Bad back & sleeping in a van - what do you sleep on?

[uncagingmyspirit]

First - THANK YOU to the people who have been answering my questions. I owe you coffee if we ever meet in-person.&nbsp;<br><br>My number one concern for my conversion has been a good mattress for the cargo van to camper van conversion. Currently I have a pretty good full size bed that is great for the damaged muscles in my back. It really depends on the size &amp; type of van I get rather or not I keep my current mattress.&nbsp;<br><br><ul><li>Do I want to keep it and make sure to get an extended cargo van</li><li>Do I want to trade it for a twin and have the extra room for other stuff or just walking&nbsp;</li><li>Is there a really good for the back futon mattress</li></ul><br>Is there anyone out there who also have back issues that uses a special bed design or super good futon mattress or mattress to ensure your back doesn't hurt?&nbsp;

 

[greybeard23]

I had major back surgery in 1973 or so.&nbsp; Crushed disc and herniated disc, so needless to say, for forty years or so, I have slight problems with my back.<br><br>I sleep on a 4 inch mattress I got from a friend that runs a furniture store.&nbsp; It is six feet by 4 feet, big enough for me.&nbsp; And since it is solid enough, which I seem to need, it fits my needs perfectly.&nbsp; Just built a frame with 1/4 in.&nbsp; plywood top and it works fine.<br><br>My only concern is bending to tie my shoelaces, sometimes that will put me out of commission for two weeks.&nbsp; But then, even lying down is as bad as sitting or walking.&nbsp; Something I have learned to live with, since doctors are of no use.<br><br>Plenty of walking is better than lying around or sitting, exercise is the main cure, if there is such a thing as a cure for a bad back.

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

If there is a cure let me know&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br><br>I've done a little research on futons but there doesn't seem to be a good one for backs for long-term sleeping. So I may just go with my current mattress for now unless I can trade it for partial credit on good twin set and use the box as part of the platform frame - build legs on it.&nbsp;

 

[greybeard23]

My Chiropractor always told me to either sleep on a good air mattress or a cotton futon.&nbsp; I did try an air mattress, which worked for awhile, but never a cotton futon.&nbsp; The mattress I have I believe comes from a fold out sofa bed, hard to believe it could fold in half the easy, but it is comfortable for me to sleep on.<br>As long as I am flat I am good, once what I am on starts to sag, its over.&nbsp; Therefore, no cots, no hammocks and no water beds.

 

[user 423]

I have back problems also and quite a few years ago slept on a futon that my sister had at her house and it was pretty comfy. I don't know the brand but it was thick and expensive and had a foam topper also.<br><br>If your full bed does the trick for you, I'd stay with what works. A full mattress in a (regular) van sits on the wheelwells fine and then just brace the end. Centered, you'll have 8" or so on each side where you can get creative with storage and organization and maybe build slide-out storage bins for underneath. The negative is getting in and out as you have to scoot over the thing. If you have a hightop van and then moved the mattress to one side, I guess you might have a walkway wide enough to make things easier.

 

[TxGypsy]

You might check with an Army Navy store. &nbsp;I once ordered a piece of really firm foam that came cut to my specifications. &nbsp;It ended up being a bit too firm. &nbsp;Really good quality, not too thick, so it doesn't take up a lot of space. &nbsp;

 

[MrNoodly]

It's easier to make a too-hard mattress softer (by adding a foam topper, pillows or whatever) than to make a too-soft mattress firmer.

 

[sassypickins]

I had back surgery in the distant past, too.&nbsp; For years afterward I was uncomfortable and ached the next day no matter what 'give' the mattress had or didn't have.&nbsp; I started putting one pillow under my knees but that only added marginal relief.&nbsp; Finally I added a whole bunch of pillows, and now I have what feels like a sleeping nest that I change up however it suits me whenever I wake during the night. Physically it relieves pressure and I find that mentally I like it, too.&nbsp; I guess I always just assumed sleeping on a one-plane surface was the thing to do but my little 'cloud' works much better for me.&nbsp; Maybe this will help you too. I use pillow covers that are easy to launder.

 

[MrNoodly]

Yeah, for about a decade I did the same thing with eight king size pillows. I didn't have back pain, just trouble sleeping. (Now I have a 4" memory foam topper and only four pillows.) It makes me wonder whether we should scrap flat beds and go with a more nest-like setup. It seems more natural.

