The Best Type of Mattress For Side Sleepers

Not getting enough sleep isn’t a “badge of honor” or proof that you’re tough. It’s a serious issue with potentially adverse health consequences like diabetes and increased heart attack risk. Worse, it totally wrecks your day by causing a permeating sense of fatigue and tiredness that follows you around like an agressive, unwelcome shadow. Are there too many things vying for your attention at night (yes)? Do you have too much lighting in your room before bed (probably)? Are you playing with your phone or watching TV in bed? More importantly, are you sleeping on a comfortable, non-toxic mattress? Creating a stress-free bedtime ritual is pretty important for getting a good night’s rest. But other factors like temperature, environment, and your mattress sizes also have a pretty big impact on sleep quality. You owe it to yourself to get better sleep. And it all begins with upgrading your mattress—especially if you’re a side sleeper! Here is a look at the best mattresses to get for your side sleeping needs.

Multiple Layers

A good mattress is like a delicious cake: multiple layers of high-quality ingredients, supported by a strong base and topped with something wonderful. Unlike a chocolate layer cake, mattresses are going to be in your life for a long time. When you pick out a mattress, you consider the fact that you’re going to be spending a third of your life sleeping on it. It needs to be comfortable but not too plush. Otherwise, you may have difficulty sleeping. A firm mattress is a great bet for side sleepers. Multiple layers contribute to that firmness, preventing it from being too soft and difficult for a side sleeper to use. Getting a good night’s sleep is not always easy. Being a side sleeper further complicates things. Many side sleepers like to sleep with a body pillow, knee pillow, or bolster pillow between their knees to help keep their spine straight as they sleep. This is aided significantly by having a firm multi-layered mattress to use every night.

Latex Foam

There’s almost no other mattress material more comfortable than latex foam. True latex (not the synthetic stuff) is the perfect organic material for a mattress. It’s all natural, doesn’t have springs, and is completely sustainable. That’s a great track record. Mixed with organic cotton, wool, and other natural materials, latex mattress is so comfortable it can be considered the best organic mattress money can buy for most people. Side sleeper can especially benefit from the firmness, the memory retention, and the ultimate comfort a latex foam mattress can provide.

Pillow Top

Some people prefer firm mattresses with plenty of bedding. Others like to take advantage of the lovely accessory known as a pillow top. A pillow top is a cushioned pillow on top of the mattress’ quilt layer. So, why should you even think about a pillow top for your mattress? Well, it can be great if you use the mattress for more than just sleep. Watching television or reading, for instance, can be much more comfortable with that additional comfort layer. A pillow top is also useful for some extra padding for side sleepers with joint issues. If the sheer amount of additional comfort these pillow tops can give you isn’t enough to convince you to get one, consider that most organic materials don’t retain heat and your pillow top will be made from these materials. That means you can have a much cooler night’s sleep, which will ultimately lead to better rest. 

Cooling Mattress

If latex doesn’t suit your needs, consider a cooling mattress. Studies show that temperature matters when you sleep. A hot or overly warm room is not going to be as conducive to high quality rest as a cool room is. On the other hand, a room that’s freezing isn’t going to be comfortable either. So finding a way to optimize temperature is important. This is easier said than done, but the right mix of pajamas, room ventilation, bedding, and sleep accessories will help you find that right temperature balance. An organic cooling mattress is a good choice for cooler sleep whether you get a pillow top or not.

Organic Materials

When it finally comes to the point of selecting your mattress, look for organic materials. Most of us have undoubtedly used traditional polyurethane foam mattresses throughout our lives. These mattresses usually last for around a decade or so before needing to be replaced. But did you know that traditional mattresses contain some not-so-great, potentially toxic chemicals? These chemicals and volatile organic compounds off-gas as you sleep. Antinomy, formaldehyde, flame retardants, and other VOCS do tend to accumulate in traditional, synthetic mattresses. That’s why certified organic materials are so vital. These materials are made sustainably and don’t have potentially hazardous chemicals baked into them. When you’re buying a new mattress, it’s important to consider all the factors in play. These include any potential harm from flame retardants or synthetic materials in the mattresses construction. Buying an organic mattress is going to eliminate many of these concerns. Organic materials like wool, for example, are natural flame retardants and negate the need for synthetic ones. Disposing of traditional mattresses isn’t always great for the environment. An eco-friendly solution that merely breaks down or is easily recycled is going to be better for reducing your carbon footprint and having a meaningful impact on the environment—after all, it’s the only one we’ve got.