Hello! I’m almost 40 and—like a lot of people—I struggle with chronic back and hip pain.

My Long History of Hip & Back Pain

In 2008, my left hip pain began.

In 2015, I had arthroscopic hip surgery for a cartilage tear.

I’ve done years of physical therapy, both before and after the surgery. Despite all of this, I still deal with pain daily and can’t really run anymore.

Then, in 2023, my lower back pain on the left side started. It hasn’t gone away since.

Recently, I swapped most of my PT exercises for Pilates, which has helped somewhat—but not enough.

The Experiment: Quitting My Mattress

I wasn’t even searching for back pain cures when I stumbled across this YouTube video. It got me thinking about sleeping without a mattress for back pain.

On Tuesday, August 19th, I decided to ditch my mattress for the night.

Instead, I slept on a flat wooden bed frame with a 2-inch workout mat on top. My theory?

• It would encourage me to sleep on my back
• My spine would stay more aligned
• This might allow my muscles to relax and “reset” overnight 🤷🏼‍♀️

Night One: Luna Was Not a Fan

My dog, Luna, was confused. Normally she hops on and off my (high) bed without issue. With the bed lower, she needed reassurance every time. Even while half-asleep, I could sense she wanted help, which disrupted my sleep.

But here’s the surprising part: my lower back already felt a little different the next morning. Not a miracle cure, but enough to get my attention.

Nights Two & Three: Subtle Improvements

Since then, my back has felt just a bit better each night. I still toss and turn and sometimes end up on my side, but I’m noticing small shifts in pain. Interestingly, the pain seems to be moving laterally, which actually feels like progress—when you live with chronic pain, any change can feel like a relief.

Now, full disclosure:

I haven’t been sleeping all that well overall (probably due to job stress + less exercise this week). My mattress is not the problem—it’s actually an excellent latex hybrid mattress that I love. No dips, no sagging, nothing.

The Big Question: Are Soft Mattresses Making Pain Worse?

This experiment made me wonder:

• Does a super comfortable mattress actually enable misalignment?
• Could “instant comfort” at night be setting us up for longer-term pain during the day?

I don’t know the answer yet, but I’m curious to see if sleeping without a mattress continues to help.

What’s Next

Three nights in, my back pain feels a little more manageable. It’s way too early for a definitive conclusion, but I’m hopeful.I’ll be continuing this experiment and will share updates here. If you’ve ever tried sleeping without a mattress (or thought about it), I’d love to hear your experience in the comments!