Are you a side sleeper who don’t get enough sleep due to their mattress? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of 5 best mattress for side sleepers to help you select the best mattress which suits your needs. If you’re in hurry then click here to jump to the comparison table.
At Phatfusion, we have been doing consistent research on the side sleeping patterns, postures, and benefits. We also conduct many practical experiments by inviting people to side sleep on different brands of mattresses. Our recommendations are based on some of the key parameters that we considered during our research works. Here, we present a few of them and tell you why we recommend them and how we got to our evaluation efficient.
We have previously compiled a similar list for stomach sleepers as well. You can check the list here – 5 Best Mattress for Stomach Sleepers.
The first parameter is, of course, the level of comfort. Alignment of the spinal cord during sleep gives them maximum comfort. Some of you may lie down with straight side sleeping posture initially. But you tend to relax your legs, hips, and the shoulders after slipping into the deep sleep.
The second parameter is the firmness. As a side sleeper, you may tend to roll over if the firmness is too high. You may experience a feeling of sinking if the firmness is too low. These two feelings depend on your Body Mass Index (BMI).
The third parameter is heat absorption capacity. Fourth is body weight distribution. Fifth is support. Sixth is body balance, and the seventh is healing and energizing effects. Our analysis for the best mattress for side sleepers considers all these factors.
5 Best Mattress for Side Sleepers – Comparison
Table of Contents
5 Best Mattress for Side Sleepers – Reviews
1. Amerisleep Mattress
Comfort
Side sleepers have found Amerisleep models AS3, AS4, and AS5 to be highly comfortable. We selected a group of people between the age group 15 and 60+. We divided them on the basis of age and BMI. Nearly all of them reported good comfort levels for their legs, thighs, hips, and upper body. Our experiment for a timeframe of six hours sleep showed 15% of major posture changes (from side to back, or stomach) in the age group of 40+ who were moderately or highly obese. The rest of 85% Showed only slight shifting of legs, shoulder, and arms. But they continued to remain inside sleeping posture. They reported good level of comfort during their sleep.
Firmness
Amerisleep AS1 and AS2 mattresses have more firmness compared to the other models. The factor prevents the sleepers from sinking into the bed. Above average BMI sleepers without any symptoms of spinal cord problems continued to prefer AS3 to AS5 mattresses. But those who had severe spinal cord pain reported AS1 to provide better healing. Our research team found the cause to be the straight position of the spine with very little angular shift when the sleepers stretched their legs or folded their knees. Youngsters in the age group of 15 to 25+ preferred to use the AS3 and AS4 because of their medium softness and firmness combination. Side sleeping during pregnancy is stated to enhance the circulation and provide complete comfort to the mother and the baby. At the same time, it eases the flow of proteins and micronutrients from the mother to the placenta. Amerisleep AS4 and AS5 provide the best possible combination of softness and firmness to the pregnant women. They can get the maximum relief from lower back pain, sensations of heartburn, and insomnia. The Amerisleep is also known to provide better support for bending the knees and legs to a comfortable position during sleep. The moderate firmness offers adequate support to the abdomen, hips, and the left part of the chest.
Air-Circulation
All the models of Amerisleep can provide excellent support for air circulation. Air is not only required for the breathing, but also for the entire body cells and tissues to enable free circulation. The porous structure of the memory foam at the top enables free air circulation. Skin is one of the organs that benefits to the maximum. Cooling effects keep the body temperature under normal levels. It removes moisture from the skin and also eliminates the negative effects of sweat that make fungus grow on the skin.
Heat-Absorption
Amerisleep memory foam cells are designed to be highly sensitive to the abnormal temperature variation on the human skin. Our observation with the patients suffering from high feverish conditions provided us good results with the Amerisleep mattresses. Side sleeping on the left reduced the excess body temperature by 15% to 20% overnight. The patients were able to experience deep sleep since their lower back pain reduced considerably by the mattress design and material quality.
Body-Weight Distribution
Even body weight distribution while sleeping on the side is difficult to achieve with low-quality mattresses. They tend to concentrate the weight on one location. It can lead to increased reverse pressure from the base layer, leading to sleeplessness. Amerisleep mattress is designed to distribute the body weight along the vertical and horizontal planes. It happens in all the layers of the mattress. So, you can experience the best sleep when you lie down at the center, left, right, or the edge of the mattress.
Support
Support is a factor which balances the body posture without rolling over onto the stomach or back during sleep. Amerisleep mattress allows your body to balance the center of gravity through the center while sleeping on the side. The memory foam layer also expands to create the perfect wrapping around your body. So, you don’t tend to move or roll over.
