Mattresses

Best Mattresses For Side Sleepers with Back Pain

If you sleep on your side and have lower back pain, we have some mattress options to help make life a little easier. What’s the best mattress for back pain relief? This is frequently asked since so many people are suffering with chronic back pain issues. Your mattress may be one of the easiest things you can change if you are having chronic back pain. Our daily lives are so often spent on the go and back pain is something a huge portion of the population suffers with on a frequent basis. As debilitating as back pain can be, solutions can be a dime a dozen. As a personal sufferer of back pain, one of the most helpful things I did was purchase a new mattress and pillows that are high quality. After constant trips to the chiropractor that add up quickly, the change in sleep environment definitely was cheaper and a long term solution.

Mattress Buying Checklist

When you suffer from neck and back pain like I do, I have found out the hard way what types of mattresses and pillows work best for me. While this takes some time and energy, you can definitely save yourself the time and money by remembering these tips below when choosing the best mattress for back pain.
Personal preference is always king. Individual comfort is the most important factor. Sleep comfort diminishes if a mattress does not suit one’s individual preferences. A mattress that provides both comfort and back support will alleviate back pain, allowing the structures in the spine to really rest and rejuvenate during the night. Many mattress companies offer full refund sleep trials on their mattresses. Take advantage of the sleep trial nights and ensure you are on the most comfortable mattress that works with your sleep style. Some mattress companies like Nectar and DreamCloud offer 365 day sleep trials. You can sleep on the bed for a whole year before you have to decide if you want to keep it.
1. Understand the materials that make up your mattress. The inside of your mattress will make the difference in wear and comfort. You have to understand what your mattress is made from if you want to understand how your body will react. Mattress thickness, number of coils, and mattress padding all play major roles in the level of comfort.
2. Find a mattress that has back support. A quality mattress will provide support for the natural curves and alignment of the spine. Accurate back support also helps avoid muscle soreness in the morning. I prefer a firm mattress with a quality pillow of similar consistency. From my research, back pain sufferers overall prefer a medium-firm sleep experience.
3. If you have any signs of wear and tear on your current mattress, don’t wait around to upgrade to a new one. As a mattress ages, it will definitely start showing wear. You need to upgrade as soon as you can at this point. Mattresses only get worse.
4. While your mattress cant work miracles for you, it can definitely work with you vs. against you. Check out some of our favorite mattresses below if you or a partner suffer with back pain.
If you sleep on your side, you most likely are causing your lower back pain. Poor mattress support and firm mattresses are probably not working in your favor. Side sleepers will sleep the most comfortable with a medium to medium firm mattress. Some side sleepers even prefer plush or soft mattresses. The pressure buildup with your SI joint and hip will become even more annoying over time if you aren’t sleeping on the best surface for your sleep style. As a side sleeper with lower back pain from time to time, we compiled a guide below for you to use to help with the buying process.

Nolah Mattress

Nolah was specifically made for side sleepers. Nolah uses AirFoam the make up their cloud like sleep surface. This proprietary foam sleeps cooler and provides pressure relief to key areas for those sleeping on their side. Nolah has a 120-night sleep trial, 15-year warranty, and adopts an animal for every mattress sold. The Nolah Mattress is softer on the firmness scale but is perfect for side sleepers who have lower back pain as the supportive AirFoam cradles your body without applying pressure to pain points. The AirFoam also sleeps extremely cool so you don’t have to worry about waking up hot. This is one of the best mattress for side sleepers with lower back pain. With the $125 discount, a queen mattress will run you $824 and shipping is always free. Check out our in-depth Nolah review for more details.

DreamCloud Mattress

If you don’t like memory foam mattresses, the DreamCloud luxury hybrid mattress sets the new standard in the bed in a box mattress game. This15 inch luxury, hybrid comes with white glove delivery, free mattress reconditioning after the first 5 years (which restores the mattress to like new condition), and one free mattress cleaning. The tufted cover of DreamCloud gives this mattress firm support with a plush pillow top. From the high-end cashmere cover to the 8-layer hybrid design, DreamCloud will cradle the spine for proper alignment to ensure you don’t get pressure building up in any area of the body. The high end pillow top literally makes you feel like you are laying on a cloud. With a 365-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty, DreamCloud is a steal at $1199 for a Queen. The white glove delivery, cleaning, and reconditioning add luxurious services to make DreamCloud an absolute steal. Mattress stores would charge you 3k-5k for something similar. If you want a hybrid, “best of all worlds,” mattress that will relieve your back pain and keep you properly aligned, the DreamCloud is a game changer. Check out the full DreamCloud review to learn more.

Nectar Mattress

*Recently named the best queen size mattress under $700 and the best cooling mattress under $1000.
Bed Bug Resistant, Nectar, has a 365-day sleep trial, a lifetime warranty, and will send you out a new cover if you ever need one. Nectar is an all memory foam mattress that has a medium feel in terms of firmness. The foam is dense and high quality so you don’t sink in as much as you do with other foam mattresses. This also makes Nectar a great choice for overweight sleepers who want the comfort of foam but need strong support. The 4-layer foam mattress sleeps cool with infused gel and has excellent edge support and motion transfer. Nectar has one comfort option and ranks a 6.5 to 7 out of 10 in terms of firmness. At $670 for a queen, Nectar holds up in terms of value and its “Most Comfortable Mattress” title. Nectar gives your proper spine alignment and is  a great choice for side sleepers with lower back pain that want to sleep cool. This is one of the very best mattress for side sleepers with lower back pain. Nectar offers a lifetime warranty, and 365 day sleep trial, and money back guarantee so they are very confident that you will be happy with your new mattress.  Read the full Nectar review to learn more.

Brooklyn Bedding

The new hybrid Brooklyn Bedding Aurora is one of our favorite mattresses. Produced by the Brooklyn Bedding company, the top layer of TitanFlex, hyper elastic foam, sleeps so cool that its even cool to the touch. With soft, medium, and firm options, Brooklyn Bedding’s Aurora is a great option to help alleviate back pain. Side sleepers should choose the medium firmness option.  The advanced technology of TitanCool paired with individually pocketed coils provides comfort, support, and bounce to keep you pain free and cool throughout the sleep experience. Priced at $1399 right now for a queen mattress, you won’t find a nicer mattress at a cheaper price in the store. Check out our full review to learn more.

Lucid Mattress

Lucid’s Latex Foam Mattress is an excellent mattress for side sleepers with back pain that are on a budget and don’t like memory foam. A queen sized 10 inch latex mattress cost $389.99 and comes with a 25 year warranty. This is definitely a steal for this price. The Lucid 10 Inch Latex Mattress sleeps cool, has a soft Polyester and Tencel cover, and is a medium on the firmness scale. We like this as one of the best mattress for side sleepers with lower back pain. If you think memory foam sleeps too hot for you and you are a side sleeper with a bad back, this budget friendly mattress would be a great option. Want to know more?  Read our Lucid Latex Mattress Review.

Conclusion

If you sleep on your side and have lower back pain, you can alleviate your pain by getting a new mattress with proper support and firmness. A medium mattress firmness is most preferred by those who sleep the majority of the time on their side. Several mattresses on here are the best mattress for side sleepers with lower back pain. Adding a pillow in between your knees will add another layer of pressure relief for those who have moderate to severe lower back pain. Side sleepers that have other recommendations for mattresses that help alleviate back pain, leave us a comment about what works for you.