Revealed: The best mattress for side sleepers

Wellbeing

Often wake up with aches and pains after a restless night’s sleep? Discover the 10 best mattresses for side sleepers.

Everyone has their preferred sleeping position, whether it’s on their back, front, or side. However, there are certain health issues that could plague you because of the way your sleep each night. Side sleepers can experience shoulder and neck pain due to the awkward way that their shoulder is pressed against the mattress.

The best way to alleviate neck and shoulder pain is to find a new mattress that can support you properly whilst you sleep. Luckily, mattress experts EachNight have made a list of recommended mattresses for side sleepers. The list includes mattresses that excel in specific categories such as the best mattress for side sleepers suffering from back pain, as well as the best hybrid mattress.

Amerisleep AS4 has been named the best mattress on the 2022 mattress market, according to EachNight. The 12-inch memory foam mattress is made from plant-based materials and has three layers. Underneath the breathable cover, the Amerisleep AS4 has four inches of Bio-Pur®, which is more responsive to movement and pressure than traditional memory foam. The medium-firm layer has a soft surface, without making you feel as if you are sinking into the mattress.

The next layer consists of Affinity, a material made using HIVE® technology. This means that there is softer support around your head, feet, and lower back, whilst your shoulders and hips are given firmer support. Beneath this layer is seven inches of Bio-Core®, which is a layer of poly-foam that is used to support the mattress and reduce wear and tear.

Top ten mattresses for side sleepers

70% of people prefer to sleep on their side, which makes it the most popular of all the sleeping positions. If you are included in this number, it’s important that you find a mattress that is designed to support you and give pressure relief to your shoulders, neck, and hips.

A budget-friendly mattress for side sleepers is the Vaya mattress. At $599, you can expect a good quality mattress for a fraction of the price of the other featured options. It’s an ideal option for couples as the mattress isolates motion, which means that you can move without disturbing your partner.

The top layer of the Vaya mattress is made from a breathable sleep surface called Vaya Comfort Foam. This layer helps regulate airflow and therefore reduces heat buildup.

Memory foam mattresses don’t always provide enough support for side sleepers, which is why most of the mattresses featured on this list are classed as medium-firm mattresses. The Nest Bedding Alexandar Signature Hybrid, which has been classed as the best luxury mattress, has one of the highest firmness ratings of the mattresses on this list.

The luxury model has a firmness rating of seven, whilst the medium Alexander Signature Hybrid has a slightly softer firmness rating of five. There is also a softer mattress available in the Alexandar Signature Hybrid range, which has a firmness rating of three for people who are more petite or suffer from joint pain.

Phase Change Fabric, the material the mattress’ cover is made from, can regulate temperature to keep you cool throughout the night. The two lower layers of TitanChill Endurance Foam® and Energex™ foam help to relieve pressure points by cradling your joints.

Hybrid mattresses feature a combination of foam and pocket springs. Another great hybrid mattress that is suitable for a side sleeper is the Purple Hybrid Premier 4. Named the best Bed In A Box mattress for side sleepers, this Purple model features the innovative Purple Grid™. The hyper-elastic polymer is designed to adapt to pressure points to create a weightless feeling.

There is a layer of transition foam and pocketed coils located underneath the Purple Grid™, which help to give the mattress its bounce. This pocket sprung mattress is the most expensive model on the list, but the quality is well worth the extra expense.

The table below shows the best mattresses for side sleepers, including the categories that they excel in, as well as their average prices.

Bear Pro is considered the best foam mattress for athletic side sleepers. Copper gel is infused into the top memory foam layer, which helps to conduct heat away from your body and dispel it into the mattress. As copper is an antimicrobial, it also helps to keep your bed fresh with reduced bacteria.

The bottom of the memory foam layers is seven inches of high-density poly-foam. This support foam helps to increase the longevity of the mattress and prevents you from sinking into the mattress.

Some of the other suggested mattresses for side sleepers include the Saatva Classic, which is said to be the best innerspring option, as well as the Zoma mattress which has been named the best choice if you sleep on your side and suffer from back pain. The GhostBed Luxe and Brooklyn Bedding Aurora are both designed to help keep hot sleepers cool throughout the night.

The Saatva Classic comes in three firmness ratings – Plush Soft, Luxury Firm and Firm. Each mattress comes with a Guardin™ botanical treatment, which helps to create an antimicrobial barrier. A layer of pocketed coils helps to give a reasonable bounce and contour the mattress to your body.

Hot sleepers can often lose sleep during the night as they are kept awake from their high temperature. However, the GhostBed Luxe is a cooling memory foam mattress that absorbs heat and creates good airflow. Equally, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora, which has been recommended as the best cooling hybrid mattress, helps to lower the temperature of the mattress to ensure no disturbances to your sleep.

The mattresses featured on EachNight’s list of recommendations are designed to maximize your comfort as you sleep on your side. A good mattress can help reduce any painful areas on your body and allow you to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is your body’s way of recharging, which is why you should invest in a good mattress for your physical and mental wellbeing.