Best mattress for bad backs

If you have low back pain, a very firm mattress might not be best for you. A recent study published in Lancet shows that medium-firm mattresses soothed backs more than those that are firm or extra-firm. Study participants who used medium-firm mattresses for three months reported less pain while in bed, when rising, and during the day.

Doctors conclude that the medium-firm mattress puts less pressure on the shoulders and hips, making it easier to lie in the fetal position, which can benefit the back. Lying with knees bent ,either on your side or your back, is considered a correct sleeping posture, say the study authors.

Go to the guest room?

Somewhere between 20 and 65 million Americans have mild to severe insomnia. How about their partners? When asked what kept them awake at least once a week, half of those surveyed blamed an insomniac bed partner. If yours sometimes tosses and turns too much, you might get better sleep on the sofa or in the guest room.

Of those surveyed, this is what they said kept them awake during the last week: Stress, 66 percent; family problems, 20 percent; money or job worries, 33 percent; and current events, 5 percent.

Meditation boosts immunity

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin tested the immunity of subjects who had received flu shots, half of whom had learned to meditate six days a week.

After eight weeks, meditators had higher levels of flu-fighting antibodies. They were better able to deal with stress, and had increased activity in the brain that was linked to good moods. The feel-good effects lasted for up to four months after they stopped meditating.

The doctors say meditating produces biological changes in the brain and body. It's free, safe, and helpful.