Best Mattress For Stomach Sleepers: What Type Is Best?
Last Updated: March, 2023
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Stomach sleepers are the least common sleep type. They often get overlooked, but at the same time, they tend to have the most issues with back pain from bad spinal alignments.
When you're a stomach sleeper, you need to look for a hybrid-style mattress that supports your body, but is still soft enough on top. You also may be able to sleep without a pillow if you sleep on your stomach, so a soft, yet supportive mattress is a great choice.
Since starting The Sleep Shop, we've been able to test a handful of mattress, some of which are great for stomach sleepers, some of which are not.
According to our tests, the best mattress for stomach sleepers is the Idle Hybrid Mattress. It's made out of a cooling gel buoyancy foam that offers a similar feel to memory foam, without the heat or "stuck" feeling. It's also flippable, which means it'll last twice as long as a non-flippable mattress.
10 Best Mattresses For Stomach Sleepers (Mattress Reviews):
- Puffy Mattress - Editor's Choice
- Natural Form Euro - Adjustable Firmness
- Plush Beds Botanical Bliss - Best Latex
- Purple Mattress - Best For Hot Sleepers
- Breeze - SweetNight Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress - Best Budget Cooling
- Nectar Queen Mattress - Best Pressure Relief
- Casper Sleep Essentials - Variable Foam For Combination Sleepers
- Tuft and Needle Bed In A Box - Medium Firm Feel
- Leesa 10" Memory Foam Mattress - Best Motion Isolation
- Zinus Extra Firm iCoil - Best Firm
Related Content: Best Mattress For Back Sleepers
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
Puffy is a foam mattress that offers an even balance of firmness and cushioning for stomach sleepers. Each of its five layers is specially designed to serve a unique purpose. From its strong foundation of HD polyfoam base layer to its climate comfort layer of responsive polyfoam in the middle to its upper layer covered in a polyester-blend cover, this mattress comes with optimal durability, superior breathability, excellent pressure relief, and minimal motion transfer.
The all-foam Puffy mattress conforms to your body perfectly, thus making it a viable option for stomach sleepers. At 10" thick, Puffy is a high-profile mattress that begins with a gel-infused comfort layer to offer moderate contouring and softness. The gel infusion does an excellent task of reducing the amount of heat your mattress traps. This enables air to circulate freely, so your bed will maintain a comfortable core temperature.
In between the Puffy mattress lies a transition layer, which provides superb motion isolation and pressure-free support. You can also expect joint and back pain relief, along with extra reinforcement on the edges.
Stomach sleepers who weigh below 230 lbs will find the Puffy mattress most comfortable. With its zoned system, you'll enjoy extra support around your midsection, which protects you from sinking too deep into the bed. You'll also receive more support around your torso and gentler cradling for the lighter sections of the body.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
As a stomach sleeper, the most crucial thing you need from a bed is support and that’s what you’ll get with the Natural Form Euro mattress. This extra-firm mattress does a good task alleviating tension in your lumbar region. Besides being firm enough to guarantee sound stomach-sleeping, it’s supportive enough to set your spines in a healthy and neutral alignment.
We tested this mattress and we can say that its patented pressure-relief system will keep your hips in line with your shoulders. You won’t have to worry about your hips sinking into the mattress and causing back pain. Another nice thing about the Natural Form Euro mattress is that it features exterior dual-sided dials, so you can easily customize your firmness level.
What’s most notable about the Natural Form Euro mattress is the 3 inches of highly supportive layers resulting in a resoundingly firm feel, which is perfect for stomach sleepers. While you can find tons of hybrid mattresses online, we particularly recommend this one for stomach sleepers since its top Merino wool layer is soft and provides sufficient pressure at your shoulder and hip.
And if you’re interested in memory foam mattresses, but you’re concerned about not getting enough support, then Natural Form Euro may be the perfect option for you. You’re sure to get the comfort and warmth that comes with all-foam mattresses. This is because it offers a balance of support, pressure relief, and body-contouring feel
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
Not every mattress company lets you customize your mattress. Plush Beds Botanical Bliss mattress is a little different. Stomach sleepers generally need a firmer mattress so they don't overextend their backs while sleeping. The firm version of this mattress does the trick, even for heavy sleepers.
This mattress is made of 100% organic latex, which is considered a premium mattress material that will last 25 years or long (compared to the industry average of around 10 years.)
