Is it harmful to sleep on an air mattress?

Inflatable mattress – a universal solution for sleep. It is easy to use as a main or extra bed, or take it on vacation or to the beach. It is worth remembering that the comfort of sleep depends a lot on the thickness of the product.

If you have a choice to purchase a mattress with a thickness 50 cm or 20 cm you should give preference to the first option. It will protect against hypothermia on cold ground and will be convenient when used on water.

Width is also important, because in a narrow sleeping place it will be difficult for a person with large dimensions and weight to sleep comfortably. This is more of a guest option. The best option is a one-and-a-half mattress - you will sleep on it comfortably. Such a product, it would seem, could well replace a regular mattress, but in fact it will bring a lot of disappointment.

Sleeping on an air mattress: effects on the spine

An orthopedic effect is provided only by those mattresses that are able to support the spine in a physiologically correct position. That is, the spinal column should have the correct curve, where the hips will drop lower and the lumbar region will drop less.

Orthopedic ones with spring and springless blocks are elastic and have sufficient rigidity. In comparison, an inflatable product cannot guarantee this effect, and therefore the spine does not relax properly.

The point is in the internal filling of such an air mattress. They consist of vinyl air chambers surrounded by rubber or foam. This does not allow for rigid support for the spine: the head lies higher, and the lower back and hips “go” into the depression under their weight.

This position of the body during sleep for a long time is harmful. It often causes pain in the back muscles.

Air mattresses: fiction and truth

Practicality

One of the most important advantages of an inflatable product is practicality. It is easy to inflate and deflate, especially if the model is equipped with a pump.

But often, after a month of use, the mattress begins to deflate, most often this happens at night. And you are forced to get up and look for where it is leaking. Most often, holes form at joints or seams. The air from the formed hole comes out slowly, without escaping with a whistle, so you will have to smear the surface centimeter by centimeter and look for the damaged area.

Important! If you inflate the mattress until it is too hard, it will begin to leak even faster. And if it is scratched by a cat or dog, it will threaten with a new hole every time. The service life of the product ranges from 6 to 12 months.

Orthopedics

The filling of an air mattress, in comparison with a regular one, provides a worse orthopedic effect. Its long-term use leads to a sore back and constant incorrect body position during sleep.

Safety

Compared to the usual one, the manufacturer uses glue to produce an inflatable product. Inhaling the adhesive can be harmful to the body, and the synthetic surface does not wick moisture away well. It is always hot to sleep on, which negatively affects skin breathing.

Is it harmful to sleep on an air mattress all the time?

It is better to use it for sleeping for a short period of time: when you go to nature, while relaxing on the lake, or use it as a guest option.

Constant sleep can lead to back problems, and lying on the floor can lead to hypothermia, colds or runny nose.

Is it comfortable to sleep

This mattress is convenient to use in small apartments where it is difficult to add an extra bed. And so I just blew it off and put it in a drawer. This is a great advantage when used, but Is it so comfortable to sleep on it?

If you read reviews of people who purchased an inflatable product instead of a sleeping place, you can hear the following opinions on this topic:

• if you over-pump, the partitions begin to tear and subsequently the bed deflates at night;
• holes appear on it easily;
• bed linen is rolled and folded;
• often smells of chemicals;
• After sleep, my back often hurts.

Based on all of the above, we can conclude that such a product is best used as a non-permanent or temporary sleeping place. They should not replace full-fledged mattresses made from natural materials (coconut coir, cotton).

According to orthopedists, constant sleep on an inflatable sleeper in the long term will lead to serious problems with the spine, including the appearance of a hernia.