If you wake up every morning with back pain, it's easy to assume that your mattress or mattress topper is to blame. After all, if you sleep on a topper all night and still have back pain in the morning, it is most likely caused by your bedding. But do mattress toppers help back pain or make it worse?

We've tested the best mattresses of the year and know that the right level of support for your body type is essential to help you sleep comfortably. Without proper support, your spine can tilt and cause long-term pain. Mattress toppers can help provide proper support, but choosing the wrong topper can worsen your sleep space, causing overheating and back pain.

Here we will look at whether mattress toppers can help or cause back pain, and which topper to choose if you want to reduce back pain. We will also look at the most common signs that you need to replace your topper so that you can determine if it is time to replace it during the May Memorial Day mattress sale.

The wrong mattress topper can cause discomfort, but the right mattress topper can actually extend the life of your mattress and prevent the onset of back pain.

For example, if your mattress topper is too soft and lacks back support, a medium firm or firm mattress topper can help keep your spine in proper alignment. It can also cover the sagging of an old mattress and prevent the hips from sinking in.

The short answer is "yes." Even the best mattress topper can cause discomfort to your lower back if you choose the wrong one. This is often not because of the poor quality of the mattress topper, but because of its firmness. Mattress toppers that are too soft cause the lower back to sink in, leading to misalignment of the spine and lower back pain.

James Crow, a sleep posture expert, recently told Tom's Guide that the firmness and softness of a mattress or mattress topper is important in dealing with back pain. He said, "Medium-firm mattresses are generally better for back pain than soft mattresses that lack support or hard mattresses that are too unforgiving."

Many toppers are designed to add softness to the bed, but this can exacerbate back pain in back and forward sleepers because the lower back sinks into the surface of the topper and the spine becomes misaligned. This is because the lower back sinks into the topper and the spine becomes misaligned.

If you are concerned about the lifespan of a mattress topper, the answer is "not as long as you think." If your mattress topper is made of feathers or down, it may need to be replaced after one year.

"It is important to replace the mattress topper every one to two years to ensure the longevity of your mattress," says Lydia Lloyd, homeware and textile designer at M&S Home.

Wool or latex toppers last a little longer (5 to 10 years), but the truth is, toppers are not a long-term solution. Mattress toppers can begin to sag early on and show signs of wear and tear. As a result, the body is no longer supported and is more prone to shifting and back pain.

If you feel fine when you get into bed but wake up in the morning with back pain and soreness, your mattress may be the cause. Back pain can result from injury or daytime activities, but back pain that is severe in the morning and lessens during the day is usually due to a topper that is too soft to support the back and lower back area.

The majority of mattress toppers are made from memory foam. However, not everyone likes the hug of memory foam, and back sleepers and stomach sleepers may find themselves enveloped or trapped by the sinking softness. If this is the case, the back, hips, and spine may not be supported, leading to lower back pain.

Trying to sleep with back pain is one of the most difficult things for Senior Sleep Editor and Certified Sleep Coach Claire Davis. Davis developed back and buttock pain during her mid-pregnancy, which she says has seriously disrupted her sleep. She says, "I was in agony within 20 minutes of lying down, so I think the chances of me being comfortable enough to fall asleep were pretty slim."

She also says, "I was in a state of agony within 20 minutes of lying down, so the chances of me feeling comfortable enough to fall asleep were pretty slim.

According to Davis, the combination of a pressure-relieving mattress topper and a cooling hybrid mattress helped reduce back and hip pain during sleep. At the time, I was trying out the Eve hybrid mattress, and I remember it suddenly felt too stiff and unforgiving for my hips and back,"

Davis said.

"So I decided to combine it with the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Mattress Topper (from $191 at Tempur-Pedic).

When choosing a mattress for back pain, consider the following:

Finally, if you still wake up with back pain after a few weeks, you may need to adjust the firmness of the topper. It is also advisable to consult a physician to rule out other causes.