Spinal problems and sleep. I need a new bed I think, and maybe a dog

I have numerous disc compression's which has also resulted in Sciatica. I don't think that I've slept on my bed more than two weeks since early Dec 2012. I only seem to get rest on the floor with a fairly thin Therma-a-Rest camping mattress, not much lumbar support there. And I've heard/read that sleeping on the floor can be bad for you in the long run.

I've been looking for a new bed that is firm, but to be truthful, just laying on one for a few minutes does not count as a true test as to whether I would get any benefit from it.

Oddly enough, whenever I house sit my buddies farmette, I sleep on his couch just fine which is fluffy and soft, but if I sleep in his guest room with a similar bed I have real problems come morning. Another weird thing is their dog will sleep at my feet on the couch, but not the bed. He's a big dog so there is not much room on the couch, but I usually wake up in less pain.

Water bed? Those dial-a-number beds? Stay on the floor? Buy my friends couch? LOL

Does any member have any type of experience with something like this? Or am I going to be stuck with the camping mattress?

reply to post by TDawgRex


Got spine problems?

The best thing I've done for my spine, joints, overall well-being, etc is yoga. It helped me get back on my feet.

reply to post by TDawgRex


Hey TDawg!
I have spinal issues too. Bought a new bed, it's too firm...I wake up in pain every morning.
Sometimes I will sleep on our very soft/cushy sofa, and wake up hardly hurting at all.
As for the dog? Well, some people will say that animals can 'transmute' your pain? Know what I mean? They feel your pain...and somehow, relieve it for you. (I'm not sure about this, but it could be true!)

If you're going to buy a new bed....I would suggest getting it from a store that will allow you to return it within a given time if you're not happy with it. (I've noticed that some stores here offer that...just not the one I purchased from, lol)

Good luck! Waking up in pain every day is NOT a good start for anyone.
jacygirl

scolai
reply to post by TDawgRex

 

Got spine problems?

The best thing I've done for my spine, joints, overall well-being, etc is yoga. It helped me get back on my feet.

I've tried that and it was quite painful. Chiro works, but it's to damned expensive and is one of the few things my insurance doesn't cover. Plus I'm now cracking where I never cracked before, but that's another story. I'm slowly healing and maybe will try yoga in the future.

I'm just sick of sleeping on the floor. It's kind of embarrassing when I have guests (or a girl) over to the house. I'm actually thinking of just building a raised hard platform that looks like a bed.

But I also keep hearing about how our spine should be supported while asleep. And while I am getting rest on the floor, am I doing my back a disservice in the long run?

reply to post by TDawgRex

Oddly enough, whenever I house sit my buddies farmette, I sleep on his couch just fine which is fluffy and soft,

Whatever works...

Sleeping troubles, huh?

From experience, don't go with a waterbed. The sell is the rolling ocean motion and continuos support. Thats BS. Hard to regulate temperature, they can leak and the support ruins your back.

ETA:

Those dial-a-number beds?

I have one someone gave me. They cost over a grand anyway. Not the best for back, same problem as water bed. Sleeping on balloons, whether they are filled with water or air just doesn't cut it.

I agree with you about a couch. They are dreamy. Just make sure its long and wide enough.

TDawg, a 4-inch memory foam topper on a firm mattress does the trick for me. Maybe you could go into one of those "Sleep number bed" shops and try different levels of softness and firmness to find a baseline for what suits you? Then, you can look for that type of softness/firmness in whatever material works best for you.

As for sleeping with dog, well...



And, it's true! I sleep with a 100-lb. mutt who likes go diagonal or horizontal on the bed. Plus, he hogs the pillows. Please think twice about sharing your bed with Muttly. They don't always do what you'd expect.

jacygirl
reply to post by TDawgRex

 

As for the dog? Well, some people will say that animals can 'transmute' your pain? Know what I mean? They feel your pain...and somehow, relieve it for you. (I'm not sure about this, but it could be true!)

jacygirl

I've heard that as well and not sure what to think about it but that's why I included it in the header. I try to pay attention to my health/lifestyle and the dog thing stuck out in my mind. Maybe that's what I need. A fuzzy buddy.

But I've usually slept like a rock on firm surfaces. My bed is firm, but still doesn't cut the mustard.

graceunderpressure


As for sleeping with dog, well...

