Tips To Help Keep Your Spine Aligned
In addition to a mattress that balances support and cradling, we recommend that side sleepers select pillows that support their spinal alignment.
Head Pillow: A pillow for your head should have enough loft to fill the space between your head, your shoulder, and the mattress. This can help keep your head, neck, and spine in alignment. Most side sleepers prefer a medium- to high-loft pillow with a midrange firmness
Leg or Knee Pillow: Some side sleepers also place a pillow between their knees to help prevent hip rotation, relieve pressure on the hips and lower back, and improve spinal alignment.
Are Innerspring Mattresses Good For Side Sleepers
Innerspring mattresses can be a good fit for side sleepers provided they are soft enough. Innerspring mattresses tend to be on the firmer side, so when looking for an innerspring mattress for side sleepers, look for one that has a thicker comfort layer or a pillow top to help with pressure relief. You might also want to consider a hybrid mattress because they incorporate softer foam in the comfort layers while still having a layer of springs for support.
Health Concerns For Side
Side-sleeping is helpful for people who experience acid reflux or back pain, or those who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. But side-sleeping also has its disadvantages: A tight fetal position can leave you feeling sore in the morning, especially if you have arthritis, said Ahmed Radwan, DPT, PhD, associate professor of physical therapy at Utica College in New York. If you dont switch positions frequently, over time you could be vulnerable to sore shoulders and hips. Anecdotally, long-term side-sleeping has also been associated with rotator-cuff tendinitis, an inflammation of the tendon that connects muscle to the bone at the shoulder, and hip bursitis, an inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs between the bone and soft tissues, said Jonathan Braman, MD, chief of shoulder surgery at the University of Minnesota Medical Center.
Its unclear whether side-sleeping, particularly on a too-firm mattress, makes people vulnerable to these conditions or brings out conditions theyre already prone to. Fortunately, most people move around more than they think, Braman told us, and chances are good that any mattress that feels comfortable and supportive for you will be fine in general.
You May Like: Who Sells Lady Americana Mattresses
Best Luxury Hybrid Mattress: Brooklyn Bedding Sedona Hybrid
Brooklyn Bedding Sedona Hybrid
- Firmness: 4 to 6 out of 10
- Best for shoppers seeking an upgraded sleep experience
- Available in twin, twin XL, full, full XL, queen, short queen, king, California king, split California king
- Warranty: 10 Years
- Great cushioning for pressure points
- Low motion transfer means you wont disturb your partner when getting up
- Plush, high-end finish
The Sedona Hybrid by Brooklyn Bedding is every bit as high-end as youd expect from the price tag. It offers a soft, plush feel that will make you feel like youre lounging at a five-star hotel. The Sedona Hybrid offers excellent pressure point relief, low motion transfer so you can climb in and out without waking your partner, and great breathability to promote a cooler nights sleep.
Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress
The Leesa Sapira Hybrid mattress combines gentle foams with pocketed coils for a one-two punch of pressure relief and support. Back sleepers who like a more responsive mattress should be really happy on the Leesa Sapira.
Side sleepers need pressure relief around their shoulders and hips, but memory foam mattresses that offer lots of contouring around pressure points can trap a lot of heat. A hybrid mattress, like the Leesa Sapira Hybrid, can offer the necessary pressure relief while maintaining a cooler temperature, as coils allow for more airflow within the bed. This hybrid mattress has a soft knit blend cover, poly foams, and pocketed coils.
Read Also: Do They Still Make Mattresses You Can Flip
How To Choose The Best Mattress For Side Sleepers
What level of firmness should I look out for?
As a general guideline, youll want to look for a medium or soft mattress if you regularly sleep on your side. As a side sleeper, you put more pressure on your hips and shoulders, and a mattress thats too firm wont be able to accommodate this, and you may even wake with pins and needles among other discomfort. On the other hand, a slightly softer mattress with more give will mould to the contours of your body, while keeping your spine aligned.
How should I take my build into account?
Naturally, the more weight applied to your mattress, the more it will sink. So, if youre on the heavier side, you may be fine with a medium-firm or in some cases even a firm mattress.
Whats most important is that there are enough comfort layers for your build. If you have a small frame, youll definitely want to look for something with plenty of give in its top layers look for deep soft foam layers as you find in the Nectar mattress but if youre of larger stature, then you may find that you can get away with thinner comfort layers, especially if the foundation isnt excessively firm.
Is there anything else to consider?
Casper Favorites For Side Sleepers
At Casper, we know how crucial your preferred sleeping position is to getting the quality and quantity of sleep you need to tackle your waking hours. Thats why were committed to investing our time and energy into studying sleep and manufacturing the best mattresses for your preferred sleep position.
