I have been having lots of trouble of late with my mattress and let me tell you, it has seriously affected my sleep and thus recovery and of course my moods grrr! So, not having the money to purchase a new set-up for a few more months, I remembered that some of the best sleeps I ever had were on my Thermarest that I use for camping. So last night, I pulled it out, inflated it so it was nice and firm and threw it on the bed and had one of the best, most relaxing and pain-free sleeps I’ve had in years. For once, no back or shoulder pain. It’s unreal how good my body feels.
My girlfriend wasn’t too happy sharing the bed with it, since it managed to work it’s way over to her side and almost forced her onto the floor. This was good, though, as it allowed me to reclaim the sheets and duvet as she struggled to hold on to what little bed territory she could. I usually wake up alsmot hypothermic with no covers at all and can’t get them from her.
So, my point is, pay careful attention to your sleeping surface. Change it up if it isn’t working. If you’re waking up all sore and stiff, it might not be just your workouts, it might be your bed. I know this is common knowledge, but it’s something that might be easy to forget for some.
Oh yeah, if you don’t know what a Thermarest is, it’s a self-inflating mattress, about an inch thick, very lightweight and quite narrow. Keeps you nice and warm and cozy when camping. Beautiful invention.
Thanks for the tips CGB. I have problems sleeping too. Seems like any light peeping through the window will disturb my sleep. I was thinking of trying out one of those black mask things to shut out all light. I wonder if wearing a mask while trying to sleep will keep me up too.
bernie, I have used one of those travel masks and found them to be quite distracting. I am in the process of making my version of World War 2 blitz blinds. They are going to be thick, heavy and black and will be impenetrable to light. My girlfriend is quite sensitive to light, as well, but she objected to me using tin foil, instead. She said that was “mental.”
There are so many interesting published studies that have investigated light and its affect on sleep. Many people are severly sensitive and they don’t realize. They just think that they’re light sleepers. Fix the light issues and deep, restful sleep can be yours.
An uncomfortable mattress or recliner, in CMC’s case, can really affect rest and recovery. Even now, 8 hours after getting out of bed, I have yet to have an ache and that’s extrememly rare with me, considering all the heavy lifting I do. For me, I need a firm surface. I know some people that put plywood on their beds. Now that’s mental
I hate sleeping with any light, too. I got some inexpensive window tinting sheets from Home Depot - real easy to install and they are NOT permanent. That, combined with super thick curtains makes for a dark room!
try putting a piece of plywood between you mattress and box spring. We did this for the misses when she was pregnant. Doctor told us to do that when her back started to hurt.