Healing Effects
Healing the pain and accumulated stress are the two important criteria of Amerisleep design. Patients recovering after spinal cord surgery tend to sleep on the side to avoid stress on the spine. Amerisleep mattress uses the Celliant technology for absorbing the body heat and stress. The thermo-reactive minerals on the yarn process the heat into energy in the form of infrared radiation. It gets emitted back onto the sleeper’s body to provide complete healing effects. We made several observations on different patients recovering from muscle surgery, therapeutic side effects, and age-related disorders. We could observe considerable healing from pain, pressure, and stress.
Energizing Effects
At Phatfusion, we have the most advanced systems for testing the efficacy of mattresses on sleeper’s health and fitness levels. Our experiments with athletes and sportspersons who use Amerisleep have given us some impressive results. The Bio-Core™ technology enables side sleeping postures to generate positive vibrations throughout the spinal cord and the connecting neurons. You experience healing from stress and energizing effects. The Celliant technology also plays a critical role in providing the infrared energy supplies to the muscles on the left core of your body.
2. Serta Perfect Sleeper
Our evaluation of Serta Perfect Sleeper for side sleepers is using Coralview Plush model.
If you’d like to read an in depth customer review of Serta Perfect Sleeper then click here – Serta Perfect Sleeper Mattress Review. If you’re in hurry and just want an overview then read our brief analysis below.
Comfort
The Coralview foam layers are created from the distinct technologies of Twist® Gel Memory, PillowSoft®, and 739 Custom Support® coils. They provide complete comfort to your body due to the balanced firmness and softness factors. The contour structure of your body fits into the top layer comfortably, since the foam wraps around it fully. It prevents your body from unintentional posture shifting during sleep. It’s not due to the constraints, rather because of the comfort experienced by your body.
Firmness
Coralview foam layers are designed for a moderate level of firmness. They exert reverse pressure on your body contours, which is sufficient to hold it in place. This pressure is created as a reaction to your body weight distribution along the width and depth of the mattress. The custom support coils are responsible for preventing your body from sinking into the mattress during sleep. The dynamic pressure keeps your body floating regardless of the higher Body mass index. We tested this mattress with many heavy people and pregnant women who tend to sleep on side. It supports complete resting of the abdomen and the hips on which the pressure points seem to be the maximum impact.
Air Circulation
Air circulation is enabled at the gel layer and the top cover of the mattress. The porous structure enables the evaporation of the sweat molecules and allows the dissipation of germs and fungus. The antibacterial elements in the gel layer eliminate them to provide the best hygienic sleeping platform.
Heat-Absorption
The Coralview has the Twist® Gel Memory Foam from Serta. It provides extra warmth to your body while sleeping. It has a high level of thermal conduction and absorption. It extracts the heat from your body and gives a cooling effect. It stores the absorbed heat within the gel micro-beads. When the external temperature goes below your body’s tolerance level, the micro-beads release the stored heat and provide warmth to your body.
Body-Weight Distribution
Body weight distribution along the vertical and horizontal lines of the mattress gives you trouble free sleep. The individual wrapping on the cell spring makes it possible to carry the maximum load without buckling into the mattress core. It happens due to the combination of PillowSoft®, and 739 Custom Support® layers. The base layer of the mattress absorbs most of the pressure from your body weight and transfers it along the width and length of the mattress. The Active-balance system of Coralview Plush model doesn’t let your body weight concentrate at any single point. The additional support provided by the Air suspension technology further enhances the comfort level and induces the best sleep cycle.
Support
The Coralview Plush model provides maximum support to your body with its Twist® Gel Memory foam. The key points of support are the neck, upper back, lower back, hips, abdomen, and shoulders. The alignment between your lower back and the spinal cord is one of the key factors, which influence the healing of stress and fatigue. As a side sleeper, you may experience discomfort while adjusting your body to the mattress surface due to the misalignment. The Coralview Plush model is designed to support the curves in the spinal cord and the connecting point with the lower back. The same support for alignment between the upper back and the neck also provides evenness in balancing your body contour during the side sleep.
Healing Effects
The healing effects of Coralview Plush model can be experienced on the skin, muscles, veins and the central nervous system. The Twist® Gel Memory comes into direct contact with the nerves on the cardiovascular and the metabolic systems. You can experience the best effects of cardio healing when you sleep on your left side. It is also recommended by the cardiologists to avoid the side effects of heartburn, acid reflexes, and inconsistency of circulation. The Twist® Gel Memory can absorb the stress and fatigue from your body’s soft muscles located within the cardiovascular organs. At the same time, the cells provide warmth to the blood vessels located within the left part of your chest. Your breath becomes deeper, and the circulation of oxygenated blood increases the efficiency of cardiovascular and metabolic systems.