We tested the medium firmness plush Dunlop latex mattress and found that it was great for relieving pressure in your shoulders and lower back. However, if you're a heavier sleeper (275lb+) this mattress may be too soft, especially for a back sleeper. Luckily, you can completely customize your mattress based on your specific needs, and if you don't love it, you have 100 days to return it!
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
Even if you sleep on your stomach, it’s still important to keep your alignment in check. That’s one reason we liked this mattress. While it can be tough to keep yourself comfortable on some mattresses as a stomach sleeper, this one feels just right.
The other nice thing is that you don’t feel like you’re sinking, even though the mattress itself feels light and airy. It’s great for people that have trouble with pressure relief in problem areas since it keeps you balanced in all the right ways too.
Related Content: Purple Hybrid Mattress Review
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
This mattress has a great medium firmness that caters to stomach sleepers. It has just enough given and squishy feeling while being firm enough to keep you well-aligned. It does a great job of giving that cradling feeling, without the sinking feeling that’s such a burden for stomach sleepers.
It’s responsive too; so when you change position, the mattress quickly adapts to cradle your body and gives you the support you need, no matter how you’re sleeping. As a bonus, it’s designed to dissipate heat while you sleep, so hot sleepers can enjoy it too. Use code SLEEPSHOP at checkout to get the best discount available.
6. Nectar Queen Mattress Review
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
While it can be tough to try a new mattress, the choice was easy for us since it comes with a forever warranty and a full year trial period. That said, after a single night it’s evident that you won’t want to return it, especially if you have frequent back pain.
There’s zero motion transfer, which is great if you have a partner sleeping beside you, but there’s also just enough bounce to make it easy to move. Whether you sleep side, back, or stomach, this mattress does it all.
Related Content: Best Mattress For Back Sleepers
7. Casper Sleep Essential Mattress Review
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
This mattress seems almost intuitive in how it supports you. It’s soft in the spots where you want some give, but there’s plenty of support in the areas you need it. It’s almost surprising in the amount of support you can get from it, even as a stomach sleeper.
That said, it’s comfortable for people that prefer sleeping on their sides or backs too, so it’s a great fit for pairs that have mixed sleeping habits. You’ll love the affordable price too. It’s high quality, yet still very budget-friendly.
Related Content: Best mattress for combination sleepers
8. Tuft & Needle Bed In A Box Mattress Review
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
This is a mattress that got our attention because it caters to sleepers of all sizes; that’s a feat for most bed in box types, and even the tallest and heaviest sleepers can get a great (and well supported) rest all night.
While you may be skeptical about switching to memory foam if you’ve always slept on coil mattresses, don’t worry. It provides even better support, with the cradling feeling that foam delivers. Stomach sleepers will love the support it gives to their hips and lower back, while hot sleepers will love how this cooling mattress will keep you cool all night.
9. Leesa 10” Foam Mattress Review
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
It can be difficult to find your ‘Goldilocks’ fit if you’re a side sleeper. It seems like most memory foam mattresses are either so soft you’re sinking. Or some memory foam brands feel so firm you’d just as well lay on the floor, some even firmer than an innerspring mattress. This Leesa mattress stands out from the rest though.
It feels nice and soft, but you can tell you’re getting the support you need without feeling like you’re hitting a layer of hard support. It’s almost like bringing the best hotel bed you’ve ever slept in right into your bedroom, which is an amazing feeling.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
If you like a firmer mattress and don’t want to give up pocked coils completely, this Zinus mattress might be your best fit. It combines both foam and coils to give you the benefits of excellent support throughout the mattress, with the super comfy memory foam feel you’ll love.
Since the pocketed coils are all individually wrapped, it doesn’t transfer any motion like other coil mattresses either. Not only is it comfortable for stomach sleepers, but it’s also incredibly affordable. That said, it’s also extremely durable, and comes with a 10-year warranty.
Fact About Stomach Sleepers & Other Sleeping Positions
Sleeping on your stomach is the most common way to throw your spine out of alignment. A combination sleeper's best option is to opt for a mattress that suits most of their needs.
Most people sleep in other sleeping positions other than on their stomach, and while some people may find it more comfortable, it does increase the risk of waking up achy. Less than 10% of people do sleep on their stomachs. Although stomach sleeping can cause aches and pains in some people, it can also help ease conditions such as acid reflux.
