The Association between the Sleeping Surface and Sleep Efficiency, Pain and Stress

Few studies have been conducted to ascertain the association between sleep quality and pain and by comparing subjects’ rating of these variables while sleeping on their current beds and subsequently sleeping on replacement beds determined to be of medium-firm support. Results from these investigations have demonstrated that the introduction of medium-firm mattresses significantly reduced pain during sleep and stiffness upon waking and significantly resulted in greater quality of sleep. More recently, research has demonstrated that stress increases with insufficient sleep and conversely, that stress interferes with sleep efficiency and duration and replacement mattresses alleviated stress. Several of these researchers reported that their participants’ beds averaged nearly 10 years of use. Based on current information replacing old mattresses with new sleep surfaces tend to increase sleep efficiency and reduced pain and may be related to abatement of stress related symptoms.