Good sleep is essential for a healthy life. It can also help you with weight loss goals, improve your performance at work, and even make you more creative. But not all mattresses are created equal. Heavier people will benefit from firmer mattresses that provide more support, while those who are lighter may find softer mattresses work better for them. We’ve compiled this guide to help you pick the best mattress for your sleeping position.
Back Sleeping
Lie flat on your back along with a pillow placed under your head and shoulders, keeping your arms at your side. If you fall asleep in this position easily or feel as though gravity pulls you back into bed every time you get up, you’re a back sleeper. Sleeping on your back allows your body to rest in its natural alignment but may increase the pressure on your lower back. This can be mitigated by a high-quality mattress that provides the right support and conforms to the shape of your body. Look for a firm mattress with good contouring and support.
Stomach Sleeping
Stomach sleepers experience the least amount of pressure points as the weight of their body is evenly distributed across the surface of the bed. On the flip side, sleeping on your stomach can cause neck or lower back pain due to improper spinal alignment, so it’s crucial to find a softer mattress that offers contouring and pressure relief to help alleviate those aches and pains.
Stomach sleepers should avoid very soft mattresses because they tend to be less supportive and comfortable. To get the best night’s sleep as a stomach sleeper, look for a medium-firm to firm mattress with additional support in the center third of the bed—the area where most stomach-sleepers put pressure while they’re sleeping.
Side Sleeping
Side sleepers need a mattress that will hold their hips and shoulders in alignment and support their head comfortably. The best mattresses for side sleepers are also soft enough to minimize pressure points caused by laying on a firmer mattress. Side sleepers should look for memory foam or foam/latex hybrids with medium to medium-firm support, depending on how much firmness they prefer, and a mattress that has sufficient edge support for sitting up in bed comfortably. Innerspring mattresses have traditionally been recommended for side sleepers because of their great edge support, but many side sleepers end up choosing a hybrid or memory foam mattress instead.
