How Mattresses Affect Sleeping Positions
A mattress that doesn’t suit your sleeping position can cause a lot more problems than you think – something you’ll be aware of if you’ve been troubled with lower back, hip or shoulder pain. This is due to pressure points, or to put it simply, the parts of your body that press most against your mattress.
Different sleeping positions affect different pressure points. Ultimately, the best mattress for you is one that balances comfort and support – and prevents any pressure point pain.
In order to get the best night’s sleep for your sleeping position, you need to consider two main factors:
- Comfort layers such as memory foam provide the pressure relief you need for your sleeping position
- Firmness level is a personal choice, but can correctly support your sleeping position
Read on to find out the mattresses we recommend for your sleeping position. Alternatively, if you want to chat about what mattress suits your sleeping habits, give us a call!
What Mattress Do Orthopedic Doctors Recommend
Medium-firm mattresses, which have a rating of 7 to 8, are typically recommended for lower back pain. Keep in mind that the firmness of a mattress will depend on a few different factors, including your preferred sleeping position, your body size and weight, and whether you share your bed with a partner or pet.
Best Hybrid: Brooklyn Signature
If youre looking for a hybrid mattress that will help relieve pressure on areas that take the brunt of the weight in the side sleeping position, look no further than Brooklyn Signature. The Signature scored an impressive 9 out of 10 on the Mattress Advisor pressure relief test and features three different firmness levels: soft, medium and firm. If youre a side sleeper with shoulder pain, testers found the soft and medium firmness options to be both great choices.
This mattress was designed from the ground up for incredible support, with different parts all working in tandem to provide relief from aches that are usually caused from the pressure points around your hips and shoulders. Because of this, the Brooklyn Signature came impressively close to landing a perfect score for pressure relief . Additionally, the Brooklyn Signatures foam layers and coils help keep the spine aligned . This level of support is tough to beat, but the Brooklyn Signature also excels in cooling , edge support , and responsiveness . For side sleepers looking for a customized feel, the Brooklyn Signature is a stellar choice.
- Mattress Type: Hybrid
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How To Pick A Good Side
As we advise in our guide to choosing a mattress, if the bed youre eyeing is available in a storeand if youre able to shop in personbring your favorite pillow and try out the mattress before you buy. Lie on your side for a good 10 to 15 minutes, paying attention to how your back, shoulders, and hips feel.
What Type Of Sleeper Are You
In the same way we dont all sleep on the same mattress, we also cant all sleep in the same position. Although there are advantages and disadvantages of each sleeping position, you should sleep in whichever position you feel is best suited and comfiest to you.
You should however consider adjusting your sleeping position if you are suffering from sleepless nights, snoring, heartburn or back pain to improve the quality of your sleep throughout the night. Although you tend to fall asleep in a similar position each night, your body moves around many times throughout to keep your muscles and limbs from going numb. Here are the pros and cons of side, back and stomach sleeping positions.
Back Sleepers
Sleeping on your back is the best position for keeping your head, neck and spine aligned – but this also relies on having the right pillow for you. You want to keep your airways open and your body straight to avoid acid reflux in your stomach – so you dont want your pillow to be too high, where your chin is tilting too much into your chest, but your head should be slightly lifted. However, if youre feeling brave, try sleeping on your back without a pillow at all, as this leaves the neck in a neutral position, with the airways open.
Side Sleepers
Another downside for the ladies is, sleeping on your side cause your breasts to lean to one side and droop – leading to breast sag. No one wants saggy breasts, so its good to switch up the sleeping positions throughout the night.
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Dfi Recommends: Gelflex 3000 Hybrid Mattress
A hybrid mattress provides the support of a pocket sprung mattress system with the comfort and pressure relief of a memory foam topping layer, providing the comfortable softness for side sleepers to sink into. The Gelflex 3000 Hybrid pocket sprung mattress ensures body weight is evenly distributed, alleviating pressure and making it an ideal mattress for those who sleep on their side. We feel that overall, the Gelflex 3000 is the best mattress for side sleepers.
Why is the Gelflex 3000 hybrid the best mattress for side sleepers?
- Memory foam topping provides a soft, comfortable topping that side sleepers can sink into, providing pressure point relief
- Pocket sprung section provides even distribution of weight and support of the mid-section
- Pressure relief for shoulders, hips, knees and ankles
- Medium level of firmness
- Ideal for those who sleep on their side OR back, making it versatile and ideal for partners with different sleeping positions
Option 2: Memory Foam Mattress
Increasingly common in Ireland, memory foam mattresses are believed to offer pressure point relief on joint pain, thanks to its contouring properties which allow the material to fit around your body, providing firm support.
