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Our experts vetted a variety of mattresses on the market to find the best options for stomach and side sleepers, including Casper, Helix, and Nest. Read on for more of their picks and some hands-on reviews.
Best mattresses for side sleepers
- Best hybrid mattress: Casper Original Hybrid Mattress | Skip to review
- Best organic mattress: Saatva Latex Hybrid | Skip to review
- Best budget mattress: Nest Bedding Love & Sleep Mattress | Skip to review
- Best foam mattress: Nolah Original 10-Inch | Skip to review
- Best latex mattress: PlushBeds Luxury Bliss | Skip to review
Best mattresses for stomach sleepers
- Best cooling mattress: Brooklyn Aurora Luxe Cooling | Skip to review
- Best hybrid mattress: Helix Twilight | Skip to review
- Best latex mattress: Nolah Natural 11-Inch | Skip to review
When it comes to choosing the right mattress, your regular sleeping position is an important factor to take into account.
Different mattresses offer different features, so not every mattress will provide optimal comfort for every sleeping position.
If you’re a side or stomach sleeper in search of a new mattress, you’ve come to the right place. We go over our top eight mattress picks and provide some tips on choosing the mattress of your dreams.
Sleeping positions and your health
The best sleeping position for you is the one that allows you to get the right amount of quality sleep.
If you snore or have sleep apnea, sleeping on your stomach might improve your sleep. Still, stomach sleeping can cause back strain, so changing your sleeping position may help prevent back and neck pain and improve your long-term sleep health.
In some cases, sleeping on your side or in the fetal position may be a better sleeping position.
We took a careful look at the mattress options available to make sure we only recommend the best mattresses on the market. When choosing the mattresses listed below, we considered the following factors:
Mattress characteristics for side and stomach sleepers
If you sleep on your side, you’ll want a mattress that helps maintain good spinal alignment by contouring your shoulders, lower back, and hips. Softer mattresses may not offer enough support, while firmer mattresses won’t provide enough pressure relief.
Stomach sleepers, on the other hand, need a firm mattress that supports the spine. We considered these needs when selecting our top picks.
Customer reviews
Two different people may not appreciate the exact same things about a mattress. What feels “just right” to someone else may be more of a “not quite” for you.
Still, feedback from other customers can be very valuable as you consider your options, so we made sure reviews confirmed the benefits for side and stomach sleepers.
Company reputation and transparency
Before trying a new mattress, you probably want to know if the company you’re considering buying from has a good reputation. To help make your decision easier, we recommend brands known for being up front about how and where they make their mattresses. We also consider the quality of their customer service.
Company policies
It’s tough to know whether your new mattress is a good fit until you sleep on it for a few weeks. Most mattress brands recognize this and offer in-home sleep trials to help you find the right mattress.
Mattresses have different life spans depending on mattress type and other factors, but most reputable brands offer a warranty of at least 10 years.
Sleeping position does matter when choosing a mattress, but you’ll also want to consider other important elements. As you shop, keep these factors in mind:
Mattress type
Mattresses come in three main types: innerspring, foam, and hybrid. Generally speaking, side sleepers do better on foam or softer hybrid mattresses because they offer more cushioning and pressure relief.
Stomach sleepers often need a firmer hybrid or innerspring mattress for better support through the night.
Materials
Since memory foam can trap heat as you sleep, stomach sleepers may prefer latex or foam specially designed to improve airflow and keep the mattress cool.
Stomach sleepers may also want to consider pillow top mattresses with caution. These can add extra cushioning and support for side sleepers, but prone sleepers often end up feeling smothered, trapped, and overly warm.
Firmness
Pressure relief
Sleeping on your side puts pressure on your hip and shoulder, so a good mattress will help relieve that pressure to keep you comfortable and properly align your spine.
This matters less when you always sleep on your stomach, but you’ll want to make sure the mattress properly supports your torso and lower body.
Other considerations
If you sleep close to the edge or have trouble getting in and out of bed, you might need a mattress with strong edge support.
Sensitive to chemical odors? Check the reviews to note whether other people noticed lingering off-gassing.
Sleep with a partner? You’ll probably want a mattress that doesn’t transfer motion easily.
Company policies
It’s always best to try out your mattress before you buy it, and at-home sleep trials make this possible even when shopping online.
Before you purchase, check the warranty and make sure the retailer offers a sleep trial long enough for you to get a feel for your new mattress — 30 days may not always cut it.
If you’re trying to avoid stomach sleeping, start training yourself into a side position instead. You can use a body pillow to keep yourself from rolling on your stomach while you sleep. Try tucking the body pillow between your knees to keep your hips from collapsing and your spine aligned.
You might want to make sure your pillow is sized appropriately for side sleepers, too. You’ll need something with more loft than the flatter pillows stomach sleepers use.
Back pain can be a common complaint for stomach sleepers because of the strain this position puts on your spine. Look for a medium to firm mattress with pressure-relieving materials, like latex or memory foam.
You can also try tucking a small pillow beneath your pelvis to help your back maintain a more neutral position, which will help relieve pressure in the spine.
Side and stomach sleepers will both benefit from pressure relief and cushioning support, so hybrid mattresses with foam or latex are a good option.
Look for medium-firm mattresses with these materials if you tend to move between your side and stomach while sleeping.
Side sleepers, you’re in luck. Most people prefer to sleep on one side, according to a 2017 study, so you’re likely to find plenty of mattresses designed to meet your sleep needs.
If you sleep on your stomach, you may want to err on the firmer side and skip the pillow top, especially if your current mattress doesn’t provide enough support. You can take advantage of those at-home sleep trials to make sure you settle on the right mattress since there’s no substitute for good sleep.