Is sleeping on your side good for you?

If you’ve ever tried to consciously change your sleeping position (maybe because of a medical procedure or odd bed) you probably know it’s tough to fight your natural inclinations. The good news for side sleepers is the broad consensus among experts is that it’s at least as good as any other option.

Sleep experts at Houston Methodist say side sleeping has “the least negative impact on health.” Which is great! The only things worse for you than sleeping on your side are not sleeping enough or sleeping in any other position!

I have always envied back sleepers but sleeping on your back is the “worst position” according to the Mayo Clinic, which calls side sleeping “a good way to sleep.”

What type of mattress is best for side sleepers, hybrid or memory foam?

We prefer hybrids for side sleepers. Given that you’re putting more weight on a smaller surface area you might think that memory foam is nicer than a hybrid mattress that has a layer of springs (often called coils). On memory foam, you sink into a fluffy little cloud and get support on the sides. The problem is that when you’re sleeping well and not moving much, over the course of a night, that foam will slowly but surely compress under you. If it’s just one layer of cheap foam, after a while it will feel like you’re sleeping on a yoga mat. That’s why mattresses with multiple layers of foam of different weights are better, and why we like hybrids better yet. That layer of springs means the foam doesn’t compact nearly as much in my experience. A good hybrid gives you a chance to sleep for a solid six hours without needing to change position, which isn’t necessarily the case for me on an all-foam mattress. Hybrids also tend to sleep cooler because there’s less mass of solid foam absorbing heat.

What’s the ideal firmness for side sleepers?

Most side sleepers gravitate toward softer mattresses, which usually means memory foam instead of innerspring mattresses. Over the course of a night, though, you want to be sure you have a mattress with enough support. All types of mattresses can offer that, but be sure to pay close attention to the firmness scale the company advertises and the firmness options within it. Also take your body type into account, as the more body weight you have, the firmer the mattress you’ll want.

What’s the best type of mattress for heavy people who are side-sleepers?

I am a bigger guy—smaller now than when I started testing mattresses, thanks to semaglutide, but still a bigger guy. I’ve found that the bigger you are the firmer you want your mattress, as otherwise your body weight will compress the foam and springs below you too much.