For side sleepers, this means that as you move to shift all weight onto your side, the memory foam will absorb the weight, allowing you to fully sink in and moulding itself to the natural position of your body as it moves throughout the night providing support.
How Long Does It Take To Adjust To A New Mattress
It should take approximately 30 to 60 days to adjust to your new mattress, as it can initially feel somewhat stiff, and your body may not be accustomed to its new support system. That said, you might feel totally comfortable on it from day one, and thats great!
Luckily, many companies offer sleep trials to give customers time to be certain they enjoy their new mattress. Its encouraged that you test your mattress for at least one month before making a decision to keep or return it.
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How Side Sleeping Affects Your Body
Side sleeping is the most common sleep position, and experts agree that it’s typically also the healthiest. Leeds explains that sleeping on one’s side provides relief from back pain and may reduce one’s risk of breathing problems like sleep apnea, while Park notes that it tends to promote good circulation. However, the sleeping position also comes with some potential downsides.
The key to restful, restorative sleep is to keep your spine, neck, and shoulders all in good alignment. But picture the shape of someone sleeping on their side: The widest parts of their body, their shoulders and hips, will naturally want to sink deeper into a mattress.
If your mattress is super firm and doesn’t have enough give, you might wake up with shoulders and hips that feel sore or stiff in the morning. If it’s really soft, your shoulders and hips may sink too far into your mattress and throw off that ever-important alignment, which can irritate your joints and ligaments and contribute to low back pain.
“If you have too soft of a mattress, regardless of your sleep position, your body kind of gets absorbed into that,” Koth says. “It might feel good, but your body has to do absolutely no work. Without a little bit of muscle contraction to stabilize you, you actually lose some of the support that your body needs.”
From head to toe, experts say side sleepers should aim for the following alignment when sleeping:
Pros Of A Medium Mattress
A medium mattress provides a rapid response time to your bodys movements while softly cradling its curves, reducing pressure point build-up. While medium mattresses are relatively soft, they still offer enough firmness so that sleepers wont just sink into them.
Furthermore, a medium mattress typically works with the most body and sleep types because its in the middle of the firmness scale, better suiting a wider user base. Medium mattresses are soft enough to offer lighter individuals necessary cradling, but at the same time, theyre firm enough to prevent individuals from sinking uncomfortably.
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Firm Vs Soft Mattress
The mattress you rest on each night plays an important role in the quality of your sleep. If you frequently wake up in the middle of the night with sore
The mattress you rest on each night plays an important role in the quality of your sleep. If you frequently wake up in the middle of the night with sore muscles or feel unrested throughout the day, your bed may not be supporting you correctly. Based on your body type and preferred sleep position, you need a certain mattress firmness so your muscles can fully relax. When you are resting in a healthy, tension-free position, youre more likely to sleep soundly and wake feeling refreshed.
Whether you are a side, back, stomach, or combination sleeper, there is a mattress designed for your specific needs. Throughout this article, we will help you determine the level of comfort that is right for you, whether it be firm or soft.
Comfort Scale Ratings 1
Mattresses with a Comfort Scale rating in the 1-2 range are designed for those who want the firmest mattress possible. Mattresses with this level of comfort are generally recommended only to back sleepers. Side and stomach sleepers usually need more softness and padding. These mattresses have minimal padding and focus on rigid back support that keeps your spine properly aligned.
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Good for some back sleepers
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Too firm for stomach sleepers
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Too hard for side sleepers
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Choosing A Pillow For Side Sleepers
Here at Nectar, we tried to take the guesswork out of choosing a pillow, by designing the pillow weve always wished we had. Our specially designed Nectar pillow combines the best of soft and supportive pillows. The outer shell provides luxurious oomph while the inner shell is made out of three types of foam that contour around your body, whether you use the pillow under your neck or between your knees.
Since pillow preference can vary from sleeper to sleeper, we also ship the pillows to you overfilled. This way you have control over how much fluff you want: simply remove the stuffing until it feels right. You can also save the extra stuffing in case you want to adjust your pillow later. Finally, wrapped it all up in a cooling Tencel fabric because, lets face it, if a pillow makes you too hot, youll just toss it aside.
Best For Side Sleepers With Lower Back Pain: Purple Mattress
Side sleepers most often suffer from hip and shoulder pain during the night since thats where most of your weight is distributed during sleepbut that doesnt mean that your lower back cant suffer, too, especially if youre snoozing on an ill-suited mattress.
The Purple Mattress, with its dual foam layers, is designed to cushion and support all your pressure points, including your lower back. It stabilizes and neutralizes weight, so no matter how you sleep , the mattress works to maintain the spinal alignment needed for better, more comfortable sleep.
