Is sleeping on your side good for your health?
If you’ve ever consciously tried to change your sleeping position (perhaps due to a medical procedure or a strange bed), you know that going against your natural tendencies can be tough. The good news for side sleepers is that experts widely agree that sleeping on your side is at least as good as other options.
Sleep experts at Houston Methodist say that sleeping on your side is “least detrimental to your 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’ve always envied back sleepers, but according to the Mayo Clinic, sleeping on your back is the “worst position” and sleeping on your side is the “better way to sleep.”
Which mattress is best for side sleepers: hybrid or memory foam?
Hybrid mattresses are recommended for side sleepers. Considering that you are putting your weight on a smaller surface area, you might think that memory foam is better than a hybrid mattress with spring layers (often called coils). With memory foam, you sink into a fluffy little cloud and get support from the sides. The problem is that if you are sleeping soundly and not moving much, the foam slowly but surely compresses throughout the night. Cheap foam with only one layer will feel like you are sleeping on a yoga mat after a while. This is why mattresses with multiple layers of foam of different weights are better, and why hybrid mattresses are even better. Because of the spring layers, the foam does not compress as much in my experience. A good hybrid mattress will allow you to sleep soundly for 6 hours without changing positions, but that is not necessarily the case with an all-foam mattress. Hybrid mattresses tend to sleep cooler because there is less mass of solid foam to absorb heat.
What is the ideal firmness for side sleepers?
Many side sleepers tend to prefer a softer mattress, which usually means a memory foam mattress rather than an innerspring mattress. However, you want to make sure that your mattress is supportive enough to keep you going all night long. All types of mattresses can provide adequate support, but pay close attention to the firmness scale advertised by the manufacturer and the firmness options within it. Also, take your body type into consideration, as the heavier you are, the firmer your mattress will need.
What type of mattress is best for a heavier person who sleeps on their side?
I’m a bigger guy now, and although semaglutide has made me smaller since I started testing mattresses, I’m still a big guy. And the bigger I am, the more I want a firmer mattress, because otherwise my weight will compress the foam and springs too much.
