What Are the Benefits of Adjustable Beds?

Posture Control

• A flat, completely horizontal mattress often allows your body to shift into improper posture or cramped positions as you sleep. If you have back or joint problems that are exacerbated by bad posture, sleeping on a flat mattress may have you in pain when you wake. Adjustable beds allow you to control how your body is arranged as you sleep, says SpinLife. A slight incline at the head or foot of the bed can prevent you from curling up or bending your legs and causing yourself unwanted pain.

More Support

• The natural curve of the back resembles an S, with a curve especially pronounced in the lower back. This area is not supported by a flat mattress if you sleep on your back. Sleeping on your side hampers healthy breathing, and special lumbar pillows often lead to tension and pain in other parts of the body. The Spine Health website says that adjustable beds allow you to sleep in a semi-Fowler position with an inclined upper body and slightly bent legs. This position takes almost all of the strain off of your lower back.

Edema Treatment

• Edema is a medical condition in which the legs and feet swell up from accumulated fluids and become painful. Sleeping with your legs elevated helps prevent fluid buildup and the accompanying pain, according to Craftmatic. A fully adjustable bed allows you to tilt your legs up just enough to prevent edema complications without feeling stretched or contorted. The angle encourages the fluid to travel through the body without gathering in the legs, preventing weight gain and extremity pain.

Bed-Ridden Comfort

• Patients who are bed ridden or have severe mobility issues struggle to enjoy watching television or other activities best done in a sitting position if they are confined to a traditional bed. Adjustable beds allow the top half of your body to be supported like a couch or chair would without requiring you to leave the bed. Beds that lower on command make changing the bed linens or helping a loved one out of bed easier as well.