Energizing Effects
The design and construction of Twist® Gel Memory within the Coralview Plush foam structure can energize your body cells by extracting the fatigue and stress. The inducing of relaxation effects naturally enables the circulation of oxygenated blood and nutrients into the cells and tissues. It increases the energy levels and induces refreshing effects on your body muscles and neurons.
3. Purple Mattress
Comfort
Purple mattress has five distinct layers of multiple grade foam and grid structure to provide comfort for side sleepers. The purple smart comfort grid located directly beneath the responsive knit cover is responsible for providing comfort. When you sleep on your side, it covers the legs, knees, thighs, abdomen, hips, chest, and the shoulders on one side. Since left side sleeping is preferred by the medical experts, we have also considered it to be the standard. The plush comfort foam and the support foam beneath this layer can provide the required firmness and uplift pressure. Hence, your body tends to float on the mattress rather than sinking. At the same time, the experience of softness is provided by the responsive knit cover which wraps around your body according to its contours.
Firmness
Firmness is a factor which is provided to your body from the combination of support foam and the plush comfort foam. The firmness factor is a combination of structural support, high-density PU foam, and the grid structure of the comfort foam. Firmness helps in preventing the sinking of your body into the mattress. It provides contact points between the various pressure points on your body with the relief points on the mattress. The combination results in enhancing the pain healing and stress relief.
Air Circulation
The responsive knit cover has thousands of micro-level pores which enable free circulation of air through the upper mattress layer. The primary purpose is to keep your skin cool and avoid sweating. Even when your skin sweats occasionally, it gets dispelled and evaporated within the knit cover layer. So, the mattress doesn’t absorb it and become wet.
Heat Absorption
The heat absorbed by the responsive knit layer is passed onto the comfort grid layer where it gets dispersed. The cooling effect generated by the layer keeps your body temperature within the normal range.
Body-Weight Distribution
When you side sleep on a low-density mattress, the body weight gets concentrated at fixed points along the length. Hence, the stress levels will be more. The multiple density Purple mattress can distribute your body weight along the width and length of the mattress evenly. Since the distribution also happens vertically, your body’s center of gravity gets balanced at the right points along its length. So, you don’t experience the feeling of “sudden fall”. The probability of unintentional posture changes to the back or stomach posture will also not happen.
Support
The support foam is structurally strong and firm. When your body pressure creates an impact, this layer creates the opposite pressure to balance. This pressure keeps your body from sinking into the bed. Also, it can bring the top layer of the contact in contact with your skin. The stress relief points can extract the stress from your body and cause relaxation.
Healing Effects
The healing effects of the Purple mattress are due to the stress and pressure relief points. They are specifically strong near the abs, hips, thighs, and the knees areas. The lower left part of the muscles beneath the spinal cord also gets sufficient support to heal the lower back pain.
Energizing Effects
The energizing factors of the Purple mattress are located on the responsive knit cover and the comfort grid. They convert a part of your body heat and pressure into positive energy.
4. Casper Mattress
Comfort
The horizontal distribution of softness and firmness at different sections enables maximum comfort for your body while you sleep on Casper Mattress. The foam layer under the shoulders and the chest is designed to be soft and moderately firm. It can relieve the pain from the pressure points. The mattress layer which comes into contact with your hips and abdomen is relatively firmer. Hence, the pain relief and comfort level from these points will be more effective. At the leg section, the Casper mattress is moderately firm and soft. It can absorb the stress from your knees and legs. It can also provide maximum comfort to the side of the heels which come into contact with the top layer of the mattress.
Firmness
The firmness of the Casper Mattress is due to the vertical support and zoned support layers. The foam cells structure density will be more near the firm areas, besides the structure of each foam cell is double to increase the firmness. By the firmness factor more at the hips and the abdomen, the Casper Mattress can exert pressure on the left side muscles that are directly beneath the spinal cord. It is due to this firmness that the spine gets considerable support even when you sleep on the side.
Air Circulation
Open cell layer of Casper Mattress is responsible for the free circulation of air. It keeps your skin cool and free from allergens. It also helps in nourishing the skin’s layers with oxygen. The other benefit is the breathability of the upper layer. At the time your left nasal pipe may come into direct contact with the mattress in the gap between the mattress and the pillow. It can cause discomfort to your breathing. The Casper Mattress allows you to breathe freely with zero discomforts while sleeping on the side.