For side sleepers, our mattress options provide the ideal combination of support and give, ensuring premium comfort that cradles your entire body.
Here are our favorite mattresses for side sleepers.
Read Also: What Type Of Mattress Does Drury Inn Use
Best For Side Sleepers With Shoulder Pain: Tempur
Amazon
Shoulder pain can really throw a wrench in your dayyou might not realize it, but your shoulders offer a lot of critical support to your back and neck, making shoulder strain a cause of back pain, neck pain, and tension headaches.
To alleviate shoulder pain as a side sleeper, you need a mattress that can literally hug your pressure points, absorbing your weight and keeping your neck and back carefully aligned. And while the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt is a memory foam mattress like many others on this list, its also the only brand featuring the same kind of memory foam developed and used by NASA to support astronauts during trips into outer space.
So, obviously, its a high-quality option for side sleepers who need the maximum amount of memory foam support. But its also made with an antimicrobial cover and cooling top layer and comes with a 90-day tryout period to ensure youre getting the best possible sleep.
Your Sleep Is Critical
Finding the perfect mattress can make a dramatic difference, not only in your sleep but all aspects of your daily life. Getting quality sleep can improve your productivity, prevent muscle and joint pain as well as ultimately lead to improved happiness.
Many studies show a direct correlation between hours slept and your happiness. Due to the importance of getting a good night’s rest, we recommend making your sleep a real priority in your life and ensuring you have the right tools and knowledge to take control of your sleep.
Finding the right mattress for side sleeping comes down to mattress firmness, types of materials, your own weight, budget, and personal preference.
We recommend sleep products to our readers. We may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site – Learn More
Recommended Reading: How Much Are Puffy Lux Mattresses
Why You Should Trust Us
We rely on our team of sleep experts to research, evaluate, and rate a wide range of sleep products. To date, weve personally tested hundreds of individual mattress models. Our list of the best mattresses for side sleepers is primarily based on feedback from testers who exclusively sleep on their sides, though we also drew from the experiences of our combination sleepers who alternate between side sleeping and back and/or stomach sleeping. Our team consists of people who fall into different weight groups to ensure our findings are inclusive of all body types.
Over the years, weve found that side sleepers typically need more cushioning to ensure even alignment and minimal pressure along the spine. To test mattresses for side sleeping, we use technology like body-mapping sensors to detect pressure buildup in sensitive areas like the shoulders and hips. We also measure sinkage beneath each of our testers bodies to determine whether the mattress offers adequate support for people of different weights. The top picks listed above reflect our overall findings.
What Is The Best Mattress For Side Sleepers
The best mattress for side sleepers has a soft to medium-firm firmness level, as it allows your hips and shoulders to sink into the surface just enough to keep your pressure points cradled and your spine aligned. Memory foam mattresses are generally a safe bet, as are hybrids with substantial foam comfort layers.
Also Check: How Long Does It Take For Nectar Mattress To Expand
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 a MASSIVE 50% on the Emma Original
Featured deal: Get a Brook + Wilde Elite for a BONKERS 50% less with this code
- A comfortable budget choice: Silentnight Studio Eco
The Best Mattress For Sleeping On Your Back
The best mattress for back-sleepers is a pocket sprung, open coil, or even orthopaedic mattress. These mattresses provide the best care and support for natural spinal alignment. You’ll also need extra support for the heaviest areas of your body – typically your midsection.
Below, we explain why these three choices are the best type of mattresses for back-sleepers:
- Pocket sprung
A pocket sprung mattress provides superior support. Many pocket sprung mattresses – like Silentnight Mirapocket mattresses – are zoned. This means you’ll get enhanced support for the heaviest areas and softer support elsewhere.
Also known as a standard sprung mattress, open coil mattresses evenly distribute your weight for great all-round support and pressure relief. Look out for zoned open coil mattresses, such as our range of Silentnight Miracoil mattresses.
- Orthopaedic
An orthopaedic mattress is a great choice if you’re looking for expert back care. This type of mattress can reduce strain on your spine, improve your posture and prevent you from feeling stiff and sore when you wake up.
You May Like: How Wide And Long Is A King Size Mattress
Best Mattresses For Side Sleepers
Dr. Keith Poorbaugh is a licensed physical therapist and physical therapy clinic owner in Alaska. Dr. Poorbaugh is a member of our Sleepopolis Expert Network.
For many folks, theres no cozier sleeping position than when theyre curled up on their side with a cuddly blanket or pillow. So the best mattress for side sleepers should greet their bodies with a mixture of pressure relief and support, ensuring a comfortable drift to dreamland free of any tension or pain.
