A short, straight-to-the-point guide to help side sleepers find the right mattress and get a better night’s sleep
Did you know that the majority of people are side sleepers?
A side sleeper is someone who spends most of the night laying on one or both of their sides. If this is you, chances are you have woken up at some point in your life with a stiff neck, hips, or lower back. Most of us have experienced all of these symptoms at some point.
The bad news is that sleeping on your side can create unique problems, which include:
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An unnatural curve in your spine that can cause problems with posture and damage your overall spine health
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Pressure point buildup stemming from poor weight distribution
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Lower back dipping due to the effects of gravity (this is especially common if you are sleeping on a soft mattress)
The good news is that sleeping on your side isn’t inherently bad for your body. Sometimes it just takes a few simple tweaks to go from bad sleep to good sleep, and good sleep to great sleep.
Let’s take a look at our 3 expert tips to getting a better night’s rest as a side sleeper:
Tip #1 - Understand Healthy Sleep Alignment
One of the reasons why people often cite shoulder or neck pain as a problem with side sleeping is that they are sleeping with an unhealthy posture.
Try lying down on one side with your ear in line with your shoulder. A firm pillow will work best. Keep your arms and hands resting somewhere below your neck. Place another firm pillow between your knees. Finally, slightly lift your knees towards your chest. This will reduce pressure on your hips and back.
Not only does this position offer improved spine alignment, but it should help reduce tension in a number of other areas.
Tip #2 - Find Your Optimal Firmness Level
Mattresses that range in the medium-soft to medium-firm levels of firmness are going to be best for your average side-sleeper. However, there are other factors to consider when purchasing a new mattress, like your size and whether or not you share a bed with a partner. At the end of this article, you’ll find our recommendation for the best mattress for side sleepers.
Tip #3 - Choose The Best Type of Mattress
There are many different types of mattresses, and with years of research and customer feedback, we’ve found three options that stand above the rest:
Latex
A popular choice among side sleepers, Latex mattresses provide ample support without reaching a level of firmness that would lead to tension or pressure in the body.
Memory Foam w/ Cooling Technology
Soft, supportive, and cool to the touch, Memory Foam with cooling technology is another great option for side sleepers thanks to its adaptive nature.
Tri-Zoned
Tri-Zoned Mattresses offer more support in the center third of the mattress allowing for proper spinal alignment.
Our Pick: Best Mattress For Side Sleepers
This mattress comes with vertical zoning layers and weighs in at a firmness level of 4, which makes it the ideal mattress for side sleepers. It’s also been our best-selling mattress for 10 years running thanks to its optimal combination of cooling technology and unbeatable value.
To try the Indigo Cool Touch for yourself, visit your nearest MattressKing or order online risk-free today*.
*The Indigo is eligible for the MattressKing 100 night comfort guarantee. See additional details here.
