How to choose the best mattress for stomach sleepers
If you’re a back sleeper, you really won’t be able to sleep on your stomach and vice versa. It’s just indented into your sleeping soul. While sleeping on your stomach tends to put a strain on your neck and your spine, both of these can be emphasized if you’re sleeping on the wrong mattress. If you’re waking up in the morning or tossing and turning throughout the night, you might want to consider choosing a different mattress. Considering there are actually thousands of mattress varieties on the market, it can be a bit daunting to single down the right choice. Finding the right one is not easy but knowing what to look for is half the battle.
Before (literally) diving into a new mattress, it’s important to do your research. Sleepers should start by reading information on the internet before taking in customer reviews. Information on retail and company websites are great but they tend to be a bit one-sided. Obviously, the companies are going to try their best to sell the products so to get unbiased opinions, you should check out customer and client reviews from a bunch of different sources.
That way, when you head into a mattress store to make your choice, you’ll have a bevy of information and a leg up before you make your choice. Beside, once you feel you’re pretty knowledgeable about which mattress you want, you’ll be able to go back and forth with the salesperson to really zone in on which mattress will be the best fit for you.
And hey, you might even get a few free pillows out of it all.
Here are a few types of mattresses to consider for people who sleep on their stomachs.
Firm mattresses are a great option for stomach sleepers. A lot of firm memory foam mattresses are designed with two layers of gel memory foam which helps to contour the front of your body while still adding enough support. Premium foams are designed to sleep cool and give off enough bounce to protect your vital front organs. A lot of stomach sleepers won’t want to choose something that’s too hard as it could be damaging in the long run (or long sleep, rather) to your ribs.
For a lot stomach sleepers, a firm mattress can help to keep your hips and pelvis from sinking too much into the bed which would then cause your lower back to arch, resulting in morning back pain and aches. A firm bed will help to promote a neutral spine which will result in better overall sleeps which ripples into day-to-day routines.
Some stomach sleepers might want to choose a mattress that has a few layers of memory foam that covered pocketed coils. The mix of foam and coils helps to give off a quicker response time which offers pressure relief. Pressure relief is an added benefit to sleepers who might wake up with lower stomach pain and neck aches.
Stomach sleepers whose partners don’t sleep on their stomachs might want to consider a mattress that splits the firmness from one side to the other.
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That way, stomach sleepers can get the firm support they need while their partners can get a medium or soft plush. Split-firmness mattresses are great options for people who might have trouble deciding what type of firmness they want — how about a little bit of compromise and the best of both worlds?
Some mattresses on the market are geared specifically towards athletes and individuals who are very active, especially those stomach sleepers. A lot of mattresses offer three layers of foam gel to adapt to a specific person’s body shape and sleep patterns. It’s especially important for athletes who look for a good amount of pressure and support while they’re sleeping.
Stomach sleepers should note that a medium-firm bed does a good job at supporting their backs and keeping their spines aligned to prevent back aches. If you’re an athlete and a stomach sleeper, keep mattresses made out of a material called Graphite Gel in ming. Besides keeping the bed cool, it will give you enough stability to have a comfortable night sleep without waking up in pain.
While stomach sleepers should stay away from soft-firmness mattresses, a lot of memory foam mattresses tend to have a chemical-like smell as a result of its use of latex and gels. Memory foam takes pretty adamant measures to make sure they remain breathable and some chemicals can give off a plant-like smell. And nobody really wants to fall asleep to the smell of paint. With that said, there are eco-friendly mattresses that are completely recycled materials like steel and they use organic cotton, wool, and natural latex.
These might be ideal options for sleepers who not only want a good night sleep but also want to help keep our beautiful planet clean.
Eco-friendly mattresses have high-density foams and strong steel coils that as always, promote the proper spine alignment which is of paramount importance for stomach sleepers.
In the end, stomach sleepers might be on the short end of the stick in terms of sleeping positions. Meaning, you’re probably sleeping the worst way compared to back sleepers and sie sleepers. With that said, you should take the necessary steps to make sure you’re choosing the right mattress to make you function at the highest optimal level. Stomach sleepers should also invest in a good, firm pillow that gives plenty of back support. Stomach sleepers put a lot of strain on their midsection and a bad night’s sleep will add a significant amount of additional weight and aches the next day. Therefore, choosing the right mattress is very important. If you’re looking at firmness, the most being a ten, stomach sleepers should be choosing a mattress that is at least a five. The firmness will help keep your back from arching and will help to alleviate stiffness. If you compare a firm mattress to a soft one after a few days of sleeping on it, you’ll see your pelvis won’t be sinking into the bed as much and your spine won’t be as misaligned.
A few things to remember: memory foam will contour your body, latex mattresses are very comfortable and breathable, and innerspring mattresses offer a traditional feel that most people are more familiar with. Hybrids tend to be a little bit of the best of all worlds but can get a little steeper in terms of pricing.
Just be sure you’re paying attention to how firm mattresses are and getting the necessary back and neck support is key. In these situations, a lot of research and testing can be the difference of waking up with zero pain versus waking up with a lot.
