The Best Mattress for Neck Pain – Buyers Guide

If you've been tossing and turning at night, and wake up with serious neck pain, you may think you simply need a new pillow. After all, that's what's supporting your neck, right? Well, you're partially correct. The only way to ensure you don't wake every morning rubbing the knots and kinks out of your neck is to make sure you're sleeping on the right mattress for you. Although a good pillow helps support your head and neck, what you really need is the best mattress for neck and back pain.

Best Mattress for Neck Pain Comparisons

Brand

Details

Our Rating

Brentwood Home Sierra Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Queen

  • Foam, wool
  • 25 - year waranty
Novosbed

Novosbed, Queen

  • Foam
  • 15 - year warranty

Eve Mattress

  • Innerspring memory foam hybrid
  • 10- year warranty

Hyphen Mattress, Queen

  • memory foam w/ cooling gel
  • 4 month trial/20- year warranty

Do You Really Need a Bed for Neck Pain?

Whether you suffer from a herniated disc in your neck, or you're simply sleeping on the same pillow and mattress for far too long, you could be suffering needlessly from a stiff, sore neck that only loosens with some vigorous massage. Yup, sleeping on an old pillow or mattress can actually cause neck pain.

Ask three random people which mattress they believe is the best for relieving neck and shoulder pain, and you're likely to get three different answers. That's because choosing a mattress is a very personal choice, and every has different preferences. Some of this has to do with your sleeping style and your current pain issues.

What most sleep experts and doctors agree with is that those who are already living with pain in the neck, back, or shoulders, should take a middle-of-the-road approach with their mattress. Not too hard, and not too soft.

What Happens When Your Mattress is Too Soft?

There's no denying that a soft mattress feels so good when you first lay down. It's like a fluffy cloud that seems to envelope your whole body. Initially, you may believe this is what you want in a bed. After all, if you're comfortable when you lay down, won't that encourage a long night of luxurious sleep? Nope.

You're doing your body a disservice if your mattress lets you sink into it. Your spine needs support when you're sleeping, and a soft, squishy mattress just can't provide the level of support needed for good, deep sleep.

The problem is that your spine isn't aligned properly, so you end up arching your back forward, backward, or to the side, depending on how you sleep. Regardless of the position, your body isn't being supported properly, and you end up tossing and turning in the night because your body feels pain in certain pressure points, sending a message to your brain that you need to reposition.And that's one reason why you may be waking up feeling unrested or in pain. You can't get enough of that quality deep sleep. There is a solution, though. Let's look at how to know if your mattress is too firm, though.

What Happens When Your Mattress is Too Firm?

After all that talk of how a too-soft mattress is so bad for your back, you'd think a firm mattress would be the way to go. You're not wrong, but there is such thing as too firm. Have you ever gone camping and slept on the cool, hard ground? It's not exactly comfortable, but you slept like a rock, right? That's probably because your spine was likely in a different position compared to your soft mattress. It could result in a good night's rest.

A too-firm mattress can cause back pain, too, though. There's no promise of night after night of deep sleep if you simply switch to a harder bed. In fact, a stiff bed may not be great for your pressure points either because it could force your spine into an unnatural position the way a soft mattress does, just in a different way. You may notice pain in your lower back instead.

What Your Sleep Position Says About the Mattress You Should Choose?

Back Sleepers: If you sleep on your back, you want to avoid a mattress that's too soft, or you could end up sleeping in a hammock-like position, which can cause curving of your spine. This may result in back and neck pain. This is the best position to sleep in, but it may be hard to adjust to.

Side Sleepers: You're sleeping in the most common position, and one of the best positions for deep sleep. You can really stretch out your spine in this position, and it helps alleviate back and neck pain. You're going to need to avoid a mattress that's too soft or too firm.?

Stomach Sleepers: This is one of the worst positions you can choose to sleep in for your body. You're putting strain on joints and muscles, and you can't easily keep your spine in a neutral position, so you're likely suffering in pain. Work on changing your sleep position, and get a proper mattress.

How to Pick the Right Mattress

You know that a good mattress is necessary, but do you need one that's rated at the very top? Does it need to be expensive to be the best bed for neck and back pain sufferers? Not necessarily. The price you pay for a mattress is a combination of the cost of materials and the marketing. So, how do you know you're choosing the right mattress for you? There are a few things you can do to ensure you're doing what you can to pick the best:

Don't Listen to Salespeople: You can ignore a lot of what a salesperson says because they're pushing the big brands that offer them the biggest bonuses that month.

Lay Down on Several Mattresses: Try them for yourself. Lay down the way you normally sleep and give it 10 or 15 minutes. Note how your neck and back feel before trying out another one.

Steer Clear of Pillow Tops: For one, these are likely going to be too soft. Secondly, they're likely going to wear out quickly, causing some dips and you'll need to replace your mattress in a few years.

