If you’re a side sleeper, you know that not all mattresses are made equal when it comes to getting a comfortable and restful night’s sleep. In the morning, you will experience shoulder, hip, and back pain due to a bad mattress, resulting in restless tossing and turning. The key to a quality night’s sleep is finding a mattress tailored specifically to the needs of side sleepers that offer pressure relief while properly supporting the body’s natural alignment.
Evaluate edge support
- One frustration that’s all too familiar for side sleepers is the sensation of slowly rolling toward the edge or even right off an old mattress with inadequate reinforcement along the perimeter. Without reliable edge support, it’s difficult to take full advantage of the surface area without feeling wary of toppling off the side.
- For uninhibited sleep and to maximize every inch of real estate across the mattress surface, be sure to evaluate the bed edge support before making a purchase. Lie along the boundary while weight is distributed on your side and arm to simulate real-world conditions. A slight sinkage is normal but excessive slope or buckling sabotages comfort for couples and individuals that utilize the entire sleep space at night.
- Exceptional edge support typically comes from thick perimeter foam rails or an innerspring system with durable coils around the exterior walls. These extra reinforcements allow peace of mind when sleeping near or sitting along the boundary without compression or instability.
Try before you buy
- The relying on general factory specifications or measurements, nothing beats first-hand experience when evaluating a mattress’ comfort and support. To determine how a mattress truly cradles pressure points along your shoulders, hips, and spine, stretch out along your go-to sleeping posture for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
- In-store best mattress for side sleepers showrooms offer an ideal testing ground to experience a broad range of options. Take strategic notes regarding the initial feel and how support and pressure relief shift throughout your trial. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about specific mattress features and materials that stand out during your hands-on analysis.
- If visiting a physical location isn’t feasible, many online brands provide generous at-home trial periods of around 100 nights. It gives you adequate time to evaluate performance during real-world conditions over multiple weeks before fully committing. Keep detailed sleep journals documenting pros and cons over the full trial period so you an informed long-term decision backed by on-the-ground evidence.
Research warranties and trial periods
When navigating all the claims around pressure relief and proper support, seeing is believing. Always check out a company’s sleep trial period and warranty before moving forward with any mattress purchase. Reputable brands stand confidently behind their products with at least 90 to 120-night trials to experience the bed’s comfort and performance before fully committing long-term.
Carefully review trial policies regarding fees, transportation costs, and the specific process if you decide to return the mattress. Be wary of brands charging exorbitant pick-up or restocking fees that diminish the confidence backing their sleep trial.
Similarly, take note of each company’s warranty spanning anywhere from 10 years to a lifetime against structural defects or materials that no longer perform up to advertised standards. While no one wants to pay shipping fees or be without their mattress for weeks during a claim, the warranty acts as indispensable protection once the trial period ends securing years of rest and easy durability.