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

All GREAT advice - thank you!&nbsp;

 

[Terry]

I've had to have the pillow piles since I was a kid. The minimum is three pillows and generally four or five does better. The pillows are a great excuse for me to never make the bed, except when changing the sheets. I like to just crawl into the pile and kick things around till I'm suffering the least with pain and hope sleep comes before that position becomes too painful. I do toss and turn all night and have to get up multiple times&nbsp; each night to adjust the way things hurt. I also use an herbal remedy to help get back to sleep that isn't really mentionable in some company.

 

[marshall]

We travel with a Serta full mattress in our E150 high top. It is placed on top of a platform appr. 17" high divided into three cells for storage underneath. Full timing 3.5 yrs. this way. Mattress is critical after three (3) on the job injuries resulting in one bone after another broken. Every disc in my back is herniated and two that are bulged. This mattress is a lifesaver. That and four Tramadols every morning<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">.

 

[ilovemyvan]

Hi there, Have you considered resizing the mattress you have and love?&nbsp; There was 13 kids in my family&nbsp;so my mother had to be very resourceful. I remember her making a full size bed into a 3/4 bed. I recently bought a new mattress for&nbsp;a fraction of the price because it wasn't sewn on one side. I fixed it in no time. Don't let the fact that it is a mattress intimidate you. If you decide to go this route, let me know and I'll send you the thread, it has to be heavy duty, I have a whole bunch that I'd gladly share. <br><br>Good luck<br><br>Nicole

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

SoxAndNicole I am considering going down to a twin. The mattress &amp; boxspring are still in the original plastic covering the came in because I hate dust mites (allergies &amp; asthma) so the set is still in pretty good shape. My hope is that I can sell it to a store for credit for a really good twin set. My hope is to buy a mattress such as the one marshall &nbsp;mentioned - a pillow top Serta twin and possibly use the box spring as the foundation for the platform by just putting legs on it.&nbsp;

 

[wrcsixeight]

My back occasionally flares up. &nbsp;It is not my bed which contributes to this, but sitting in the chairs and moving around within the van, moving items around within the van.<br><br>I need a firm mattress, and the one in my Van is good. &nbsp;When I visit family, almost every time, the super soft beds have me crippled and hobbling after a week or so, and this does not really improve until I get back on a firmer mattress.

 

[travlinman and wife]

I have back problems for 30 years tried every thing. hard , soft and every thing in between but nothing gave much results until 2002. at that time I went to Korea were my wife is from. wile their I slept on the floor on a 2 inch cotton pad and had no back problems . came back to the us slept in my bed for 3 nights and had trouble getting out of bed. got rid of my mattress and built me a plywood bed&nbsp; with a 3 in foam mattress and my&nbsp; back has done much better. my wife has no problem because it makes her back fell much better. that may be why we have so much problem in this country most other country's do not have the problems we do. soft may not always be best. I can also sleep just fine without a pad just on a flat hard surface

 

[Ziggy Moon]

I've had back issues for 25 years, with surgery in 2004. I learned early that the floor was my friend when my back was at it's worst. Yet it wasn't untill later on that I realized that a nice and very firm mattress was a far better choice for my well being, than a soft-n-fluffy mattress.<br><br>If it is possible and you want it, I'd say keep what you have - I don't know your particular aches and pains resulting from your bum back, but with me a change in bed could, and has, resulted in a two week to a month long recuperation made possible by my friend - The Floor!

 

[bpeck]

Memory foam is my secret! &nbsp;Everyone who has layed on my bed (nearly queen size bed in a regular length Ford E150 high-top) has said it's unreasonably comfortable. &nbsp;It's an 8" thick memory foam mattress from a local retailer where I'm from.

 

[MrNoodly]

For those considering foam (memory or regular) and who are working with nonstandard bed dimensions, you might check your area for foam suppliers and for custom upholsterers (especially marine upholstery shops). A good foam supplier can sandwich different densities of foam. And a custom upholsterer can cover it in something more durable than what's on ordinary beds.

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

I'm definitely going to check out&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 20px;">8" thick memory foam mattress now&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"></span>