Dr. Aaron Albrecht works at Body Wise Chiropractic in Bibra Lake, Western Australia. The clinic is located within a gym, and Dr. Albrecht is the ... Hi,This is a great question as the range of beds/mattresses out there is massive and it can be confusing to determine which is best. Most beds rrecommended by either a chiropractic or orthopaedic association are likely to provide the right combination of support and comfort. If at all possible, a mattress with independently pocketed springs is ideal, as this allows each spring to conform to the part of the back it is supporting without being influenced by the spring next to it.Hope this helps.- Dr. A Reply to this postMattress Ratings: Top Rated Mattresses Prev6 Best MattressesInnerspring MattressesMemory Foam MattressesLatex and Organic MattressesMattresses for Back PainBuying GuideBest Mattresses of 2016 Take your pick of adjustable air, innerspring and memory foam mattresses Our readers have told us that buying a new mattress can be a headache because they're difficult to compare from store to store and model names change frequently.
To help, Consumer Reports tweaked its tests and mattress ratings this year making it easier to tell how firm a mattress really is on a scale of 1 to 10 and how much support it provides to people who sleep on their backs or their sides. In fact, now you can match your sleeping style and your stature to your mattress by scanning the six columns in our ratings that call out the best mattresses for petite, average, and large/tall side sleepers and petite, average, and large/tall back sleepers. Here are two top picks from each of the three types of mattresses we test. At $3,000, this Sleep Number bed is especially pricey, but there’s a lot to like if you sleep primarily on your back. As with other memory-foam, adjustable-air beds from Sleep Number, you and your partner can adjust the firmness of independent halves of the bed to your preference. In addition to its superb back support, the mattress was impressive at keeping the spine horizontal for side sleepers. The mattress measures 12 inches high, so you’ll get by without deep-pocket fitted sheets.
You don’t have to pay thousands for an adjustable-air mattress to get impressive side support and even better back support. The pricier Sleep Number i8 bed edged this one out in overall performance, but you’ll pay $2,200 less without a noticeable difference in support. Trying the bed out before buying will tell you if this mattress’s thinner top foam layer is less comfortable. The mattress measures just 8 inches high, so you’ll get by without deep-pocket fitted sheets. Back sleepers have a lot to like about this $1,500 innerspring from Charles P. Rogers, but you might be less satisfied when you roll over. With a latex-foam topping, the mattress was among the best at supporting the curve of the spine and very good at keeping side sleepers' spines horizontal. The mattress came out fine after eight years of simulated use, and it was top-notch at muting vibrations, meaning little bouncing from across the bed. It measures 14 inches high, so you'll probably need deep-pocket fitted sheets.
Mattresses can cost much more than this Sealy innerspring mattress, $1,275, but this one was very good overall however mixed its performance in our support tests. It's a good bet for a petite person who sleeps on her side but not so great for a large/tal sleeper who prefers sleeping on his back. And the mattress is much softer than claimed. On the plus side, it came out great after eight years of simulated use and was fine at muting vibrations, meaning little bouncing from across the bed. It was also fairly breathable. The Sealy is 12 inches high, so you shouldn't need deep-pocket fitted sheets. From a relatively new brand, Casper has a winner in this memory- and latex-foam mattress, which scored impressively across the board. Few mattresses in our ratings score equally well for both back and side support, and at $850, Casper has achieved it without a thousand-dollar price. It showed only minor changes after eight years of simulated use and transmitted little vibration from one side of the bed to the other, so changing positions is fairly easy.
Another plus: Since the mattress measures only 10 inches high, you won't need deep-pocket fitted sheets. This Novaform memory-foam mattress from Costco is infused with gel beads and was impressive both at supporting the spinal curve while you're on your back and supporting you while you're lying on your side. It also came out great after eight years of simulated use. The mattress comes folded in a box, but there's free pickup and return for an unspecified period if you’re not satisfied. Getting it back into the box is not required. Our tested model measures a bit more than 14 inches high, so you might get by without deep-pocket fitted sheets. For many people, sleeping on their stomach is considered the best sleeping position, despite the fact that it can also be the most harmful. For this guide we’re not going to debate the pros and cons of stomach sleeping (we’ll save that for another time), but instead we’ll focus on helping to ensure you get the very best sleep possible on your stomach.
