Sleeping on your stomach might be comfortable for you but not the most comfortable or ideal position for most people. However, there is a certain level of comfort and personal choice associated with sleep. You may not always sleep in the abdominal position, but that might be the one you choose most of the time, and switching positions leads to discomfort. This discomfort can be because of multiple factors, primarily the position itself and your mattress, among others like your abdominal fat and BMI. But there are mattresses and items you can use to make your preference for stomach sleeping comfortable or healthier in the long run.
Your sleep and sleeping on the stomach- A brief understanding:
You may prefer to sleep in different positions in your sleep, and most people tend to switch positions irrespective of their sleeping comfort. However, sleeping on the stomach is not as good for your overall physiological health for different reasons. The primary reason is the potential stress and exertion on your spine in sleep because different people have varying abdominal fat. Additionally, your mattress may be too firm or too soft to either cause discomfort to your spine in either position due to not relaxing in a neutral posture. Spinal alignment, excess force on your digestive tract, and other issues may cause unnecessary pressure from your body in sleep.
You can choose a mattress for yourself even if you switch positions actively. For example, if you switch between the fetal and abdominal position, then a softer supportive mattress is ideal. Before we explain how you can make the experience better, there are factors to keep in mind, especially if you’re buying a mattress as a stomach sleeper.
Factors to consider when buying a mattress for stomach sleepers:
You may be on the lookout for the best sleeping mattress for yourself or your family, but you should keep these factors below in mind. These factors not only influence how you sleep and your overall health, but your mattress type too.
1. Your fitness: Although most people prefer to sleep on their back or either side, abdominal sleepers are still significant in numbers. People who prefer to sleep on their stomach usually have (or should have) little abdominal fat. Sleeping on the stomach may be developed in early childhood or due to issues in adulthood that settle in for life and usually need the person to be fitter. Fitness is an essential factor for stomach sleepers and more of a prerequisite because people having excess abdominal fat or injuries wouldn’t find it comfortable in the first place. Stomach sleepers usually also have good core strength, as sleeping in the position would exert pressure on your lower back. People who have lower back pain and still prefer to sleep on the side should try to change their position actively and generally sleep on their back to not flip when sleeping on the side. So, if you’re a stomach sleeper, you should take your overall fitness into account with or without a new mattress.
2. Spine-health/age: Your age and spinal health are correlated, and both issues can lead to you needing a dedicated mattress for stomach sleepers. The better your spinal health and age (younger), the more comfort you can have sleeping on your stomach. Sleeping this way exerts pressure on your stomach and internal organs directly and pushes them upwards towards the spine. As a result, you get more stress and pressure on your spine (mid to lower sections) and would ideally need to be in good physical shape to sleep that way. As a result, your age and spine are factors you should take charge of, especially if you have a larger BMI and looking to get a mattress for heavy stomach sleepers.
3. Mattress Comfort and support: When too soft can be harmful, and too firm can be harmful and uncomfortable, the question of proper balance arises. That is, when you’re looking for comfort for your stomach in a mattress, you also need to take in factors like adequate support. Other mattress types might overdo or underdo in terms of support or comfort with no consequences; it is not the same for a mattress for stomach sleepers. That is why mattresses with a perfect equilibrium of plushness and support are ideal and soft mattresses for stomach sleepers are preferable.
If a mattress is either too soft or too hard, it would either lead to sinking or pressing upwards harder, making the experience uncomfortable and unhealthy in the long term. For this reason, mattresses with the necessary support and more comfort and body contouring are better to look into when choosing a mattress for a stomach sleeper.
4. Neck pain: Neck pain is one factor that most stomach sleepers face, and people tend to ignore it when going for a new mattress. Where abdominal fat and spinal support aren’t an issue, neck pain could be an issue. For this, the mattress’s contouring support and plushness are enough, and it’s got more to do with the type of pillow you use.