While neck strain can also be a significant issue, stomach sleeping can slow down the development of facial wrinkles that other sleeping positions cause. Another benefit that few people realize about stomach sleeping is that it can minimize or eliminate snoring issues.
Related Content: https://thesleepshopinc.com/best-hybrid-mattress/
Choosing the Best Mattresses for Stomach Sleepers
Firmness & Type of Mattress
When browsing for a mattress for stomach sleepers, firmness should be the key thing you look at.The firmness level helps determine how much you alleviate aches and pains while you sleep. Much of your choice in firmness comes down to comfort. Firmness is generally associated with innerspring mattresses, but some memory foam beds can be firm too. If you’re a stomach sleeper, things can be a little more complicated. Stomach sleepers do tend to be more comfortable on a firmer mattress, but it might not always be the best choice for your body or your back. Even the best innerspring mattress can still cause neck and back pain.
For people that fall on the lighter end of the scale, a good option is to look for a soft mattress made of quality materials. If you’re about average, look for a mattress that follows suit, and choose a medium-firm model. If you’re taller, or heavier, a firmer mattress is the best choice.
Memory Foam & Latex Mattress Options
If you’re looking into a foam mattress or the best latex mattresses and you’re a stomach sleeper, there’s a trick to finding a great fit. Look at the ILD. It sounds like jargon, but it measures the firmness of the memory foam. If a mattress has a rating between 16 and 21, you can expect it to be on the much firmer side because it's a high density foam. If it’s up to, or under, it’ll be fairly soft because its not a high density foam. For stomach sleepers, the higher the ILD, the better with memory foam or a latex mattress.
You may also want to consider a hybrid mattress if there's more to your sleep style than just sleeping on your stomach. If you also tend to sleep hot, a foam mattress is a bad choice. Go for a hybrid cooling mattress with cooling gel memory foam added. The best hybrid mattress is the one that combines what you're looking for in a mattress all in one! Even the best latex mattresses or the best foam mattress alone have flaws.
Hybrid mattresses with the best pillow top are also a great supportive mattress and are a great choice for couples too! A hybrid foam top or pillow top mattress can be a great solution for a variety of sleep position preferences and come in a variety of firmness options.
Note - heavy people don't tend to like memory foam. Stomach sleepers like a firm mattress, and someone who sleeps on their side will like a soft mattress, except for combination sleepers, go for something like natural latex or a hybrid mattress that has comfort and support to help alleviate aches and pains. If you choose to buy a mattress online, make sure you read a ton of reviews. If you're a couple shopping for a mattress, the couples best choice is to decide together. Talk about what you like, and what you don't like to help decide.
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Pillows
A great pillow is generally a sleepers best friend. People don’t usually consider their pillows when they pick out a mattress. However, if you sleep on your stomach, you have different challenges to look at. The best way to reduce strain as a stomach sleeper is to choose the right pillow, and choose the lowest one within your comfort level.
If you can, try to sleep without a pillow with your normal sleeping position. That said, it can be difficult to do, so make sure the pillow doesn’t add too much extra elevation on top of your mattress.
Try a Mattress Topper
A stomach sleepers best choice for a bed is a firmer one, but adding a comfort layer on top of a firm mattress can be a lifehack for stomach sleepers who suffer from aches and pains. Firm mattresses with a mattress topper gives you the best of both worlds. Some people may also want the best cooling options too, and the best cooling mattress toppers added to an existing mattress can definitely help.
You can also add mattress toppers or a comfort layer to an existing mattress if you need a little more softness. Mattress toppers are great for adding a comfort layer to a decent mattress. If your mattress is less than 5 years old, mattress toppers might be something to consider to soften up a firm mattress.
Conclusion
Sleeping on your stomach is far less common than sleeping on your side or back. Because of that, you’ve probably struggled on your search to find a mattress for stomach sleepers. We’ve created this mattress reviews guide to ease the strain and ensure you get the best night’s sleep possible, so stop waiting and get the sleep of your dreams! Our goal is to help ensure a sleepers best chance at a good night sleep, regardless of sleeping position.
Gabe is the newest member of The Sleep Shop team. If you like the design of The Sleep Shop, give Gabe a thumbs up. He’s a digital marketing and design guru and the brains behind the design and SEO of The Sleep Shop. He also won’t say no to testing a ton of mattresses either, and helps on almost every mattress review.
Learn More About Gabe