Memory Foam Mattress For Side Sleepers: Reviews Guide
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We’ve all experienced the effects of a bad night’s sleep. That groggy awakening coupled with back pain, a cricked neck and a feeling of having had no sleep at all. But what about the effects of a good night’s sleep?
These are a lot less common, it appears, given how much coffee humans seem to get through each day. Well, I’ve been exploring the world of memory foam mattresses and have compiled a list of the top 5 currently on the market. It includes the best foam mattress for back pain, an acute problem that so many of us suffer from thanks to the wrong mattress.
This guide will suggest the best mattresses for everyone out there, from side-sleepers to stomach-sleepers!
If back pain is your main concern, firmness matters more than material. A review of 39 studies found medium-firm mattresses did best for comfort, sleep quality and spinal alignment.
No mattress treats a back condition, though. If pain lasts or wakes you at night, see a clinician for a diagnosis.
What is Memory Foam?
For those of you who are new to memory foam, here is a quick primer. Memory foam softens under body heat and pressure, so it molds to your shape and then slowly springs back.
Did you know that it was first developed in the 1960s by NASA’s Ames Research centre to improve crash protection and comfort in aircraft seats? NASA dates the foam to 1966.
Whatever odd position you may sleep in, memory foam supports your body and moulds to fit your shape. There’s something in the basic engineering of memory foam which means it responds to your body’s temperature and wraps around you to keep you comfortably snug.
The trade-off is heat. Dense memory foam can hold body heat, so hot sleepers often look for gel-infused or open-cell foam.
Cooling claims vary by brand, so read the product details and return policy before you buy.
There are a variety of different memory foam mattresses out there, which can make it tricky to choose. Luckily, my love of sleep is here to help you out!
Most normal mattresses use springs to provide comfort and a bouncy bed– memory foam tends to be different. Most memory mattresses use layers of memory foam throughout, with a top layer of extra foam in order to offer up the most cushiony goodness possible.
Other memory mattresses are essentially just a top coating of squishy, marshmallow memory foam on top of a regular, spring-loaded mattress.
Naturally, these different forms also differ in price, with the ‘pure’ memory mattresses being a little bit more on the expensive side. It’s important to remember that you get what you pay for when it comes to memory foam. It’s unlikely you’ll buy many more mattresses in your life – investment buys should be about quality!
That said, I’m nothing if not a bargain hunter, so I’ve done my best to find products which come with all the bells and whistles, just not with a hefty price-tag.
My favorite thing about memory mattress so far has to be their versatility and ability to adapt to whatever weird things your body decides to do in the night!
For restless sleepers, memory foam absorbs motion well, so your tossing and turning is less likely to wake a partner. I’ve also found the best memory foam mattress for side-sleepers, along with one for those of you who sleep on your stomach.
Read on to find more about my memory foam mattress reviews…
5 Top Memory Foam Mattress For Side Sleepers
Foam Mattress Pad Bed Topper – Red Nomad
This is my favorite budget pick, from Red Nomad.
Whilst technically a mattress-topper, this is perfect for anyone who wants to dip a toe into the luxurious waters of memory foam without having to commit to a pricey experiment!
This topper made my list for several reasons – the most important being that it offers excellent ventilation. This is a comfort for those of you who naturally run hot and are worried about the heat that memory foam can hold.
This topper is a squishy 2 inches thick, meaning you get a great night’s sleep with relatively deep cushioning. Another reason I love this is its pressure-relieving technology, meaning you sleep well regardless of what position you fall asleep in, or wake up in!
Best Price Mattress 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress
This memory mattress is one of the best out there, and is great for those who want to splurge a little! I’d say this is the best memory foam mattress for side sleepers due to the way its built.
This thick mattress gives you ten full inches of pleasure without any of the pain. It’s designed to avoid putting pressure on certain parts of your body, so you can comfortably sleep on your side without waking to aching hips and dead shoulders.
Perfect for sleeping alone or with a partner – the foam is designed to limit motion transfer, so you’re less likely to disturb your partner when you move. Sadly, there’s not a snore-setting for this yet!
Signature Sleep Memoir 12-Inch Memory Foam Mattress
Signature Sleep knows exactly what they’re doing with this miracle mattress!
This comfy haven provides plenty of support while remaining gentle on your body. It’s designed to minimise sleep disturbance. Fling yourself around to your hearts content without worrying about waking your partner.
Again, as with all good memory mattresses, this is designed to take the weight off your joints and pressure points. This means you won’t feel weary when you wake.
This is a little on the firm side compared to the other mattresses on my list but as soon as you’re in, you’ll be away!
LUCID 10 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress
I just had to include this on my list – it’s a gel mattress! This type of memory mattress is perfect for anyone who’s constantly toasty, as the gel maintains an ideal temperature to sleep.
This mattress will keep you sleeping soundly and waking up fresh, thanks to its ventilation abilities.
Its ten inches are packed with the latest technology, allowing it to mould to your body. It keeps your body temperature regulated and provides you with a perfect night’s sleep!
Check the current listing for size options and warranty terms before you buy.
Sleep Innovations Shiloh 12″ Memory Foam Mattress
And now one for the big spenders among you! This gem from Sleep Innovations is perfect for anyone who currently wakes up aching.
It is designed to contour to your body.
Its foam layers are designed to ease pressure on hips and shoulders.
Stomach sleepers usually need a firmer surface so the hips don’t sink, so test the feel during any trial period.
Check the warranty on the listing, since no mattress can promise years of good sleep.
Finding the perfect mattress for your body can be tiring work (I couldn’t resist!). Hopefully, you’ve found my memory foam mattress reviews useful.
We all want the same thing from a mattress, really. We want to be comfy, undisturbed, warm but not hot, cool but not cold and we want to wake up feeling refreshed rather than grouchy!
Not too much to ask, surely?
Memory foam can deliver much of that, especially pressure relief and motion isolation, but it can sleep warm.
If you still wake up sore or tired after enough sleep, talk with a clinician. Ongoing fatigue or pain can have causes a mattress won’t fix.
Sleep tight!
Sources
- What type of mattress should be chosen to avoid back pain and improve sleep quality? Review of the literature, Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (PMC)
- Forty-Year-Old Foam Springs Back With New Benefits, NASA Spinoff