Comparison Shop Online: Read through reviews of the mattresses that are meant for your specific problem – like the ones we have here that are ideal for those with neck problems.

Top 4 Mattress for Neck Pain Reviews

Brentwood Home Sierra Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Queen

  • 89 lbs
  • 80 x 60 x 10 in
  • 25 years warranty
  • Foam, wool
  • Medium

You may not be able to find a mattress store that offers a Brentwood mattress, so it may not be possible for you to test this mattress yourself unless you buy it. The good news is that you have 120 nights to try this bed out to make sure it's just right for you – if it isn't, you can return it for a refund in full. This mattress is certified free of the stuff you don't want, such as fire retardants and other chemicals you don’t want to breathe.

The medium firmness is a good balance between soft and firm so it works well for any type of sleeper. Gel-infused memory foam means that you shouldn’t see any dipping in the mattress, so the bed is long-lasting.

Pros

  • Long warranty
  • Cooling ventilated foam layer
  • 120-night return policy
  • Isolates movement
  • Relieves pressure on joints and muscles

Cons

  • May be too soft
  • Thinner overall
If you're waking up with a stiff neck every morning, this mattress maybe able to relieve those pains thanks to its several layers of various foam.

Novosbed, Queen

  • 98 lbs
  • 60 x 80 x 11 in
  • 15 years warranty
  • Foam
  • Medium
Novosbed

One of the awesome features of the Novosbed is that you can choose your level of firmness, but the medium is likely going to be the best mattress for neck and shoulder pain. It's soft enough that you'll probably look forward to stretching out on it each night, and it's firm enough to let you sleep soundly, your spine likely aligned exactly as it should be while you snooze.

Its layers of memory foam are designed to cradle your body just so, but the makers of Novosbed understand the comfort and support are different for everyone. So, if you aren't getting a great night's rest after 30 days, you can contact the company and it will send you a comfort kit to make it softer or firmer.

Pros

  • Comfort kit offer
  • 120-night trial
  • Washable cover
  • Doesn't transfer motion

Cons

  • Expensive
  • May be too warm
Even if you aren't stiff or sore, you could benefit from this memory foam mattress that helps to relieve pressure all over your body.

Eve Mattress

  • 91 lbs
  • 80 x 60 x 10 in
  • 10 years warranty
  • Memory foam
  • Firm

Although Eve is a United Kingdom business, you can order one of its memory foam beds from wherever you are. Because it’s a mattress-in-a-box, it's delivered directly to your door, and you simply unpack it and let it puff up. It's ready to sleep on in a matter of hours. The company claims it's the world's most comfortable mattress, and many of those who sleep on an Eve mattress agree.

One of the concerns some people have with a new mattress is whether it'll create a channel over time in the spot where they sleep. You're not likely to see that happen with this bed because the memory foam bounces back in just a few minutes. The firmness is ideal for those who are constantly rubbing their necks or shoulders after a long night of restless sleep.

Pros

  • Optional bed topper for more comfort
  • Firm foam support
  • Affordable
  • Breathable

Cons

  • Smells awful for a while
  • Spot cleaning only
This bed may seem thinner that others - and Eve admits the layers of foam are thinner - but it should provide the support you need for pain-free slumber.

Hyphen Mattress, Queen

  • 66 lbs
  • 80 x 60 x 10 in
  • 20 years warranty
  • Foam
  • Medium-firm

If you're suffering from neck pain because of an injury, you may need firmer support than what an innerspring mattress can provide. That's why the best mattress for herniated disc in neck is one made of memory foam, like this one from Hyphen. You can slip this out of the box its delivered in and place it on a box spring, a frame with slats, or even the floor, if you'd like.

It gets good marks for wicking away heat that can often nudge you out of a deep sleep. It's also praised for being hypoallergenic and antimicrobial. Hyphen offers a balanced level of support and plushness to make your sleep experience good every single night. It can't promise you won't ever feel your partner get out of bed in the morning, but generally speaking, you're not going to feel much movement.

Pros

  • Easy setup
  • Cooler nights
  • Balance between comfort and support
  • Movement isolation

Cons

  • May be warmer
  • May be softer
Hyphen stands by its claim that this is a breathable bed that offers just the right amount o firmness for support, so it may be the best mattress for neck problem.

Conclusion

Determining which mattress is, say, the best bed for side sleepers with neck pain, is a difficult task. A comfortable bed often comes down to personal preference. Based on our research, though, if you want to avoid stiffness and soreness after a night of sleep, your best bet is the The Novosbed, Queen. It's a bit more expensive, compared to other memory foam mattresses, but you're investing in your health, which makes it money well spent. As experts on sleep and doctors point out, you need a bed that's firm enough to support your body, and the Novosbed does just that, plus it's plush enough to provide the comfort you want to help you drift off.

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