Unfortunately, many mattresses arent actually built to meet the side sleepers specific needs. Theyre either too firm or too soft . So what are these Goldilocks snoozers supposed to do?
Thankfully, its not all bad news for those who doze primarily on their sides, as there are a ton of fantastic mattresses out there designed specifically for their slumber preferences. Below, well highlight some of our favorites and dive into all the factors that contribute to a sound side-sleeping experience.
Best Types Of Mattresses For Side Sleepers
Here are some of the best mattress types for those who sleep on their side:
- Hybrid mattresses.Hybrid mattresses are a combination of innerspring mattresses and foam mattresses. This means that you get some of the best benefits from both materials. These materials contour to your body to allow your spine to align naturally.
- Latex mattresses. Latex mattresses allow for proper spinal alignment since this material contours to the body and prevents you from sinking too deeply into the mattress. This provides relief from pressure points and can help prevent pain in certain body parts.
- Spring mattresses. The steel coils in innerspring mattresses allow for support throughout the mattress, especially near the edges. Innerspring mattresses dont sink in the way that foam mattresses do, which makes for more consistent comfort while you sleep.
You May Like: How To Move Tuft And Needle Mattress
Are Foam Mattresses Better For Side Sleepers
Yes. Since foam can better mold to your body shape than latex or spring mattresses, a mattress thats all foam or that has a top layer of foam often provides the contour and support side sleepers need.
Most popular types of mattresses feature a top foam layer, though many traditional innerspring mattresses lack such a layer. This is why we advise caution to any side sleeper considering an innerspring mattress.
Benefits Of Sleeping On Your Side
Side sleeping offers many health benefits when done properly. Its gentler on the neck than stomach sleeping, which is known to cause snoring, sleep apnea, and back problems and, for many, more comfortable than back sleeping.
Related: Understanding Sleep Apnea
If you think sleeping on the left or right side is little more than the flip of a coin, think again. Its been proven that sleeping on the left is more beneficial. Sleeping on the right side can aggravate acid reflux and heartburn, both of which left-side sleeping alleviates. Due to the location of the bodys organs, sleeping on the left also boosts digestion, improves circulation, assists brain waste filtering, and stimulates lymphatic drainage. For more information, check out our articles on what is the best side to sleep on and how to properly sleep on your side.
Recommended Reading: How Much Is A Good Mattress Cost
Best Mattress Toppers For Side Sleepers
Even if your new mattress isnt comfortable and has lost its cushion, you might not be ready to replace it. People who need to improve their sleep quality on a tight budget might want to try a mattress topper for side sleeping. A mattress topper usually costs only a few hundred dollars, a fraction of what a quality mattress costs. Side sleepers should seek thick toppers, between 2 to 4 inches tall, with soft to medium feels.
Companies produce mattress toppers with a variety of materials. Memory foam is a common fill, along with latex foam, poly-foam, and gel foam. Eco-conscious side sleepers might want to try a natural latex topper, although it often costs more than a synthetic foam topper. Memory foam mattress toppers are a great choice for budget shoppers.
As with a regular mattress, a topper should include an extensive warranty. We suggest looking for toppers that are protected for at least 5 years.
A mattress topper is also convenient to keep on hand for visitors, allowing you to dress up a guest room mattress or pull-out bed. You can store a mattress topper rolled up in a protective cover and bring it out when you need it.
Sleep Innovations Shea Memory Foam Mattress
Sleep Innovations says that this mattress caters to all sleeping positions and body types due to its layered construction, called TriComfort.
The top layer consists of cooling gel memory foam, while the bottom has a 7-inch layer of firmer foam for support.
This mattress is one of the less expensive options. However, reviewers note a lack of edge support and minimal comfort for people with above-average body weight.
Sleep Innovations offers a 100-night, risk-free trial.
A person looking to buy a new mattress might wonder:
Recommended Reading: What Kind Of Mattress Is Best For A Daybed
Is Memory Foam Better For Side Sleepers
Side sleepers should definitely consider memory foam when mattress shopping, whether in an all-foam mattress or the upper layers of a hybrid. The responsive material cradles joints, which is essential for comfortably sleeping on your side. It also supports the natural curvature of your spine, which helps to alleviate back pain and other aches.
Best Mattresses For Pressure Relief For Side Sleepers
Price: $$$
This medium-soft mattress was designed to provide support by targeting multiple points where pressure tends to happen, from the head and neck down to the legs. Multiple layers provide extra padding along the shoulder and hip regions.
Its made from plant-based material and is produced in an eco-friendly factory.
This mattress is designed to resist sagging, so soft spots shouldnt develop, even along the edges.
Don’t Miss: What Mattress Is Best For Me
