We’ve all slept on enough bad mattresses to know that a comfortable one is key to restful sleep — which is necessary for our overall health.
Finding the best mattress for heavy side sleepers can be a challenge. Understanding your unique sleep needs, as well as the different mattress types and materials, may help you choose the most suitable mattress for your body.
Understanding the Needs of a Heavier Side Sleeper
We all have sleep pressure points, areas of the body that support more of our weight when we’re lying down. For heavier side sleepers, these pressure points typically include the hips and shoulders.
The best mattress for heavier side sleepers is one that helps distribute body weight evenly across the mattress, helping to alleviate pressure at these points. This helps prevent hips, shoulders and any other body parts from pressing too hard into the mattress, potentially causing pain and disrupting sleep.
Good support is also important because it helps keep the spine aligned. Heavier side sleepers need the right balance of firmness and softness, which will allow the spine to curve naturally during sleep.
Unsupported pressure points and a misaligned spine can both cause pain that may not only affect your sleep but also your ability to function and overall quality of life. A mattress that offers the right level of support helps to stop any problems before they start.
Mattress Types and Materials
There are four main types of mattress, each with pros and cons for heavier side sleepers.
Innerspring mattresses
When you think of a traditional mattress, you’re likely thinking of an innerspring. These bouncy mattresses are made with metal coils to offer firm, even support. Many people find they are the best mattress for heavy side sleepers.
- Pros: Innerspring mattresses are highly supportive for heavier bodies, and this support extends all the way across the mattress to the edges. They are breathable because their coils allow for airflow. They are generally very durable.
- Cons: Some people may prefer a softer mattress that hugs the body. Depending on how the mattress is constructed, innersprings may not offer much motion isolation; this means one person’s movements in bed may be felt across the mattress. Innersprings may not relieve pressure as well as other mattresses.
Memory Foam and latex mattresses
These mattresses are made from comfort materials. Latex mattresses may be more natural, since latex comes from the rubber tree. Both memory foam and latex mattresses are designed to hug the body, so they are less bouncy.
- Pros: These mattresses provide soft support that allows the spine to curve naturally during sleep. They are excellent for pressure relief. The comfort materials that comprise them absorb motion, preventing it from transferring across the mattress.
- Cons: Memory foam and latex may not be supportive enough for heavier bodies, and durability may be an issue due to wear and tear. These types of mattresses aren’t as breathable as innersprings and may trap heat.
Hybrid mattresses
As the name implies, hybrid mattresses feature aspects of innerspring and memory foam mattresses for a “best of both worlds” option. They contain layers of bouncy metal coils as well as comfort materials.
- Pros: Hybrids provide body-hugging support (including some edge support) for heavier sleepers who prefer a softer mattress. They are more durable than memory foam and latex mattresses and provide better motion isolation and pressure relief.
- Cons: Hybrid mattresses may not offer enough support (including around the edges) for heavier bodies, and they may not last as long as innersprings.
Firmness Level Considerations
The ideal firmness level for side sleepers partly depends partly on body type. Heavier side sleepers generally benefit from a firmer mattress to help them maintain proper spinal alignment, while lighter side sleepers may find more comfort and better alignment with a softer option.
For heavier side sleepers, correct postural positioning is key to achieving good spinal alignment during sleep. Aim to keep the chin and neck centered between the shoulders and your shoulders in line with your hips. Try to avoid tilting your chin down or twisting your head to the side. You may rest your arms at the sides or slightly in front of you.
Of course, what constitutes the “ideal” firmness level is highly subjective. While it’s important to consider factors such as spinal alignment, your personal sleep preferences should also be part of the decision-making process when deciding on the best mattress for heavy side sleepers.
Mattress Construction and Features for Heavier People
Certain construction elements make a mattress better for heavier bodies. One of these is reinforced edges to provide stronger edge support, which is important for heavy sleepers.
Good edge support means the mattress stays firm even when you’re sleeping at the perimeter, without sagging or curving uncomfortably under your body weight. It also helps people with knee, hip or other joint problems get into and out of bed more easily.
Some other construction features that make a mattress a good choice for heavier sleepers are:
- Zoned support, meaning the mattress is firmer in some spots than others to offer targeted support of your body weight
- Thicker comfort layers to provide the right amount of softness under your weight
- High density material that will stay comfortable and resist wear and tear
These features come together to create a durable, high-quality mattress that can withstand extra compression. Not only do they lengthen the lifespan of your mattress, but they help ensure it stays comfortable instead of turning into a lumpy mess. Mattresses like the Titan Plus, Titan Plus Luxe and Titan Plus Elite are built with heavier bodies in mind — providing specialized comfort designed to last.
Tips for Choosing and Testing a Mattress
The quest for the best mattress for heavy side sleepers can be done from the comfort of home (or at work or wherever you do your best web surfing). Thoroughly researching mattresses online instead of going to a brick and mortar store is a huge time-saver; it allows you to learn about mattress types and brands (and their price points) so you can find exactly what you're looking for.
Researching online, you can look at side-by-side comparisons and read customer reviews of a huge variety of mattress types for every budget, as opposed to shopping at a store that may be constrained by space when it comes to how many options they can offer.
On your search, you can look for online stores with a sleep trial and a warranty policy. (For example, Brooklyn Bedding offers a 120-night sleep trial and a limited lifetime warranty.)
Empower Yourself with Information
When it comes to finding the best mattress for heavy side sleepers, type, materials and firmness are key. Getting a better idea of what you’re looking for in a mattress by researching online before schlepping to the store can make you a savvier shopper, potentially saving you money as well as time.
