Mattresses for sciatica
Sciatica is a painful condition that causes radiating pain in the lower back, hips and legs. This is often worse when lying down for long periods of time, which makes it difficult for those suffering from sciatica to get a restful night’s sleep.
If you find yourself in this position, it may be time to take a good hard look at your mattress. If yours isn’t keeping your spine in a neutral position or is causing pressure points, it can be aggravating your condition. Models like the Leesa Hybrid, which features both memory foam and pocket springs, offer the right balance of firmness, pressure relief and support to help people with sciatica sleep comfortably through the night.
What to know before you buy a mattress for sciatica
How a mattress affects sciatica
Sciatica is the result of pain radiating along the sciatic nerve, often felt in the lower back and hips, which is usually caused by a herniated or bulging disc in the lumbar region. Lying down in the same position all night long puts pressure on the joints in the hips and lower back, which exacerbates the problem and can lead to painful flare-ups and difficulty sleeping. Interestingly enough, lack of quality sleep can actually cause the body to feel pain more vividly, making this somewhat of a vicious cycle where each problem continuously contributes and worsens the other.
A good mattress provides enough support to evenly distribute your body weight and keep your spine in proper alignment. It will also offer enough pressure relief to help reduce aches and pains, which should help you sleep more soundly.
Support and pressure relief
Many people automatically assume that in order for a mattress to be supportive, it has to be very firm. However, firm mattresses don’t offer good pressure relief, leading many people to believe they can either get support or pressure relief in their mattress, but not both.
Thankfully, this is not the case. The support comes from the construction of the core of the mattress and has very little to do with the upper layers. Conversely, the pressure relief is mostly the result of how soft or firm the upper layers are. This means you can actually get a soft or medium-firm mattress that still offers a high level of support.
Best types of mattresses for sciatica
Of the four most common mattress types, memory foam and hybrid are the best for people with sciatica. Though you may think of memory foam as being very soft, it actually comes in a range of firmness depending on its density. Often, memory foam mattresses will have a high-density core for support and a lower-density upper layer for comfort and pressure relief. This combination allows them to conform to your body while keeping your spine in a neutral alignment.
Hybrid mattresses combine memory foam or latex upper layers with an innerspring core. This results in a mattress that is bouncier than pure memory foam, but more durable and with better pressure relief than a pure innerspring mattress.
People with sciatica may also consider a latex mattress, as they are very supportive, however, these tend to be very firm, so some may find they potentially aggravate the aches and pains in their hips at the same time they help with their sciatica.
Mattress for sciatica features
Firmness
The proper firmness is vital to a good night’s sleep, doubly so if you already suffer from sciatica or other forms of back pain. The right firmness for you will be dictated by a combination of your preference and your sleeping position.
Side sleepers require a medium to soft upper layer to conform to and cradle the shape of their body. Mattresses that are too firm will add pressure to the shoulders and hips, and excess strain on the neck and spine.
Back sleepers are generally best served by medium-firm mattresses which, incidentally, studies show to be the best for those suffering from nonspecific chronic lower back pain. Overly firm mattresses can apply too much pressure to the spine and push it out of its natural curvature, while overly soft mattresses allow too much drooping, resulting in over-exaggerated curvature.
Stomach sleepers should look to firm mattresses because they need additional support to help keep their spine in a neutral position. At the same time, pressure points are less of a worry for those sleeping on their stomach since there are no body parts jutting out further than others.
Zoning
Zoned mattresses have varying levels of support and firmness to match the weight concentrated in certain areas. For example, you will be putting the most pressure and weight on a mattress from your hips and shoulders, so these areas need more support than your head or lower legs. In zoned mattresses, the center will be the firmest, with softer zones above and below it. This will usually be a mirrored design so that it offers the same sleeping experience no matter which way you rotate the bed.
Temperature regulation
Temperature plays a role in circadian rhythm and sleep stages, and people tend to have the most abnormal sleep patterns in the warmer months. This means staying cool helps contribute to restful sleep. If buying a memory foam mattress, which is a material known for trapping heat, it is important to look for one with cooling technology. This may be a layer of cooling gel, perforations, air channels or breathable fabric. This is less important in latex, which is naturally cooling, and hybrid mattresses, which are breathable due to their construction.
Mattress for sciatica cost
Mattresses for sciatica don’t cost any more or less than standard mattresses, though it behooves you to buy a good quality one that won’t sag after just a couple of years of use. Expect to spend between $700-$1,000 on the lower end of the spectrum and between $1,500-$2,500 for premium options.
Mattress for sciatica FAQ
What is the best sleeping position for sciatica?
A. Sleeping on the back is often considered the best position for those with sciatica, followed closely by side sleeping. Sleeping on the stomach is generally not recommended.
Can I return a mattress I bought online?
A. Online mattress retailers make it very easy to return mattresses, with many companies coming to pick up returns for free. Most also offer an in-home trial period between 60 and 365 days when you can test the mattress to see if you like it, and if not, you can return it for a full money back refund.
Which mattress for sciatica should I get?
Best of the best mattress for sciatica
Leesa Hybrid Mattress: available at Leesa and Amazon
Our take: Suitable for a broad range of sleeping positions, the Leesa Hybrid will serve many users well.
What we like: It is made with a combination of pocket springs that provide support and reduce motion transfers and an upper layer of breathable hole-punched memory foam for pressure relief.
What we dislike: It has a longer break-in period than many others.
Best bang for your buck mattress for sciatica
Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress: available at Dreamcloud
Our take: The Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid is more affordable than many others of comparable quality, making it a smart value buy, and it comes with a 365-day in-home trial period.
What we like: An eight-layer construction that features a combination of soft and firm foam layers, and an innerspring core offers a plush, sinking-into-it feeling, without sacrificing support.
What we dislike: When new, it has a slight odor that takes some time to dissipate.
Honorable mention mattress for sciatica
Saatva Loom & Leaf Mattress: available at Saatva
Our take: The Loom & Leaf comes in two firmness levels to suit your preference, both of which feature a gel-infused foam to keep you cool when sleeping.
What we like: It is made with several layers of memory foam in varying densities for lasting support and pressure relief, and it has a breathable and hypoallergenic organic cotton cover.
What we dislike: Some find even the relaxed firm option to be too hard.
Brett Dvoretz is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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