And, it's true! I sleep with a 100-lb. mutt who likes go diagonal or horizontal on the bed. Plus, he hogs the pillows. Please think twice about sharing your bed with Muttly. They don't always do what you'd expect.

Yea, that's exactly the way it is when I housesit, but I still wake up feeling better. LOL

I had a Maine Coon that did this every morning, with the exception of the bat, but if he could do it, I'm sure he would have. Instead, he resorted to gently biting my nose.

intrptr
reply to post by TDawgRex

 

ETA:

Those dial-a-number beds?

I have one someone gave me. They cost over a grand anyway. Not the best for back, same problem as water bed. Sleeping on balloons, whether they are filled with water or air just doesn't cut it.

I agree with you about a couch. They are dreamy. Just make sure its long and wide enough.

I did sleep on a waterbed back when I was younger and did not like it at all. It didn't last the year before I got rid of it. I was think that those dial-a-number beds were pretty much the same but cost more. Thanks for your experienced input.

TDawgRex
I have numerous disc compression's which has also resulted in Sciatica. I don't think that I've slept on my bed more than two weeks since early Dec 2012. I only seem to get rest on the floor with a fairly thin Therma-a-Rest camping mattress, not much lumbar support there. And I've heard/read that sleeping on the floor can be bad for you in the long run.

I've been looking for a new bed that is firm, but to be truthful, just laying on one for a few minutes does not count as a true test as to whether I would get any benefit from it.

Oddly enough, whenever I house sit my buddies farmette, I sleep on his couch just fine which is fluffy and soft, but if I sleep in his guest room with a similar bed I have real problems come morning. Another weird thing is their dog will sleep at my feet on the couch, but not the bed. He's a big dog so there is not much room on the couch, but I usually wake up in less pain.

Water bed? Those dial-a-number beds? Stay on the floor? Buy my friends couch? LOL

Does any member have any type of experience with something like this? Or am I going to be stuck with the camping mattress?

I have three herniated discs, L3, L4, L5.
I manage it in a few ways, a firm bed is a must, but for me the key when I notice a little sciatica creeping up is too sleep on my side knees up slightly (not full fetal) with a pillow between my knees....works a treat

Hi TDawgRex,

Sorry to hear about your injury.

My best guess is that you sleep better in a couch or on the floor is because you will not be rolling on the sides, belly and back on your back when you are on the couch, because of the structure. A hard floor is also no much fun to roll on.

The bed since it's soft and has nothing to hold you allows you to roll, and thus hurts your back...

Does it make sense?...

I agree with the foam mattress. Not the expensive "memory" foam, just a 6 inch foam. If it doesn't to the trick, at least you'll have a good camping mattress.

I sleep with a shihtzu most of the night - I have to be careful not to roll on him, then my 80 lb lab climbs up in the morning for a while. He's mastered the art of sleeping with a human, he puts his back to me and wants to be spooned.

I don't think I could get a proper sleep without a dog on the bed.

reply to post by TDawgRex


I have not read all the other posts so I do not know if this has already been suggested.

I have spinal injuries forty years ago and this is what I did instead of surgery.

BED:
Bed frame with wooden slats and plywood. I used tie plates to make the plywood wide enough to fit the bed fame.

I then bought very firm foam sort of like this: link in 3" thickness (I am female so you may need 4") I topped it with 2" regular foam and stuffed both into a mattress bag.

PILLOWS:
Instead of a dog get pillows. I use about five or six. Sleep on your side and use the pillows to adjust the height of your head, and upper arm/shoulder and knee so your spine is kept straight.

If you wake in the middle of the night get up and walk around a bit to loosen up the muscles.

graceunderpressure
TDawg, a 4-inch memory foam topper on a firm mattress does the trick for me. Maybe you could go into one of those "Sleep number bed" shops and try different levels of softness and firmness to find a baseline for what suits you? Then, you can look for that type of softness/firmness in whatever material works best for you.

As for sleeping with dog, well...

And, it's true! I sleep with a 100-lb. mutt who likes go diagonal or horizontal on the bed. Plus, he hogs the pillows. Please think twice about sharing your bed with Muttly. They don't always do what you'd expect.

I agree...memory foam can make an old mattress feel much better, I had a thin mattress that got uncomfortable, memory foam did the trick and I am talking extra years worth before I finally got a new bed.

