It’s a question as old as the mattress itself — what’s the perfect mattress for my sleeping style? The best solution is to find a match that fulfills your personal comfort, and gets the requisite support for good sleep. A survey reported that 74% people sleep on their sides, so that’s a comfortable majority. A tougher (and more divisive question) would be the mattress style — firm or plush mattress for side sleepers ?
Firm or Plush Mattress for Side Sleepers
The rule of thumb is to get a mattress that aligns your spine and relieves pressure points. For a side sleeper to be comfortable, the mattress should give way. Your torso sinking slightly into the mattress will take pressure away from your shoulder and hips.
Keep in mind, when we say soft, we don’t mean a bed of feathers where you can sink deep; that’s going to be weird position for your legs. Most modern mattresses are comfortable in the way that they will let your body sink, but ensure there is comparable support for your legs as well.
It’s also important to consider your Body Mass Index. Those with a higher BMI will find that a soft mattress sinks and puts them in an uncomfortable sleep position. Those with normal weight or slightly overweight should be perfectly fine with a soft mattress. The higher your weight, firmer the mattress you choose should be.
Some Quick Facts for Side Sleepers
- It alleviates lower back pain. An excellent side-sleeping posture is to lie in the fetal position and place a soft pillow between your knees. This position elongates the spine and reduces pressure, helping those with lower back pain
- Side sleeping can reduce snoring, and can also help dealing with sleep apnea in some cases.
- Sleeping on the left side aids your digestion and helps ease problems related to acid reflux and heartburn.
- As a negative, a side of your face will be stuck against the pillow or bed for hours at a time. This puts your face at a greater risk for pimples and wrinkles.
Mattress Suggestions for Side Sleepers
1 Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR‐Cloud Supreme Soft Mattress
Tempur-Pedic is the leader in memory foam based mattresses, and the company that brought these mattresses to the commercial world. Cloud Supreme soft mattress is an excellent choice for the side sleeper, doubly so if you’ve had back trouble. The 11.5-inch thick mattress is designed to provide you support at the shoulders and lower back.
As the name brand, these mattresses are expensive compared to the others, so if your pocket can’t afford the $2500 price tag, it’s time to look at other options.
2 Sleep Innovations Alden 14-inch Memory Foam Mattress
Alden is targeted straight at side sleepers and has been built keeping their unique requirements in mind. The 14-inch mattress gives way to the weight of side sleepers, letting them sink-in comfortably. It’s 2.5-inch comfort layer followed by a layer of air channel foam should be useful enough to let side sleepers side-step the sleep hot problem. Being reasonably priced at $420 is also a feather in its cap.
3 Tuft & Needle Twin Mattress Adaptive Foam
Tuft&Needle is a no-frills brand that can work beautifully for the side sleeper on a budget. Priced at $325, this 10-inch mattress has a lot to offer for comfort and a good sleep. It’s built as a jack of all trades, and is comfortable for side sleepers, one of the most prominent demographic in the market.
4 Layla Sleep Memory Foam Queen Mattress – Copper Infused Cooling
Layla memory foam mattress takes interesting approaches to cooling and structure. Rather than bring in a gel layer for cooling, the mattress claims its copper infused structure is as good, if not better. Another point of interest is adding in two firmness options. The mattress is medium soft on one side, and flipping it brings out the firm side. It is best for those with shoulder/hip troubles.
The Verdict
Side sleepers have the world at their feet when it comes to choosing a mattress. Choosing a firm or plush mattress for side sleepers is something of an exercise in personal choices. The general wisdom is that plush mattresses work the best for the average body type. Though if you’re on the heavier side, considering a medium-firm mattress is beneficial.