Myth
Your mattress is probably not the cause
If you wake up stiff, the day before matters more than the bed.
Why people believe it
Morning stiffness feels like it comes from the bed, and a new mattress is a simple thing to buy. Marketing leans hard on that hope.
What is actually true
Stiffness on waking is mostly what a full day of sitting and shallow movement left in the tissues, then held still for eight hours. A fresh mattress does not undo yesterday. People swap beds for years and wake up just as tight.
What to do instead
Give the spine a little space before bed and again on waking. A short hang and slow, supported stretches drain the day out of the back so it does not set overnight. Little and often beats one big purchase; the mattress can stay.
Feel it for yourself at a Gravity Stretching studio
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