The mattress can be shipped, free of charge, to your home and comes with a 120-day money back guarantee in case you dont love it. Its also covered by a 10-year warranty, so you wont need to worry about wearing it outand having to upgrade againanytime soon.
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Find The Right Combination Of Comfort And Support With Our Pick Of The Best Mattresses For Sleeping On Your Side
Wondering whether your dream mattress is the best one for side sleepers? It goes without saying that the right mattress for you will largely depend on what position you tend to sleep in, whether it be your back, front, side or a combination of all three.
The mattress market is vast, and the amount of choice can be dizzying for anyone, but if youre the type of person who likes to sleep on their side, then you might find it difficult to get the right level of comfort from your mattress. Too firm and you could put undue tension on your hips, arms and shoulders. Too soft and your body wont get the support it needs, especially if you regularly sleep on your front and back too.
Side sleepers are in a particularly tricky situation here, but were here to help. Weve put together this list of the best mattresses for sleeping on your side, as well as a short buyers guide, to help the side sleepers among you choose a mattress that is just right.
Featured deal: Save over 40% on an Emma mattress
Best Affordable Innerspring: Saatva Classic
The Saatva Classic stands out for side sleepers who need optimal back support. It uses two layers of coils to keep the body atop that mattress, and a lumbar support foam layer to keep the spine from sinking out of alignment . This also prevents your hips from sinking, which in turn helps you maintain great neutral spinal alignment. The dual-coil systems also enable the Saatva to support a lot of body weight, making it suitable for heavier sleepers.
Complementing the lumbar support of the Saatva Classic is its incredible edge support . Edge support helps with maintaining abiding support for the life of the mattress. According to our Saatva mattress review, the outstanding lumbar and edge support together make the Saatva Classic one of the best mattresses on the market for side sleepers, bar none.
- Mattress Type: Luxury Hybrid
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Best Mattress Firmness For Back
If you’re a back-sleeper, we recommend slightly firmer mattresses. This is because you’ll need excellent spinal alignment and extra support for your heaviest areas.
Of course, this is a personal choice and you may still prefer a softer feel. Your body weight is another important consideration, too – if you’re heavier than average, you may prefer a firmer mattress.
Without taking into account your personal preference, we recommend the following mattress firmness ratings if you’re a back-sleeper:
- Medium-firm
- Firm
- Medium-firm mattresses are the most popular choice for back-sleepers, since they provide the best support without feeling too firm.
- Firm mattresses are great if you’re a back-sleeper and love a firmer feel, or if you’re of above-average weight.
An Option With Gel Pods That Support Your Lower Back
Casper
- Materials: Memory foam, gel pods
- Firmness level: Medium
- Trial period: 100 nights
Heads up: This model is on sale for Presidents Day. Save up to $595 on any Casper mattress, plus take 10% off everything else, like the brands popular dog beds and bedding.
The Casper Wave mattress is a hybrid, so like many on this list, it offers the best of both worlds . However, what sets the Wave apart is its built-in gel pods, which provide gentle-yet-firm support for the waist and lower back for proper spinal alignment. Then, the uppermost layers consist of marshmallowy foam to cradle side sleepers joints.
The Wave will also keep night sweats at bay with proprietary technology that directs heat away from your body and gives the mattress a cool-to-the-touch feel. Plus, its base of foam-encased springs promotes airflow one huge plus of hybrid mattress models, in general.
What the Reviews Say: Shares one reviewer, I used to not be able to sleep on my right side due to my shoulder feeling like it wanted to pop out of the socket, but on the Wave Hybrid I sleep on either side comfortably! And, when experiencing back pain from painting their home, I would wake up and it was like my back had been freshly aligned by a chiropractor, except that it didn’t start hurting a couple hours later like a chiropractor adjustment does.
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What Does The Science Say About Great Vs Bad Sleep Behaviors Best Firm Mattresses For Side Sleepers
It is necessary to understand the science of Sleep and how it impacts your health.
This study reveals that there are advantages to both bad and good sleeping habits. The excellent practices include:
- Going to sleep at a particular time.
- Not using screens an hour prior to bed.
- Getting up at a specific time.
- Exercising frequently.
- getting up gasping for air
- What are the very best Ways to Get Good Sleep?
Getting a great nights Sleep is essential for our health. It is likewise necessary for our physical and psychological performance the next day.
There are many ways to get a great nights rest. A few of them consist of shutting off your phone, preventing caffeine, and setting a bedtime regimen.
The best way to get a good nights Sleep is to develop a bedtime regimen. The regimen should include having a warm bath, checking out for 15 minutes, and winding down with some calming music.
The best time to start your day is at 7 am. This is when you are most alert, and the danger of going to sleep during the day is minimal.