When you sleep on your stomach, your sleeping posture will lead to your head turned sideways in either direction or looking up or down. This isn’t ideal for sleeping because our neck vertebrae aren’t at ease and resting in such a scenario. That is why the right mattress for a stomach sleeper would also need a medium-soft pillow, depending upon head size.
Ideally, your neck should rest in a neutral position that doesn’t necessitate the use of a pillow. This combination of a mattress and pillow would help you sleep ideally, with your head and neck staying straight. Still, in most cases, a medium-soft pillow would solve the pain and comfort issues associated.
Best Mattresses for Stomach Sleepers:
These mattress types help deliver a unique experience to stomach sleepers because of adequate necessary support and contouring plushness. It is also crucial to self-analyze before investing in any of these mattresses for stomach sleepers, as neither type fits all sizes. The best mattress for your body type should help you avoid pains in the long term and provide adequate comfort irrespective of sleeping position in the short term.
1. Hybrid: A hybrid mattress has an innerspring system with multiple foam layers that help you sleep comfortably irrespective of your sleeping posture and body pains. It is an all-rounder mattress that solves multiple issues, and different types of hybrid mattresses can also function as mattresses for a stomach sleeper. If you have more significant bodyweight and above-average abdominal fat, you can stop your research with a medium-firm hybrid mattress for heavy stomach sleepers.
A hybrid mattress with one or multiple pocket coil innerspring systems and a high-density, plush foam layer with or without additional construction would be perfect. Since we need to take care of spinal support/prevent depression, a high-density pocket coil system is ideal. A latex foam or memory foam layer (or combination) is best used in a hybrid mattress for stomach sleepers. Hybrid mattresses usually have additional construction features like Euro, pillow, or box top, and a medium-soft to soft mattress configuration is best for most people.
2. Innerspring: An innerspring mattress, unlike a hybrid mattress, would lack construction features like a Euro top or pillow top and focus less on contouring foam comfort layers. Innerspring mattresses may usually have a pocket coil or Bonnell coil configuration in most cases, with one or two layers of support and a comfort layer to contour and support your body. However, if you have a heavier bodyweight or chronic pains and injuries to address, a pocket coil innerspring mattress would be best for you. The pocket coil system would help contour your body and abdominal fat, whereas the spring system would help provide the necessary support to prevent spinal pain and neck and shoulder pain.
Most innerspring mattresses for side sleepers would focus on providing comfort and would have a high-density spring system to focus more towards comfort and keep support for your body’s posture intact. This spring system density and the higher count are essential for abdominal sleepers more than others because of the pressure points in stress around your neck and shoulders, pelvic area, and abdomen.
3. Latex: A latex foam mattress would help keep your body and spine properly inclined and help support your pressure points and spine. A medium-firm latex foam mattress with either Dunlop in the comfort or support layer and either type in the comfort layer would help keep your body afloat. Along with many other benefits, support wouldn’t be as critical an issue as it would be in other foam types because of how latex foam mattresses work with your body.
Whether you go for a full-foam latex foam mattress with a supportive foam core or a hybrid latex foam mattress, you can look forward to comfortable sleep if you don’t want to give up sleeping on your stomach. High-density latex foam is ideal for stomach sleepers since low-density or ultra-soft variations of Talalay latex foams wouldn’t be ideal. The best case to look for is a medium-firm mattress, especially if you’re going for a full-foam latex foam mattress for stomach sleepers. Even though they may come in the higher budget range, a latex foam mattress would be the best medium-firm mattress for stomach sleepers.
4. Multi-layered foam: High-density variations of PU Foam, memory foam, and HR foam can work just as well for a person looking for the best mattress for side sleepers. The best mattress brand in India can help you with custom and industry-standard foam mattresses that help you sleep better on your stomach. Spinal support and neck and shoulder pressure points are issues one cannot overlook as an abdominal sleeper, and a full-foam mattress would need multiple layers. As a result, high-density foam variants would be necessary, which you can find from dealerships of the best mattress brands in India.
