By Mashum Mollah
Side sleepers have special needs, just like every other sleeper of their own comfortable position. It’s important to get a mattress that can contour and provide the support that you need to give you the most comfortable sleeping experience
The Foam Mattress is the most sold mattress in the world currently. It’s flexible in that you can get a $200 or $1,000 foam mattress based on the materials and structure that you want. You can virtually find the mattress of the softness and firmness that you want from a wide range of prices and brands.
Let’s talk about the kind of sleep lateral sleepers experience and where do you need support the most.
Lateral sleep: what you experience :
There are a couple of factors that can cause one to sleep on their side. Some had done it ever since they were kids, others want to refrain from squishing their face to the pillows but can’t find comfort from sleeping on their back. Others are trying to get better from sleep apnea by sleeping on their side for a change.
Whatever your reason was, now you need to find a mattress that can really give you the comfort you need when you sleep. You might have noticed several of the drawbacks of sleeping on your side below:
- Numbness in your hand or rubber arm
- Exacerbated acid reflux
- Pain on shoulder and hip
There are several disadvantages that you can notice from sleeping on your side. On the other hand, the advantages are great, such as better spinal alignment, reduced sleep apnea symptoms, and better heart circulation. There’s also the fact that sleeping on the correct side, which is usually the left, is better for pregnant women and healthy adults in general.
What your mattress should do :
For side sleepers, you want to be able to sleep on a mattress that lets you move around. Sleeping on just one side for straight 8 hours will kill your arm. You also want a mattress that will allow the body to be aligned correctly, which means it has to sink in at the right depth. Yet, it has to provide support when necessary.
Spinal alignment :
Our backbone is naturally curved to allow us to stand straight and support our upper body and head. To keep your backbone healthy, this shape has to be maintained throughout your lifetime. Prolonged wrong posture can cause permanent damage to the backbone and you might experience the lower back pain that haunts so many others by now.
If you are one of those sufferers, you need to realign this through therapy, exercise, and settling in with the correct body posture. As you spend a third of your time in bed, it better to be a place that gives you the correct posture.
Comfort and support :
It cannot just provide support, but cause pain to your body as if you’re sleeping on hard ground. Yet, it cannot be too soft that your body is simply sucked into the bed and you’re not even positioned in the correct way. It has to balance in both, lets you feel comfortable, but also supports the backbone.
You need comfort because you’re relying heavily on one side of the body. It’s going to hurt and wake you up a lot as the circulation around your arm will be blocked over time. The right support will also allow your body to move around, allowing you to switch sides or stay in the supine position for a while.
The best kind of foam mattress
And finally, we’re onto the main topic: the best kind of foam mattress for side sleepers. We’ve understood now that sleeping in our most comfortable position also means that we’re giving out a lot of tension to several parts of our body. It also means either our right or left side will be pressured a lot.
To prevent the pain and ensure a healthy body posture during our rest, we need a mattress that gives comfort and support at the right level. It cannot be too hard and hurt our shoulder and hip or be too soft that our spine isn’t aligned properly.
Rather than telling you that this mattress is better than that and that one is the worst choice, we want to let you consider these yourself. We will tell you the pros and cons of each of the different types of foam mattresses and finally several factors that should also be considered together.
Natural Latex :
Latex made of original raw materials has a very unique texture. It is very soft to the body, yet you can choose various hardness depending on your preference. It slowly hardens towards the bottom, meaning that the lower part of the latex provides support to the body. While memory foam sinks in, latex has is more flexible, has a jumpy feel to it, and suck the sleeper in.
Natural latex is generally seen as the highest quality of foam mattress. While memory foam does reduce back pain, latex helps preserves body posture. In the case that you’re a healthy adult with no diagnosis of abnormal backbone, natural latex is the best choice for you. If it’s too expensive, the next option may pose as a more viable one.
Hybrid :
Hybrid material mixes various types of foam in it. It can be the mixture of latex and polyurethane, latex with memory foam, or all of them. Depending on the manufacturer’s purpose of design, a hybrid mattress comes in a wide variety of firmness and softness. It’s also the most highly sought foam mattress in the market.
This is especially good if you’re tight on budget and still want to get that natural latex feel or memory foam. There are several drawbacks, but it’s pretty much durable for its price.
Polyurethane :
Polyurethane is petroleum-based and it’s the cheapest choice among foam mattresses. The mattress feels the same as every other mattress initially. It can be manufactured in various forms of softness and firmness, too. But the difference can be felt in the long term. It easily sags and loses its density because the material can evaporate into the air over time.
Memory foam
It’s based on polyurethane but made more durable and softer than it. It also has a unique characteristic in that it absorbs kinetic energy and prevents movement. It hugs your body, contouring to your shape and allowing you to achieve your highest comfort. People with lifelong back pain can feel it subsides significantly when they sleep on memory foam mattresses.
Depending on your preference, again, various types of softness can be produced. However, remember that just because the current softness is not enough, it doesn’t mean that you have to go for an even softer option. There’s also a possibility that firm ones, such as a natural latex mattress, will do better for your sleep.
Side sleepers generally go for memory foam for its price and capabilities. Your body’s pressure on the bed creates a shape that won’t cause tension on your hip and shoulder. It will firmly ‘hug’ this shape, keeping you comfortable.
Check out LatexBear for more information about the different foam mattresses particularly the pros and cons when using them.
What else matters?
Couples :
For couples, you will need to consider the fact that your partner may have different sleeping habits and behaviors. Do check out our post on the best foam mattress for couples for more information! Grab the right mattress that will make every night the best night you ever have.
Allergies :
If you have allergies, it’s best to go for hypoallergenic mattresses. On the other hand, foam mattresses made of synthetic materials tend to create allergic reactions in the near future, especially synthetic, polyurethane-based mattresses. Memory foam performs better due to its durability.
Pregnant women :
Pregnant women have a special need in that they need to sleep on their left side more often and avoid sleeping on their backs. They will have to turn into a side sleeper sooner or later. You also need to consider factors like couples’, but also your comfort during the next 10 months.
A few factors to consider are things like which side of the bed you like to sleep in and if you like mattresses that slip at the edge or feels firm to grip on. As you can guess, latex is harder to grip, while memory foam can be made as if it slips at the edge.
Price and durability :
These two factors are fused together because cheap mattresses can cost more in the long run if you have to replace them frequently, but also vice versa. The most expensive is natural latex mattress made of Dunlop process, followed by Talalay-processed latex mattress and memory foam. Memory foam with cooling gel-infused costs higher.
Hybrid mattresses price range can differ depending on the purity level of latex in it. Polyurethane is the cheapest choice of all. In terms of durability, however, polyurethane lasts well for only 5 years, and a high level of VOC discharge can be detected. It’s followed by memory foam and finally natural latex, which lasts up to 20 years.
Hybrid mattress varies, again, depending on the materials in it. But aside from that all, your method or maintenance and care to the mattress can decide its age. The lifespan of your bed can be prolonged under proper dusting, vacuuming, and sunbathing.
Read Also :