All you really have to do to support your spine is to learn how to sleep with a pillow underneath your thighs, up toward your butt. This will allow your lower spine to straighten out more while you're on your back. That is probably the effect the dog is causing to a lesser degree; he's on your feet, and that lifts your top legs a bit, because of the cushions of the couch.

The only time the pillow gets tricky is teaching yourself to lift it a little so that you can lie on your side- pillow needs to be under the top knee to keep your back a bit more straight. You'll get used to it in time, and will do it without even waking up.

So, a firm bed and a nice extra pillow for your legs!

Souce: My own back injury after a young man I was lifting seized in my arms and I twisted under him to keep him from falling on his head (int. care home I worked in ~'97)

Getting a dog friend will help more than you know- it'll force you to take walks , which will help your back (a fenced in yard is just a big cage!); the lovins you guys share will help with your emotional well-being, too!

reply to post by TDawgRex


My husband and I invested in a 'dial a number' bed. We love it honestly. The best part about it is that it can be adjusted to what we need at that moment. It can be rock hard or like a down pillow. We use it on a plywood bedframe instead of a box spring. That may have something to do with it.
I think that I have only been to the chiropractor twice since we got it. I sleep on a softer level than he does and only get the waterbed feel if it's softened up too much.

Good luck on getting a good night sleep. Oh, and be careful with a big dog, I am a lover of them as well, but mine has been known to aggravate back issues, in myself and a friend of ours. He is a puppy capable of moving at least a thousand pounds already, and is still just too young to realize his strength yet. 😏 He's a big goofy sweetheart who likes to act like he is still lap sized.

reply to post by crimvelvet


I did have two pillows and a body pillow when my back went out. I continued to use them for quite a while until the body pillow went belly up. I now have four pillows that I position on or around the body.

I like the idea for the bed and a big thank you for reminding me that they make mattress bags. It might seem like a small thing to some, but it will be easier to keep the foam clean. With the added benefit that it'll look like a actual bed.

TDawgRex
I have numerous disc compression's which has also resulted in Sciatica. I don't think that I've slept on my bed more than two weeks since early Dec 2012. I only seem to get rest on the floor with a fairly thin Therma-a-Rest camping mattress, not much lumbar support there. And I've heard/read that sleeping on the floor can be bad for you in the long run.

I've been looking for a new bed that is firm, but to be truthful, just laying on one for a few minutes does not count as a true test as to whether I would get any benefit from it.

Oddly enough, whenever I house sit my buddies farmette, I sleep on his couch just fine which is fluffy and soft, but if I sleep in his guest room with a similar bed I have real problems come morning. Another weird thing is their dog will sleep at my feet on the couch, but not the bed. He's a big dog so there is not much room on the couch, but I usually wake up in less pain.

Water bed? Those dial-a-number beds? Stay on the floor? Buy my friends couch? LOL

Does any member have any type of experience with something like this? Or am I going to be stuck with the camping mattress?

Hmmmm very odd. I know I tried a sleep number matress. It was in a hotel i stayed at. Now that was WEIRD!! Like I actually slept from about 10 at night til about 9am. So we're talking "dreaming sleep" the whole 11 hrs!!! It was insane! The reason i say that is the last time I was able to sleep for that long was in my teens like 20 years ago. Since then I toss and turn, I get up to pee and get water several times, I dream for a short time then wake up and can't fully sleep again. It's annoying. But I have a bowling ball mattress and it's pretty comfortable.

I have a theory though. Back in the cave man days at best our beds were made of leaves furs, and feathers. but on the hard ground. So I think we're meant to sleep on harder surfaces. The matress industry keeps making beds too soft. The reason is to make us soft and weak as people. IT'S A WORLD WIDE CONSPIRACY!

spartacus699

I have a theory though. Back in the cave man days at best our beds were made of leaves furs, and feathers. but on the hard ground. So I think we're meant to sleep on harder surfaces. The matress industry keeps making beds too soft. The reason is to make us soft and weak as people. IT'S A WORLD WIDE CONSPIRACY!

I've had those thoughts go through my mind as well and in certain parts of the world (some who are advanced) people still sleep on mats. But you forgot one thing. Dogs or even cats can keep ya warm in the winter....but what a pain in the butt come summer time!

reply to post by TDawgRex


The nice thing about a 'Make your own' is you can adjust the "Firmness" by changing the foam. It is also great for those of us with allergies.