Suppose you’re looking for a full-foam mattress as a stomach sleeper. In that case, the mattress should have a high-density core made of either HR foam or rebonded foam, with the upper layers helping in contouring plushness rather than excessive support. Full-foam mattresses wouldn’t be the ideal choice to go for in mattresses for heavy stomach sleepers because of less than adequate support to uphold the heavier body. That is why you should go and experience your new mattress’s sleeping experience rather than buying online. Sleeping on your stomach can bring loads of body pains and associated issues, and careful selection as per your body type is critical. That is why you should focus on latex foam or high-density memory foam mattresses as excellent choices for a mattress for stomach sleepers.
Benefits and disadvantages of sleeping on your stomach:
If you choose to sleep on your stomach, here are some factors to know before you get a mattress for side sleepers:
Advantages:
1. Prevents snoring and sleep apnea: While it wouldn’t be comfortable for the most part, if you have sleep apnea or stand a high risk of developing snoring and apnea, the abdominal position can help. Unlike sleeping on your back, sleeping on your stomach prevents your windpipe from collapsing on itself and keeps it wider open. Stomach sleepers also generally sleep with their mouth open, and if you suffer from these conditions, it could be a good idea to temporarily try sleeping on the side. However, it leads to issues in the rest of your body, so the sleeping experience would not lead to better or comfortable sleep, be it short or long term.
Disadvantages:
Sleeping on your stomach poses different health issues and reasons to switch to other positions.
1. Can lead to wrinkling and breast sagging: Sleeping on your stomach leads to developing wrinkles on your face and body easier and even develop breast sagging in women. This is because our skin and the frontal part of our body are under physical stress from lying in this position, which leads to sweating, discomfort and even prevents proper blood circulation. As our face and body parts become active pressure points, sleeping on your stomach leads to severe discomfort and dermatological issues.
2. Bad for spinal alignment: One of the main things to look out for when sleeping on your stomach is your spinal health and core strength. As mentioned earlier, sleeping this way pushes your internals and skeletal system upwards, which puts excess pressure on your spine. It affects your neck vertebrae, neck and shoulder muscles, lower back, and middle/core of your back. No one sleeps like a log in the stomach position, and it almost looks as if sleeping in a fetal position, except it’s not. That is why it leads to different areas of your spine in different physical stress as per your fat distribution, which leads to body pains. Stomach sleepers are at a higher risk of neck and shoulder or back pain as compared to others. Without the right mattress for side sleepers, it can lead to back pains and issues listed here.
3. Unnecessary pressure on joints and muscles across the body: Because of the uneven distribution of fat and disproportionate sizes and shapes of our bodies, sleeping on your stomach can even put excess pressure on your joints and muscles. In addition to spinal stress, your knees, neck muscles, abdominal muscles, pelvic region, and other areas can take on unnecessary pressure. As a result of this, you are putting yourself at a higher risk of developing joint pains and chronic pains even if you have healthier body weight. Using knee pillows or pillows for your pelvic area, suitable pillows can seem too much. That is why choosing a hybrid mattress for stomach sleepers, or a mattress for heavy stomach sleepers becomes more crucial.
4. High-risk or aggravation of back/neck and shoulder pains: If you have body pains, injuries sleeping because of stomach sleeping, you should consult a physician and orthopedic at the earliest. You might not have been using the best mattress for stomach sleepers compatible with your body, leading to back and neck or shoulder pains. Orthopedic mattresses and hybrid mattresses for stomach sleepers would be best for you to prevent further aggravation of your body pain. As a result of this, stomach sleeping looks to be very high maintenance with the right kind of pillows, the best mattress for your body type, and other accessories to use.
Conclusion:
We know you prefer to sleep on your stomach because it feels more natural and at ease this way; you’ve been sleeping in that posture for a long time. That is why you can rely on us for the best mattress for stomach sleepers in India. From the right kind of pillows to proper accessories to help you sleep, you can be comfortable sleeping this way, whether or not you decide to change your sleeping position.
