Best mattresses for side sleepers in 2024, tested and reviewed

Is sleeping on your side good for you?

If you’ve ever tried to deliberately change your sleeping position (perhaps because of a medical procedure or awkward bedding) you probably know that it’s hard to fight your natural tendencies. The good news for side sleepers is that there’s a broad consensus among experts that it’s at least as good as any other option.

Sleep experts at Houston Methodist say sleeping on your side disrupts sleep. “The least negative impact on health.” Which is great! The only thing worse than sleeping on your side is not getting enough sleep or sleeping in any other position!

I’m always jealous of back sleepers but sleeping on your back is the “worst position” According to the Mayo Clinicwho calls sleeping on one’s side “a good way to sleep.”

What type of mattress is best for side sleepers, hybrid or memory foam?

We prefer hybrids for side sleepers. Given that you’re putting more weight on a smaller surface area, you might think that memory foam is better than a hybrid mattress that has a layer of springs (often called coils). On memory foam, you sink into a little cloud and get support on the sides. The problem is that when you’re sleeping well and don’t move much throughout the night, that foam will slowly but surely compress underneath you. If it’s just one layer of cheap foam, after a while it’ll feel like you’re sleeping on a yoga mat. That’s why mattresses with multiple layers of foam of varying weights are better, and it’s why we like hybrids even better. That layer of springs means that the foam doesn’t compress nearly as much, in my experience. A good hybrid gives you the chance to sleep for up to six hours without having to change position, which isn’t necessarily the case for me on an all-foam mattress. Hybrids are also cooler because there is less mass of solid foam that absorbs heat.

What is the ideal firmness for side sleepers?

Most side sleepers gravitate towards softer mattresses, which usually means memory foam rather than innerspring mattresses. However, throughout the night, you’ll want to make sure you have a mattress with adequate support. All types of mattresses can provide this, but be sure to pay close attention to the firmness scale advertised by the company and the firmness options within it. Also take your body type into account, as the more body weight you have, the firmer the mattress you’ll need.

What is the best mattress for heavy weight and side sleepers?

I’m bigger now – I’m smaller now than when I started testing mattresses, thanks to the semaglutide, but I’m still big. I’ve found that the bigger you are, the firmer you need your mattress to be, because otherwise your body weight will compress the foam and springs underneath you too much.