So without any further adieu let’s dive into the best mattresses for stomach sleepers! Want to see the full list of recommendations for stomach sleepers? Click here to jump down to the summary. Stomach sleepers go to bed night after night in one of the worst sleeping positions for your body. That being said, the proper mattress and pillow can help to overcome the negative effects of stomach sleeping. Proper support for your back, a medium to slight firmer feel, and choosing the right pillow are essential to getting a good night’s rest on your belly. A mattress with these traits will provide your body with the support it needs to sleep through the night and wake feeling refreshed and pain free. When sleeping on your stomach, getting the proper support helps to promote a restful night’s sleep and is critical due to the amount of pressure that is localized at your body’s midsection. Be sure to consider the following key characteristics when shopping for your new mattress.
For stomach sleepers, support may be the number one concern. Whether you realize it or not, your mid-section carries an intense amount of pressure and weight throughout the day. When you sleep on your stomach, that pressure continues to build up in your torso and that pressure can not only lead to a restless night’s sleep, but also prolonged back pain. In order to prevent that discomfort, look for a mattress that has great support. Foam mattresses are well known for their consistent support through layers of responsive and pressure relieving foam that conform to the natural curves of your body. Spring or hybrid mattresses can also a good fit provided they have adequate support, contouring hug, and an appropriate level of firmness (see below). Stomach sleepers keep a very flat profile which results in fewer gaps between your body and the mattress. The best mattress for stomach sleepers should be on the medium to slightly firmer side, around a 4-7 on the firmness scale (where 10 is the most firm).
A medium to slightly firm mattress keeps your back from arching and causing stiffness. By comparison, a mattress that is too soft will cause your pelvis to sink down, resulting in the misalignment of your spine. This may cause you to wake with lower back pain or pain elsewhere. This pain can be nagging and reoccurring if you don’t have an appropriate firmness level to help keep your body in alignment. In the population of stomach sleepers, there are many that prefer soft mattresses. If you find yourself in this category, look for a mattress that has either 1) highly advanced foam or other materials that provide both softness and support (some advanced foams do this) or 2) a mattress that has a thin, but soft foam or pillow-top type layer (mattresses with traditional padded covers can provide this, while still offering the support needed). The right level of firmness is perhaps the most critical factor for stomach sleepers. With the right firmness level you’ll eliminate and prevent many back issues.
However, even a firmness level that is just slightly wrong can cause significant pains. I’m a stomach sleeper and my body tends to prefer a firmness of 4-6 out of 10. I’ve tested numerous mattresses that are slightly softer (3-3.5 out of 10) and slightly firmer (7 out of 10). In both of these scenarios I awake with back pain. It’s common for shoppers to put a lot of effort into selecting the right mattress, so why not put the same about of attention into choosing the right pillow? While there are many different styles and densities of pillows, stomach sleepers do best with flatter pillows. Unlike back and side sleepers, which need more and a different type of support, stomach sleepers require pillows that help keep the body as flat as possible. Because your body lays so flat against the mattress, it’s important to use a pillow that continues that position from your head to your feet. An overstuffed pillow can elevate the head too much and cause pressure points or spinal misalignment in your neck.
As a stomach sleeper myself I know the importance of a proper pillow. Pillows for me tend to be very good or very bad (not much middle ground). The vast majority of the time the attribute that makes them a bad pillow for a stomach sleeper is simply the height. Other important pillow factors for stomach sleepers include: moldability, huggability, and cooling. If you’re on the hunt for a new pillow I would highly recommend the Nest Easy Breather pillow. It is leaps and bounds better than any other pillow I have tested to date in terms of meeting the needs of stomach sleepers. It’s a type of shredded foam pillow (noodled foam) that comes in latex and memory foam version (they feel basically the same). Additionally, it’s fully adjustable, so you can make it the exact height you need. Balanced feel, good bounce / hug, great support. Simple design, but great feel. Slightly firm feel at a 7 out of 10 firmness.$799 Great support, balanced hug, very good cooling. Best in the medium for stomach sleepers (available in 3 firmness levels).