Heat Absorption
When you sleep on your left side, the heart and the lungs part are closer to the Casper Mattress top layer. The pressure points on this side come into direct contact with the mattress. Similarly, the key points of stress accumulation on the left side of your body come into contact with the mattress top layer. The memory foam cells can absorb the heat from these points in an efficient manner. The result is not only body cooling but also the elimination of stress and fatigue from these points and the spinal cord.
Body-Weight Distribution
The zoned support layer on the mattress can balance the body weight while you sleep on the side. It distributes the weight along the horizontal sections and vertical layers. So, the pressures on the upper and lower parts of your body are reduced. The abdomen and the hips being on the firmer side of the mattress can get the balancing points distributed around them.
Support
The support for the abdomen and hips is responsible for keeping the rest of your body in comfortable posture while sleeping on the side.
Healing Effects
The structure of foam layers on the zone of comfort, support, and the memory foam layers can extract the accumulated strain and pain from the lower back and the spinal cord base. It results in the healing of pain from the Central Nervous System which passes through the spinal cord.
Energizing Effects
The same healing effects also provide the energy to the CNS through pressure point contact. Your body will feel fresh and rejuvenated when you wake from sleep on the next day morning.
5. Bear Mattress
Comfort
Celliant® technology works at between the first two layers of the Bear Mattress, namely the cover and the graphite gel memory foam. The combination can provide a feeling of softness to your body’s muscles and nerves. The effects will be more when you can sleep on to your left side. It is due to the contact between the left muscles which connect to the smooth muscles of the cardiovascular system. So, the heart rate, breathing depth, and the pressure relief from the lower part of the spinal cord become optimized. Also, the top layer of the mattress creates cuddling shape around your body’s contour. So, the level of comfort naturally increases.
Firmness
The structure of graphite gel is unlike the other types of foam. It has a unique set of matrices whose sides are strong and firm due to the graphite. At the same time, the center of the matrix is soft due to the gel. The combination can give a gentle massage to the sides of your body while sleeping. The firmness keeps your body from sinking into the mattress. The softness gives maximum level of comfort.
Air Circulation
The Celliant® cover has thousands of micron size pores which are aligned along the length and width of the mattress. They allow free circulation of air. Since the air passes through the gel layer of the mattress, the level of cooling will be relatively more. It can also absorb the cool air circulating from the air conditioner in your room and pass it onto your skin layers which come into contact with the mattress.
Heat Absorption
The graphite-gel memory foam tends to absorb heat from your skin. But the extraction is not just limited to the skin layers. It can cool down the muscles, veins, and the nerves on the left side of your body. The impact will be specifically on the lower part of the spine which comes into close contact with the lower back. The normalization of temperature from these points can help in relaxing the Central Nervous System. So, your entire body muscles get the signal of relaxation. It expands the tissues and removes the accumulated stress. The process takes at least four to five hours to happen.
Body-Weight Distribution
Distribution of body weight is a complex process when you sleep on the side. It is due to the minimum contact points between your body and the mattress. It’s where the responsive comfort foam and the transitional performance foam layers come into action. They absorb your body weight and distribute it just around your body. It creates pressure points from the sides which in turn provide support to the sides of your body. So, you don’t tend to fall off or switch postures unintentionally during sleep.
Support
The support is provided by the high-density foam located at the base of Bear Mattress. The spring back pressure provided by the layer keeps your body’s center of gravity to be distributed along both the sides of your body.
Healing Effects
The graphite gel memory foam and the Celliant® technology cover can heal the commonly occurring pain factors like the lower back pain, joint pain, and nerve issue.
Energizing Effects
The graphite gel memory layer of the Bear mattress removes the stress from your body and energizes it back into action on the next day morning.
Summary
All the brands have temperature regulation design. They provide maximum support to the neck, upper back, lower back, hips, abdomen, and shoulders while sleeping on the side. All the brands have incorporated the best memory foam technology for comfort, healing, and support.
All the brands have perfect body weight distribution and wrapping effects for the side sleeping posture. They support maximum body weight, regardless of the obesity level you have.
The Serta Perfect Sleeper Coralview Plush model gel foam and the Bear Mattress are recommended for women during pregnancy side sleeping.
The Amerisleep AS5 model and Casper are recommended for patients recovering from spinal cord injuries, trauma. The Amerisleep AS3 and Purple are mostly recommended for athletes and sportspersons to get the best healing effects for stress and muscle cramps.
So, the choice of choosing the best mattress for side sleepers from these five brands depends on which category you belong to and the other features like your Body Mass Index and the present health conditions.
Also check out our review on Best Hybrid Mattress.