What happens to your body position when you sleep on your side? What are some of the problems with a side sleeping position? If side sleeping is so bad, should I consider switching sleep positions? There are many sleep positions. It certainly doesn't hurt to try other sleep positions, but odds are if you're a side sleeper then that is the position that feels most natural to you. In that case, you may not benefit by switching to another sleep position: it won't feel natural and therefore it may be harder to get to sleep and stay asleep in the new position. Each sleep position has its own set of pros and cons - there is no 'perfect' sleep position. Some people have to sleep on their side Whether or not you have much choice about sleeping on your side, the good news is that there is a lot you can do to ensure your mattress delivers the high quality of sleep you are seeking. Overall, the best choice you could make is a latex mattress, because it is a solid block of luxurious foam which allows a 'sinking in' while still offering good support for the spine.
Other tips for side sleepers Neck support is important. A good pillow for a side sleeper should be firm enough to give good support to the head and not let it sink down too much. A dense and supportive pillow is best, and it also needs to be thick enough that the head remains level with the spine. A latex pillow is an ideal choice to fulfil these requirements. Additionally, you'll love the extra comfort you'll get with a latex pillow. This is not the most common type of pillow that people get, but it does offer the utmost in relaxation. Use a pillow between the knees. It's a good idea to minimize the amount of twisting that the hips are doing. By positioning a pillow between your knees, you can more easily let your top leg rest on your bottom leg. This can avoid, or at least drastically decrease, the amount of hip twisting going on, allowing you to sleep in a more comfortable position.What makes the best mattress for side sleepers? Being a side sleeper myself, I can personally attest to firmness, support and pelvic rotation all being factors in determining the best mattress.
Side sleepers can suffer from back, neck and hip pain but tend to have better air flow and snore less than back sleepers. In this guide we outline what the criteria are for choosing the best mattress for side sleepers and give our recommendations for which mattresses we like the best. FAQ: Read about our overall favorite picks in our Top 10 Best Mattresses of 2016 Guide Firmness is a very important factor. A mattress that is soft to moderate on the firmness scale is going to the best option for side sleepers. In order to provide the proper support that side sleepers need, the mattress must be able to conform to and contour the curves of your body. A soft or medium firm mattress allows your body to sink into the mattress a little bit more than one that’s very firm which helps it to hug your body. This ability to conform and contour to your body’s shape will alleviate pressure on your neck and back as well. Support is the other important factor in choosing the best mattress for side sleepers.
As a side sleeper, your spine may be misaligned due to this sleeping position. A mattress with the best support is going to relieve pressure points throughout your body and keep the spine, neck and back in alignment. Be sure to understand that a softer mattress on the firmness scale can still provide great support because this type of support is not relative to a mattress being firm or soft. When shopping for the best mattress for side sleepers, you want to look for a mattress that contours to the shape of your body. Memory foam mattresses are especially advantageous for side sleepers due to the ability of the foam to contour to your body and provide support and alignment to the spine. We should note that a side sleeper’s body position can change drastically even during one nights sleep. Some popular positions are: Due to a side sleepers’ varying positions on a nightly basis, mattress support is crucial in providing your body the contouring it needs throughout the night.
Pelvic rotation is the result of misalignment of the back muscles and lumbar spine. When you sleep and twist or curl your legs up in the opposite position to your upper body, you cause pelvic rotation. This can lead to or worsen any lower back and neck pain so it is important to choose the right mattress to prevent this. You can do a few things to help with pelvic rotation, such as sleeping in a side position that keeps your spine in alignment and using a pillow between your legs to maintain spinal alignment. Choosing the proper mattress such can help prevent pressure points that may cause you to adjust your sleep position during the night which causes pelvic rotation. We recommend that for side sleepers, you choose a mattress that has: These mattresses are some of our favorites for side sleeping. While not an exhaustive list, they are the best of the ones we have tested as we are side sleepers ourselves. The Loom and Leaf is an excellent choice for side sleepers, for a variety of reasons.
This 12″ thick mattress is made up of 5 different layers of high quality foams and other materials including medical grade cooling gel in the comfort layer. The Relaxed Firm model provides enough softness for comfortable sleeping on your side, while at the same time providing excellent support for the spine and body. The Loom & Leaf is one of the best mattresses for side sleepers due to the exceptional comfort and support, as well as the classic memory foam feel of hugging and contouring the body during sleep. The Loom and Leaf doesn’t make you feel like you are sinking into foam like other mattresses, however, which is something that other lower quality mattresses in this price range can’t promise. The Loom & Leaf is available in two different firmness models, a Relaxed Firm, which we rate as a 5-6 out of 10 (10 being firmest), and the Firm model, which we rate at an 8 out of 10. For side sleepers, the Relaxed Firm is the best option in our experience sleeping on this mattress for a long period of time as our personal “go-to” mattress.