Have you ever woke up with pressure or a stabbing feeling in your shoulder or neck? The worst feeling is waking up in the middle of the night with a shooting pain. But why is this happening? A study found that 67% of people who reported having shoulder pain were actually sleeping on their side. Your mattress plays a key role in supporting your body’s alignment and relieving pressure in that area.

Why does side sleeping cause shoulder pain?

Side sleepers tend to more commonly experience neck and shoulder pain due to the position putting more stress on that part of their body. The pressure on that area can cause stiffness or soreness when you wake up. Also, when sleeping on your side, you may be messing with your spinal alignment. If you can, try to switch to sleep in a different position. But there are mattresses designed with more give to allow it to better contour around your shoulders and provide pressure relief for your neck, shoulder, and side.

What mattress is best for shoulder pain?

Mattress construction plays a big role in how it fits against your body. If you are experiencing shoulder pain from sleeping on your side, you should consider using a medium or medium soft mattress. The additional comfort layers will allow the bed to give more when you lay onto it, providing more support on your neck and shoulder. Pillowtop or plush mattresses are common types for side sleepers because of the cushion it provides while still giving them the support they need.

Our team of expert consultants gathered a few options that focus on additional comfort layers, postural support and pressure relief. Here are the best mattresses for side sleepers with shoulder pain.

tempur-pedic mattress photoTempur-Pedic Luxe Soft
Tempur-Pedic works with the body’s natural temperature to help relieve pressure all night long. When your shoulder starts to hurt, an increase in temperature will happen. The TEMPUR adaptive material will then soften to eliminate the pressure on the shoulder.  Tempur-Luxe models do contain more and higher quality TEMPUR foams for a 30% better contouring effect.  The soft model has extra soft foam, which instantly gives pressure relief when lay on it.

Jefferson Pillowtop
Jefferson Pillow Top Mattress PhotoThese use a five-zone support system. This provides beefier support in the areas that naturally curve away from the mattress, under the head, the lower back, and under the legs.  With more pressure-relieving support systems, we are able to sink farther into the mattress, the shoulder and the hips.  Thus, providing a better sleep surface for side sleepers. The pillowtop has a softer surface, which has less pressure build-up over time.

Kingsdown MattressWesterman Plush
In a queen size, this mattress has 1791 individually wrapped coils in a 3-zone spread. That is a beefy mattress that will fit to your body even better than other models. The upper and lower parts allow for better pressure relief and the sheer number of coils allow for the best contouring. Think sand versus pebbles… If I asked you to take a nap on a sandy beach or a gravel driveway which would you choose? Of course, you would want the sandy beach. The smaller granules of the same substance contour much better giving better support and pressure relief.

The top comfort layer also has an additional 972 micro coils for even more adaptability and a 5-zone foam package (works similarly to the Jefferson above).  With all these powers combined you have the trifecta of pressure relief on the shoulder.

No matter what mattress you select from us, we offer a 120-night comfort guarantee that allows you a one-time exchange if the mattress isn’t the best fit for you.

Mattresses for Side Sleepers

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