Best Mattress for Side Sleepers

It just so happens that most people prefer sleeping on their side, over their stomach or back, and there are some notable benefits to this. First, if you suffer from acid reflux, laying on your side can help alleviate your symptoms. For people who snore, sleeping on your side can help free up air passageways to reduce the sounds of snoring. This can really help with sleep apnea as well. Sleeping in this side position can also reduce neck and back pain, if you have the right mattress.

So is there a mattress that is best for side sleepers? Your question should really be, what’s the best mattress for me? Different people will have different needs and preferences, but here are some things to consider, as a side sleeper, when looking for the right mattress to support your body and give you the best possible sleep.

Spinal Alignment

One of the reasons sleeping on your side can be beneficial is that it can keep your spine in better alignment. That is, of course, if you have the right mattress for you. A mattress that sags under your weight won’t provide enough support, which will cause your spine to curve in your side-sleeping position. One that’s too firm won’t sufficiently conform to the contours of your body (particularly your shoulders and hips), which will throw the spine out of alignment and cause unnecessary pain.

For side sleepers, it’s important to look for a mattress option that offers the right balance of conforming and support for you, to help alleviate any pressure points and the pain that can come with them. This is where choosing the best mattress type, with the right materials, comes into play.

Mattress Types

The make up or construction will directly affect its properties and consequently the way your body feels on them. There are a few different types of mattresses out there today, mainly: innerspring, hybrid, foam, and latex. All can be perfectly suitable for people that prefer their side, depending on how firm the mattress is (we’ll get to that in a bit), but some may be more preferable—namely, latex, foam, and hybrid.

While innerspring mattresses will have great support and responsiveness, they may not always have the contouring qualities many side sleepers enjoy and really need to keep their spines in alignment throughout the night. A medium to medium-soft innerspring should provide the right level of conforming, however. Innerspring mattresses also breathe very well, so can be a great choice for side-sleepers that tend to be hot during the night. And they can be some of the most inexpensive mattresses out there, which can be great if you’re on a budget.

Hybrid mattresses can be a fantastic choice for side sleepers as they provide the body support and firmness of innerspring mattresses with the body-hugging of foam or latex on top. These could be the “just right” for many of you side sleepers. They can definitely be more conforming than pure innerspring beds, but they will also most likely be more expensive. Hybrids can be among the priciest options, but if made with quality materials they can certainly be worth every penny for people who sleep on their sides and want the best of innerspring and foam in one great package.

Others may prefer memory foam mattresses for its contouring and sinking-in feeling. If your someone who often wakes up with back or neck pain, it could be a sign that you should switch to a memory foam mattress. Nothing conforms to your body quite like it, but too soft a mattress and it won’t be firm enough to keep your spine properly supported. Some sleepers report sagging with softer foam beds, which won’t be good for the back. While an all-foam bed can be some of the most affordable (especially if they come in a box), if you are the kind of person who is often hot at night then, memory foam may not be best for you as the material retains quite a bit of heat.

A latex mattress has a similar feel to foam (excellent body contouring) but with a little less sinking and a bit more bounce to it, so can feel a little firmer and more supportive. Latex also has better airflow and thus better temperature control. People who sleep hot can sleep cooler on a latex bed. One drawback with a pure latex bed is that they can be on the pricier side.

Firmness Level

Regardless of the type of bed you choose (innerspring, hybrid, foam, or latex), many brands will have a range of firmness options to fit your needs. Firmness is an especially important thing for side sleepers to think about when looking for a mattress.

Most mattress companies and review sites will use a number scale to grade the level of firmness of a mattress from very soft to very firm. Side-sleepers tend to sleep most comfortably on mattresses in the center of the firmness spectrum, which generally offer consistent support throughout the mattress and strike the right balance between body-support and body-contouring to keep the spine in alignment.

Looking at your body type can also be helpful in choosing the best firmness level for you. Heavier-weight sleepers will likely fare better on a firmer mattress that can support them. Lighter-weight sleepers on the other hand may prefer a less firm mattress. This may be another reason to opt for a medium firmness level for couples who weigh much more or less than their partners.

A Note on Pillows

The mattress isn’t the only thing that can cause or remedy body pain you may be experiencing. Especially important for side sleepers is choosing a pillow that fits and supports your head and neck. When you sleep on your stomach or back, you want a thinner pillow, so you’re neck won’t be craning in an awkward position. But when you sleep on your side, there’s more distance between your head and the surface. So you’ll want to look for a pillow that is of the right thickness or loft, to cover that gap. That may be a pillow that has a loft that’s high or of medium height depending on your body size.