How to Choose The Best Mattress For Elderly Seniors (Arthritis, Back Pain)
Last Updated: November, 2024
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As we age, our bodies tend to go through many changes in our sleep patterns and physical health changes.
Sometimes, these changes can make it hard to achieve a full, restful night of sleep. A mattress that can provide relief and support for seniors can become an essential item to have. Seniors with back pain, especially, tend to need more pressure relief and temperature regulation than regular mattresses can provide.
A low-quality mattress can only cause more damage to your body, which could lead to countless sleepless nights and heavy exhaustion.
Thankfully, there are many mattresses that can provide just the right amount of support and comfort that seniors will need. In this guide, we've tested and narrowed down the best mattresses for seniors. We also cover some of the most important qualities to pay attention to when looking for a mattress.
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5 Best Mattress For Seniors
Amerisleep AS3
If you want a mattress that's an amazing combination of soft and firm, with some bounce, some cooling, and some supportive zones to keep every part of your body feeling good, you can't go wrong with the Amerisleep AS3.
GhostBed Flex
Like other high-end mattresses for elderly couples, the GhostBed Flex makes it easier to toss, turn, and shift without disturbing your sleep partner. Its quilted cover combined with two comfort layers made of memory foam help minimize the transfer of vibrations across your sleeping surface. It also sleeps cool thanks to its temperature-regulating features.
Natural Form Euro
The Natural Form Euro mattress is sure to give every elderly senior a reason to smile. For starters, it’s made with soft merino wool that’s hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites, mold, and microbes.
PlushBeds Cool Bliss
PlushBeds mattresses definitely stay true to their name as they provide one of the softest beds one can imagine. We thought the Cool Bliss mattress was great with its edge support and how it enables a cool night sleep.
Layla Hybrid
Layla is a known brand for its comfortable beds, and this one was no exception. We think this is the ideal option for seniors who likes both firmer and softer beds, as Layla allows you to have 2-in-1. It also has great edge support.
Vaya Mattress
The Vaya Mattress only has two layers of foam and one cover. If you're looking for simplicity, comfort, and affordability, then this is it.
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Sleeping shouldn't be difficult, but it is if you don't have one of the best mattress for seniors —like the Amerisleep AS3. This mattress is meant to keep you cool and supported, with foam layers and pocketed coils to trap motion and align your back properly.
We personally liked that this mattress is made from breathable foam while still being cool, and a lot of foam mattresses tend to sleep a bit hot. The memory foam in this mattress is a big upgrade compared to some traditional memory foam options, mostly because it allows air to move freely and prevents you from feeling too warm.
We were really pleased with how supportive this foam for seniors. Not only is it soft, but it has enough support to relieve pain around pressure points. Just push your hand into the foam—it'll bounce back in just a few seconds. It's definitely nice that the whole mattress is made of renewable resources too. The Bio-Pur foam is resistant to dust mites, mold, and mildew, and since it's not made of any harsh chemicals, you won't notice any smells when you unpack it.
Mattresses can be quite an investment. You might wonder if it's really worth it to get a new mattress now, but the Amerisleep is made to be durable and is a worthwhile investment. If you're struggling through joint pain or hot nights, this mattress is made to keep you cool and supported for two decades—and if they don't, you have that 20-year warranty to help you get a replacement.
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The GhostBed Flex mattress is a hybrid bed with a medium-firm feel that should appeal to seniors and older adults looking for a combination of contouring and support. It uses a hybrid design with six distinct layers. A layer of foam knitted into the top cover makes the surface feel invitingly plush when moving across the surface, and two memory foam layers offer additional cushioning. Senior sleepers in search of the best hybrid mattress for couples should definitely check out the GhostBed Flex mattress.
It's also perfect for sleepers weighing about 130 to 230lbs, especially those who prefer sleeping on their sides. When paired with GhostBed's best bed foundations, the bed can hold up to 800 lbs. The memory foam layers absorb movement perfectly and minimize a significant amount of transfer. This helps ensure a good night’s sleep for couples, irrespective of their partner’s movements in bed.
