Your Preferred Sleep Position And The Best Mattress For It

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Any mattress that helps a person sleep well, so that he or she wakes feeling rested and refreshed, and without pain and stiffness, is the best mattress for that individual.

While it is important that your mattress gives a reasonable, level support for the spine, personal preference and comfort is the bottom line when selecting a mattress. Most people want a mattress with a firm core that gives their spine more support.  It is believed that a mattress should provide support for the spine at all points and keep it in the same body position as good standing posture whether the person is laying on their back, side or stomach.  While there are no absolute rules, there are a few general guidelines about sleeping positions that are most comfortable for the spine:

Back sleepers can benefit from a mattress with a firm core (innerspring or foam) with less cushion often called "Firm" or a medium amount of cushion called  "Plush."  When sleeping on your back you may want to tuck a small pillow underneath the back of the knees.  This will completely unload the stress on the spine and allow for the natural curve of the lower back.

Side sleepers can benefit from a mattress with a firm core and a medium amount of padding called"Plush" or the maximum amount of padding often called "Pillow Top" or "Euro Top."  Side sleepers can benefit from a lot more cushion so that when pressure points such as hips and shoulders are pressed against the mattress, they have enough cushion to keep from reducing blood circulation and causing aches and pains.  On the least cushioned mattresses side sleepers are vulnerable to tossing and turning to find a comfortable sleep position.  When you are tossing and turning, you are not sleeping nor entering into REM sleep for the most restful and rejuvenating sleep.  In addition, side sleepers will often wake up stiff and sore because their muscles have been at work all night long trying to hold their body in a comfortable postion on a hard surface rather than fully relaxing into the padding, thus allowing their body to fully relax and rest in order to prepare the way for REM sleep. For people who prefer sleeping on their side, it might be helpful to place a pillow between the knees to help keep stress off the hips and lower spine.

Stomach sleepers often prefer a mattress with a firm core that is Firm or Plush so they don't feel like their is an arch in their back while they are sleeping.  For many stomach sleepers, Pillow Tops seem to contribute to the feeling of an arched back.  Stomach sleepers can sometimes benefit from placing a flat pillow beneath the stomach and hips in order to reduce pressure on the spine.

The key is to learn to sleep in positions that are most posturizing and natural to the body.  For example, some stomach sleepers lay in a position that puts a twist in the lower spine.  It is sort of a side/stomach sleep position that puts an unnatural pressure on the spine during sleep that can contribute to aches and pain in the morning. People who prefer this position might want to learn to sleep in a way that allows the spine to rest more naturally through the night. Some side sleepers might have to learn to sleep without their arm under their head by purchasing a high loft pillow and allowing their arm to be lower then their shoulder.  This will take pressure off the rotator as well as allow the spine to find a more naturally posturizing position that will reduce aches and pains in the morning as well as ensure the deepest sleep.

Sleep comfort is a matter of personal preference. But it is wise to make sure that while sleeping in your preferred sleep position you have a mattress that gives the maximum benefits for that sleep position, and you learn to adjust so that you rest in positions that are most natural to the spine and the joints.

Good night, and good sleep
Da Maui Mattress Man