Foundation with a European slat suspension system. Each slat flexes independently so the bed customizes itself to whoever is lying on it. Suspensions are adjustable from the chest to the knees, where your body needs it most.

Oxygen Pillow. A uniquely styled pillow, your head will be realigned with your spine depending on where you apply pressure the most.  What’s more, it adjusts throughout the night as you move so waking up with a sore neck is just a distant bad dream.

Ergo Adjustable Bed. Lifting the legs and bending the knee slightly allows your lower back muscles to relax and release tension. As well, pressure is taken off the heart so your pulse can self-regulate and let you enjoy a deeper, more healing sleep.

Are you desperately seeking relief from an aching back? Leave your questions or comments below or visit our Facebook community for more info.