The support core features thick pocketed coils reinforced along the mattress’ edges to help sleepers get on and off the bed without sinking excessively. It’s worth noting that the coils also promote consistent airflow, giving senior hot sleepers a cool night’s sleep. We loved how the cover felt cool to the touch thanks to the Ghost Ice fabric, which dissipates body heat on contact.
The GhostBed Flex mattress comes with a 101-night sleep trial and a 20-25 year partially-prorated limited warranty.
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The Natural Form Euro mattress is sure to give every elderly senior a reason to smile. For starters, it’s made with soft merino wool that’s hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites, mold, and microbes. The Natural Form’s unique exterior dual-sided design gives this mattress countless benefits that seniors will love, including pressure relief, superior durability, and temperature regulation.
Sleeping couldn’t be made any easier and comfortable with one of the leading mattresses for seniors, such as the Natural Form Euro. We like that this mattress features memory foam, which promotes spinal alignment and offers lumbar support for seniors. That’s why we also consider it a viable preference for seniors with back pain.
And don’t forget it also features motion isolate, which we tested and personally loved. You won’t even tell that your partner or pet had just gotten out of bed. We noticed how the mattress does an excellent task of regulating temperature. The mattress cover itself is well-designed to react to various changes in body temperature.
So, you can rest assured that the wool will keep you cool in warmer weather and warm in colder weather – making it an ideal choice for senior hot sleepers and those who sleep cold too. It’s nice too that it comes with a warranty that lasts for ten years. Not to mention that you can test it for up to 100 nights and return it if you didn’t like the experience.
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The Cool Bliss Mattress' most notable feature is its gel memory foam and organic Dunlop latex which are meant to provide both a breathable and cool sleeping experience and give customers the ultimate comfort.
We were happy with the experience ourselves, considering the pricey investment. We noticed how much support it provided to the back, hips, and shoulders which is exactly what is needed to reduce any type of muscle or joint pain for seniors.
The memory foam mattress has five layers in total: the cooling 100% cotton cover which protects the mattress, a 3-inch patented Cool Bliss gel memory foam, additive-free Dunlop latex, a ventilation layer, and lastly, a 5-inch polyurethane layer for maximum support. PlushBeds designed this memory foam mattress to give seniors a luxurious sleep through the night.
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Layla is another brand known for its luxurious-like mattresses that will benefit seniors. The Layla Hybrid mattress also has a couple of layers, including 2 layers of Copper-Gel memory foam for rapid cooling and body support, two layers of Max Airflow Support foam, and one Infinity Edge layer to ensure motion control.
What we particularly enjoyed about this mattress is the firmness options to flip it on the firm side or the soft side.
The softer side was enjoyed more by those who really wanted the pressure relief from its multiple supportive memory foam layers, while we found that the firmer side was preferred by those who tend to move around in their sleep. It also gives strong edge support, compared to its competitors.
Furthermore, side and back sleepers in the team had the most positive things to say as they felt the most refreshed during the sleeping trial while stomach sleepers didn't feel any additional comfort. Overall, Layla Hybrid did a great job in ensuring that support and cooler nights with great motion isolation for seniors and couples. If you want to learn even more about this mattress.
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The Vaya Mattress is the more budget-friendly option out of this list but provides a cool night sleep and comfort all seniors just the same. Its design is quite simple: a polyester blend breathable cover, a polyurethane Vaya foam for pressure relief, and a Vaya base foam for added support.
The Vaya foam is well-loved for how luxuriously soft it is. For seniors with back pain, it can be a haven for back pressure relief.
We found this mattress to be right in the middle of soft and firm. Despite it being memory foam material, it's quite easy to move around with.
The bed quickly molds to the body but doesn't suck you in; an importance factor for senior so they won't find it difficult to move around or get out of the bed.
Overall, we found it to be quite an minimal, yet enjoyable mattress providing relief to the back, hips, and shoulders.
