Pain-free sleep about more than your mattress

Physiotherapist Karen Webb is the author of the "Body Basics for Life" book series, and her tips for waking up without pain includes some things many people already do when they get up.

"In the morning, allow time for your body to wake-up," she said.

"You know how we tend to jump out of bed, we need to take time and what you need to do is roll over from your side, stretch your legs out, if your fingres or your hands are affected, get those going. When you get out of bed, hop into a hot shower. That's a great way to get the joints moving."

Following the shower with "range of motion stretching" like arm circles, and a healthy breakfast with fruit and whole grains, makes for a great way to get going in the morning, Webb told Canada AM.

However, Webb cautioned that pain or stiffness in the morning that lasts longer than 30 minutes could be a red flag and people should see their doctor, because "it could be rheumatoid arthritis, which is a chronic, progressive disease...and there are treatments that can actually slow or stop it."

The other key part of waking up without pain, Webb added, is to ensure that you're getting regular exercise.

While you are sleeping

Before morning comes, though, it is important to pay attention to the comfort of your mattress and pillow, and your sleep position.

Gary Baskerville, spokesperson for the Better Sleep Council Canada, gave Canada AM the A-B-C's of whether it may be time for a new mattress; that is, the age, beauty and comfort of your current mattress.

"If your product is 8-10 years old, chances are that it's not longer like new in terms of its comfort or support, or perhaps you've changed and you need different comfort or support," Baskerville says.

He adds that if your mattress is no longer a "beauty," or is dirty, stained or shows evidence of sagging or dipping, that's another good sign it's time for a new mattress.

Finally, "C stands for comfort and there is a broad range of comforts available today," he said. "There's a good chance, for instance, if you wake up in the morning and you have some sort of back pain, or an ache that you didn't have when you went to bed the night before...it may be a function of the mattress."

Baskerville emphasized that when shopping for a mattress you must test the it in the position you would normally sleep in.

Once you're sure you have the right mattress, Webb added that you can use pillows to support your body and reduce minor aches and pains.

While lying on your side, she recommended putting a pillow between the knees to help reduce pain in the back and the hip, and says you must be sure that the pillow under your head will "support your kneck so it stays in a neutral position," not too flat.

If you happen to sleep on your back, Webb suggested placing a pillow or two under the knees "helps to get the spine in the natural curve, and if you happen to have back pain you can throw a rolled up small towel under your low back."