Does anyone recommend a good bed?

[slprncess]

Hey everyone..

I was wondering if anyone has had good luck with any certain beds. I have had 4 surgeries and am facing a 5th. The bed that I bought only 2 years is a Chiro-Pedic which is suspose to be a great bed for people with back problems. It does not have any springs in it, it is made with memory foam. At first the bed felt great on my back but after this last surgery in Aug it has been really hurting me. Im not sure what is going on or what kind of bed I need to get. IT really sucks because I spent so much money on this bed and now I have to get a new one. Also my husband has been complaining of back aches and he doesnt have back problems at all.
Has anyone tried the Sleep number bed? I have looked at this bed but they are about 4,000, im not sure if i want to spend that kind of money right now, however it is my back and i do spend alot of time in it. Im so confused!!
Does anyone know if insurance covers some beds if you get a prescription from your md? Any information is greatly appreciated!!

Sarah

[LindaRacine]

Hi Sarah...

In addition to any responses you receive here, you may want to do a search (see Search link above) on the word MATTRESS, as there have been prior threads on the topic.

Regards,
Linda

[trulyaries]

Hi Sarah,
I had a 4 inch memory foam pad on my bed for awhile. I don't remember how long I had it, but it was less than 3 years. The pad eventually matted down so it felt like a old sagging mattress. I kept turning it, but all sides eventually matted down. I finally took it off and it was a great relief. I have a fairly new mattress and as I recall it's a firm mattress with a pillow top, and I added a fitted mattress pad.

I have heard some good things about the sleep number bed, but that's way out of my budget range. I would evaluate that purchase very carefully.
TrulyAries

[rtodd]

sleep number bed

Hi Sarah, I have a sleep number bed and would recommend it. I got mine last fall. I would not say that it is the answer to eliminating pain, but it does help. The thing that I like most is the adjustability. I sometimes adjust mind daily. Other times I don't change it for weeks. You just can't do that with a traditional or memory foam bed.
I don't know if there is any way to get insurance to cover the bed, but I have heard that you can use it as a medical expense deduction on your taxes. I wish you luck. Rita

[mattie]

Sarah, We bought a feather bed to go on top of our mattress and it sure has helped me sleep better. It costs about $100. It was worth every bit of it though. I use a quilted mattress cover over it to keep it from getting soiled. I turn it over and side to side every couple months, to keep it even.
Good luck....... Mattie

[The Professor]

Mattresses

I ended up buying a good quality pillow-top mattress. It's helped somewhat, as I can now sleep without waking in the middle of the night in severe pain. A good quality one will run about $600-800.

I had a waterbed when I was in graduate school. I miss the thing now, since I had to get rid of it when I got married, but it's something you might consider. I'd recommend getting a standard waterbed (NOT a waveless type). You might try one out before buying, if that's possible. You can get a single or single and a half size waterbed for under $250 at most places.

[slprncess]

Thanks so much for advise

Thanks to you all for the great advise. I am going to start looking for one. The good thing about the sleep number bed is they do give you I think 90 days to try and if you dont like it then you can return it for a full refund. If anyone has any other advise please let me know.

Thanks

[hzrdous]

I have never had surgery, so I can only speak to this from the perspective of someone just living with scoliosis. My husband and I got a sleep number bed recently and find that it is the best way of both getting a comfortable night's sleep - me with my scoliosis and him with his sports injuries. What a pair, huh? I agree that this has been a great solution because of the ability to adjust it on a daily basis if needed. I know that depending on my activities during the day I sometimes have varying needs for firmness/softness at night, and this gives me the ability to always have the right level. What I really want to tell you is that we were able to buy a queen-sized mattress for $800, which is the basic model. The only difference between the less expensive basic models and the others is the pillow top. You can also spend a little less by getting the non-digital adjustment paddles. You just won't be able to set to a specific number. You just press the up or down buttons until you are comfortable. If you have a box spring, you will need a platform for the mattress, but you do not have to buy the sleep number platform. It will not void your warranty to use another type. These mattresses can be put on a wooden bed platform (which is what cheap mattress sets have anyway, or you can build one), or into a waterbed frame. You can save yourself some $$ by being creative. I don't want this to sound like an ad for sleep number so I won't go on too much, but I do find it has helped me get a better night's sleep and I do not have the rib cage soreness or backaches like I used to get on a conventional mattress.

[katblack]

I am so buying a sleep number bed when I can. I tried one and it was awesome. I felt so good on it.
What I like most is that I could change the pressure or hardness/softness when I need to. That is the main selling point.
Even after having surgery, my traditional mattress is ok some nights and horrid others. A sleep number would allow me to fix it according to how my body feels right that minute, not a forever decision.

[Simon]

I purchased a Sleep Number bed last November and have been very satisfied. I change the firmness depending on the day's activity, and my half of the bed is usually much firmer than my girlfriend's (90 versus 35). The bed only helps my back a little, but at this point I'm gratefull for any relief I can get.

I only paid $800. The digital remote is nice, but not necessary. A separate feather bed on top of the mattress is much cheaper than buying their higher models with pillowtops. DO NOT buy the $400 plastic foundation which consists of 20+ pieces (and the legs cost extra). My girlfriend also has a sleep number bed, I use a standard boxspring and she uses the sleep number foundation and we can't tell a difference.

They do offer a full refund during the 30 day trial period, but you have to pay the return shipping. You should definitely visit one of their stores in a shopping mall or a Healthy Back store to compare different models and options.

[Karen Ocker]

Better than memory foam/select comfort

Before surgery NOTHING bedwise helped me --including Select comfort or various foams.

After surgery, I bought a memory foam (Costco)--it compressed into hardness near my sacrum--so became hot and uncomfortable.
I bought an "egg crate" mattress topper from a surgical supply store--not too expensive. This is MUCH better than any foam I have ever bought. It's the kind they use under bed-ridden patients in hospital. I put this over my memory foam, on my Select Comfort bed and now I sleep comfortably.

[HGD24]

Hi Sarah ~
We bought the Sleep Number bed when I was almost 4 months post op. We went to the Sleep Number store 3 or 4 times before buying it because I wanted to test the bed on different days when my back was feeling good and bad. I spent at least 15 to 20 mins. lying in the bed each visit. Once we got the bed home, it took about 2 weeks for me to figure out what number I liked. It has been wonderful and even for my hubby who is a very active guy. He adjusts his side according to how much activity he's done that day and how his back is feeling.

You can buy them refurbished for much less than the price they sell for in the stores and they still come with the 20-year guarantee. We received an advertisement about 6 months after buying ours in regards to the refurbished ones. If you have more questions on the bed, you can pm me.

[bon]

If you can't afford an expensive bed, the "egg-crate" toppers really do help, as Karen mentioned. Also, I make a "nest" of pillows to support body parts that need it, like my arm and my hip, a small neck roll for sleeping on my back, with a fat pillow on the side for when I turn onto that side. I used to use a pillow under my knees to help my lumbar, but it kept escaping as I slept.