Choosing the right mattress can be a daunting task with the different materials and firmness levels on option. One of the best ways to determine the best mattress for your needs is to look at your sleeping position. Knowing the best mattresses by sleeping position will help you narrow down your choices.
Side Sleepers
If you sleep primarily on your side, you should get a medium-soft mattress. A lot of people assume that a soft mattress would be better for their shoulders, but this is not true. Your mattress needs to be soft enough to accommodate your shoulders, but not so soft that you completely sink in.
Harder mattresses will cause more pressure on the shoulder and hips causing numbness. As your shoulder does not sink into a harder mattress, your neck will start to bend at an acute angle. This will result in neck pain when you wake up and a misalignment of your spine.
Back Sleepers
If you generally sleep on your back, you should be looking for a mattress that is medium-firm. Sleeping on your back will reduce the number of joints that come into contact with the mattress. In these situations, you will not need a soft mattress to make you more comfortable as you sleep.
While your shoulders do not have to sink into the mattress, your hips will need to be accommodated when sleeping on your back. A medium-firm mattress will allow your hips to sink into the mattress and ensure that your spine is fully aligned. If your spine does not rest in the correct position, you could wake up with back pain.
Stomach Sleepers
According to experts, sleeping on your stomach is more detrimental than helpful to the quality of your sleep. This sleeping position will put strain on your neck and can cause a spinal misalignment as you sleep. Even with these issues, there are many people who find this is their most natural sleeping position and, if you are one of them, you should look for a medium-firm to firm mattress.
The firmness of the mattress will depend on your weight and your personal preference. If you are on the heavier side, you might want to look at a firmer mattress to get the best support. A soft mattress is not recommended for stomach sleepers because it will cause a curving of the spine as you sleep.
Combination Sleepers
Most people do not stay in one sleeping position throughout the night and use a combination of sleeping positions. These people should look at a medium-firm memory foam mattress. These mattresses will provide the softness needed for sleeping on your side and the firmness for back and stomach sleeping. Memory foam is recommended because it will mold to your body as you turn to ensure the most comfortable sleep.
It is important to know the best mattresses by sleeping position when you are in the market for one. The firmness of the mattress is often more important than the materials when it comes to comfort and you need to keep this in mind.