Types of Mattresses for Seniors
Memory Foam
Memory foam is one of the most popular mattresses available, best known for their amazing levels of support and comfort for seniors. They are usually layered in order to provide an upper comfort layer and a lower support core for your body. They are capable of forming perfectly to the shape of your body for maximum comfort. They provide excellent pressure relief and keep movement to a minimum which is beneficial for seniors. However, mattresses that are made of foam are not entirely proficient in temperature regulation.
Latex
Latex mattresses are able to provide relief to many of the major pressure points on your body by conforming moderately to your body. Seniors will not have to worry about potentially sinking into the bed even with the mattress absorbing your body. They are also capable of providing a higher level of temperature control than foam mattresses. This can prevent you from overheating in the summer and freezing in the winter. However, these beds may be detrimental to your health if you happen to have a latex allergy.
Hybrid
Hybrid mattresses consist of foam layers and coils that will provide a combination of body contouring, back support, and comfort that seniors need. The benefits of both foam and coil mattress materials will help you have pleasant sleeping experiences while providing relief to your biggest pressure points. A good night's sleep is sure to occur frequently once you get the level of comfort and relief that you need.
Airbeds
Airbeds mattresses are an excellent option if you want to have a certain level of adjustability. Seniors can adjust the level of firmness in different areas of the airbed mattress to suit your personal preferences and soothe your aches. It is common for airbed mattresses to have air chambers on both sides of the bed so couples will have the ability to adjust their own sides however they'd like.
Different layers of airbed mattresses can be made out of many different materials, including latex and memory foam. The customizable sleep experience of airbeds may be just what you need in order to get the comfortable and fulfilling sleep that you need.
Important Features
Firmness
The firmness of your mattress is one of the most important factors to consider when you are looking for your own mattress. It can effectively make or break your sleeping experience. A bed with too much firmness can cause you a lot of pain. Too little firmness will prevent you from getting the support you need. The level of firmness you may need will depend on your body shape, your preferred sleeping position, and how much relief your joints will require.
Warranty
While many mattresses are capable of lasting for years, it is best to check the warranty of your mattress to protect your investment. You will want to make sure you have a solid warranty of at least 90 days in case anything happens to your mattress within that time frame. There is a possibility that your mattress might face manufacturing defects that will compromise its integrity. You can receive a refund or a replacement mattress thanks to your warranty.
Adjustability
Having an adjustable mattress is important if you want to have a personalized level of support and comfort. Being able to adjust different parts of your mattress will help provide pressure relief anywhere you may be feeling pain. There are even some mattresses that will allow you and your partner to adjust your own sides of the bed separately. This will be able to help both of you have the personalized pressure relief you require to have a comfortable night's sleep.
Pressure Relief
Mattresses that excel in providing pressure relief is essential for seniors. Seniors with back pain will appreciate mattresses that can conform to your body as they will be able to provide the best level of pressure relief. They can help align your spine and provide relief to the most major pressure points on your body. Foam and hybrid mattresses will be the best options if receiving pressure relief for your joints is your main goal. Your hips, back, shoulders, and neck will need the most pressure relief to prevent them from aching further while you sleep. With a good mattress, you can bid farewell to all the aches and pains.
Temperature Regulation
Many mattresses will be able to retain your body heat in order to keep you cool throughout the night. This can prevent you from overheating and waking up uncomfortably, drenched in sweat. Proper airflow is needed in order to keep the temperature around you regulated in your sleep. The level of temperature regulation you will receive will depend on the materials, airflow, and thickness. Mattresses with coil layers such as innerspring and hybrid mattresses will provide the best air circulation.
Conclusion
The best mattresses for seniors can truly give you a better quality a life as you get a better sleep each night. It will allow you to have a restful night's sleep despite any condition that may be disturbing your sleep patterns. Seniors will need a more personalized level of support, comfort, and pressure relief than most other people.
Finding the right mattress will make the difference between a good night's sleep and uncomfortable joint pain, aches and pains. Constantly changing physical health and changes in your overall environment can make maintaining a reliable sleep schedule much more difficult,especially as you age. Disruptions in your sleep schedule should be addressed property so you can regain healthy sleeping habits.
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