When I was 16, I inherited a bit of money. Not a large sum at all, but enough so that I could afford a new bed, a bookshelf and some nick-nacks from my local furniture store. Being 16, I didn't exactly put much thought into how kind my new mattress would be to my back down the line, and so I managed to find the firmest mattress known to man.

At first, it was hard to sleep on, but I'm lazy, and so I kept it. That was a good decision. Today, I have a much softer mattress, and let me tell you, I'm suffering.

Whenever I go camping in the summer, where I'm not in need of any insulation, I usually opt for just a simple, thin, foam sleeping pad, and it works wonder. The first couple of nights it's usually quite rough, not uncomfortable mind you, just hard to sleep as it's not as superficially comfortable, but after the initial acclimation my back's so much better.